Finn’s sharp focus shifts from the battle of the blues to the scrutiny of Sweden

“Big Quinn, Little Quinn, Jamie Finn,” they sing in homage to three of their seven Irish women.

Simple but concise. Big (Louise), Little (Lucy) and of course Jamie.

However, the harsh truths of the past few weeks have added an appendix, a pithy note of desperation in her ongoing lament.

“A victory.”

These are desperate times in the West Midlands; With four games remaining in the Women’s Super League, the Blues are stranded in the basement, seven points from considering any sense of security.

And the time left to reach it is getting shorter and shorter; They only have four games left. Leicester, above them, have played a game less.

However, having only won once all season, there is no logic or form to suggest they can pull out the minimum three they need to ensure their safety.

For the Dublin Finn, 23, it was a rude awakening to life in the pro ranks; It helped that she had her eyes wide open to greet the often unflattering bright lights.

“It was frustrating to lose like we do with close defeats and things like that,” said the former Shelbourne midfielder.

“It’s a learning curve. When we got there at the beginning of the season, the whole team was practically new.

“So that took time to adjust. And there was a new manager then. So it was tough. But overall, I’m enjoying my first experience as a full-time professional soccer player.”

After taking the plunge last year, she may now have to brace herself for a fall.

Of course, professionals will never admit defeat; Armed with a one-year contract, however, she can’t help but ponder where her future might lie.

Finn will have watched the difficulties of another Women’s National League export, Rianna Jarrett, who was once a regular starter in the top flight for Brighton and her country but has now operated in the Championship and has been relegated from the international squad.

“We’ll see what happens at the end of the season, but of course I want to stay in the full-time football environment and hopefully in WSL,” stresses Finn.

“It’s not over yet! Of course we’re not going to give up as a team without a fight. The club was great for me as I entered my first full-time season in professional football.

“If we go down the championship is also at a good level so we’ll see what happens at the end of the season.”

The sharp, prescient mind of her international midfield colleague Ruesha Littlejohn might have offered a guide to Birmingham’s travail as she traversed the city to join Aston Villa last summer.

Littlejohn’s scathing criticism of how her former employers treated their wives contradicts Finn’s perspective; on the other hand, this is all she knows.

And all she knows is that this is what she wanted to do for most of her life. “To be fair, it was an easy decision for me because I’ve always wanted to play professional football,” says Finn, who started her career at Swords before joining Shels.

“If you want to progress, I think you have to be in full-time football. It doesn’t have to be in England, there are full-time environments elsewhere too.

“If you’re not at home, you have to adjust to it immediately. It was also tough in terms of training. You train enough almost every day. Your training sessions, your tactical stuff, working with footage and analyzing your own performances.

“We did that with Shelbourne too, but it wasn’t as intense as it wasn’t a full-time environment. It was a jump, but one I wanted to make. I wanted to put myself in that position and see how I would adapt.

“When I went over I wanted to have the goal in mind to play games and get on the team. I did that and I’m happy.”

Amid the freeze, her reviews have been positive, despite the manager who signed her getting the scoop late last year.

The side’s only win was a remarkable win, 2-0 against title chasers Arsenal, as former England star Karen Carney named Finn to her Team of the Week.

Her thoughts are in Gothenburg, Sweden this Tuesday; She struggled at times in her preferred position, on the right side of boss Vera Pauw’s three women’s defense in the second leg, plagued by Stina Blackstenius.

The Swedes then narrowly won thanks to Louise Quinn’s unfortunate own goal; The squad’s main goal could be to keep third-placed Finland at bay and secure a spot in the World Cup play-offs.

Still, they won’t be intimidated at the famous Ullevi, where a record crowd is expected for a Swedish women’s game. “We know how good they are, but we will have a positive attitude,” she promises.

One gets the feeling that Ireland is more comfortable in such lofty company these days. A feeling that perhaps also reflects Finn’s personal journey. you can sing it