The Halfway Line had the opportunity to sit down with Frida Maanum ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Manchester United in the Barclays Women’s Super League this Sunday afternoon to discuss her successful international break with Norway, her new interim coach Renée Slegers, and her side’s busy next month both domestically, and in Europe.
‘It was an intense couple of weeks’
The international break came at the perfect time for Arsenal, after a difficult start to the campaign saw former head coach Jonas Eidevall resign from his post. Some time away from North London will have helped the squad move forward to kickstart their season.
Maanum agreed with this sentiment and spoke on how much she enjoyed her time away and the positives she hopes it will bring back to Arsenal.
She said, “I think that it came at the right time for us, it was an intense couple of weeks before the international break and for us getting into a new environment can be very positive.
“It was really nice. We played two good games against Albania and I personally scored some goals which is always nice as a forward to get some confidence and bring that back to Arsenal.”
Slegers ‘a great person to have around the team’ praises Maanum
Before the international break, interim head coach Renee Slegers took charge to bring about a return to form, with solid wins at the Emirates Stadium against Valerenga, and away at West Ham in the WSL- a notoriously tricky fixture for the Gunners in the past.
The Norwegian spoke glowingly about her new boss and the role she’s played so far in helping the group get back to their best.
“She’s been really great. Coming into that role is always hard but those things happen in football. For her to come in that week before international camp where it was quite intense going into Valerenga and West Ham, she’s been a great person to have around the team. She’s been supporting us and we’ve tried to support her in the best way and we are really happy to have her as our coach right now.”
Champions League ‘is where we belong’ says Maanum
One positive of this season so far for the Gunners has been the club’s return to the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stages after last season’s early exit in the qualifying rounds.
When asked about the club’s European return, Maanum stated “I love the Champions League.” The statement comes as no surprise as her performances in Arsenal’s 2022/23 semi-final run are still fresh in the minds of Arsenal fans, helping to cement her as an unquestionable fan-favourite.
Maanum was clearly excited for the tough games against Juventus on the horizon, and to be back amongst Europe’s best.
“It’s always those games that you want to play and being back in the group stages is really nice for us as a club and a group. It’s where we belong, and we want to show that.”
Manchester United ‘are a tough opponent’
To turn attention back to the WSL, the upcoming game against Manchester United will be vitally important for Arsenal in order to claw back some of the ground they lost in their opening games. Maanum spoke on the benefit of having such a significant game immediately after the international break, as well as the busy November schedule ahead.
“I think we’re quite used to those quick turnarounds. United are a tough opponent but for us to regroup straight away is important going into five games in twenty-one days. It’s a lot of games coming up but right now we’re focused on United and it’s great to have the opportunity to face them straight away.”
“We want to create a good momentum going into the league and champions league. We have important games coming up and for us it’s important to focus on the next game coming up. It’s a long season and there’s a lot of opportunity across the cups, the league, and Champions League, so there’s a lot of football coming up”
