The narrative surrounding the Republic of Ireland men's and women's national team could hardly differ further at the moment.
As Vera Pauw's side prepare for their first ever World Cup campaign in Australia & New Zealand, Stephen Kenny has found himself teetering on the brink as a result of his latest setback during the most recent international window.
The two teams have certainly trended in different directions over the last few years.
The early portion of the Kenny era with the men's team was met with huge optimism despite the lack of results. That has dissipated in recent times, with the lack of improvement on the pitch leading to some serious questions about his position.
On the other hand, the women's side have gone from strength to strength under Vera Pauw. Having missed out on last year's Euros in heartbreaking fashion, they showed remarkable resilience to bounce back and reach this summer's World Cup. They have also captured the heart of the nation in the process, with interest around the team increasing dramatically.
When it comes to the approach of the two managers in improving their team, there is one area where Kenny could have learned from Pauw.
Stephen Kenny could have learned from Vera Pauw's Ireland approach
Looking at Stephen Kenny's record, it does not make for pretty reading. He has won only ten of his 34 matches in charge, a number that is concerning in of itself.
However, it looks even worse when you dig a bit deeper. Half of those ten wins are made up of friendly victories over the likes of Andorra, Lithuania, Latvia, Qatar, and Malta. That is hardly a who's who list of world football.
The only top class opposition they faced in a non-competitive game was England at an empty Wembley Stadium, a last minute arrangment which only happened on the back of their Euro 2020 play-off loss against Slovakia. They also played Belgium, who did not select any players with over 50 caps for the game.
In truth, it's difficult to think that some of those friendlies were not chosen to give Ireland an easy victory and boost Kenny's record as manager. They did absolutely nothing to improve the team.
Compare this to the Women's National Team.
Vera Pauw has made a point of selecting friendly opponents that would challenge Ireland. They have faced the likes of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, China, and USA since her appointment, all nations currently ranked inside the top 20 in the FIFA World Rankings.
The 3-2 win over Australia, in particular, was a real turning point in her reign. It was the first example of Ireland showing they could come out on top against world class opposition and they have never looked back from there.
Pauw has repeatedly said that she chose those opponents in order to challenge Ireland and raise their performance levels. That paid off in World Cup qualification, where Ireland beat teams of similar quality such as Finland and Scotland, as well as getting a result against one of the world's best sides in Sweden.
That is quite the contract to the men's team.
Ireland learned nothing from those friendly games against European minnows. They looked good in dominating possession, but this did little to prepare them for the challenges that were ahead.
They should have played against teams of a similar quality. When they faced one such side in Greece, they looked like they had no idea how to approach the game. It's difficult not to think that more reps against good quality opposition would not have helped in this regard.
Kenny has to be commended for many things he has done as Ireland boss, but this was a clear mistake.
Whereas Vera Pauw is now reaping the benefits of her decision, he is suffering for going down a different route. As a manager who preaches bravery, he needed to show a bit more ambition when selecting friendly opponents.
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