With the chills of the winter break almost over the warm embrace of domestic football’s return this weekend draws near, and with it, some fascinating Adobe Women’s FA Cup ties. The fourth round sees Women’s Super League teams enter the draw for the first time this season including Arsenal who will face Bristol City from the WSL Championship on Sunday afternoon with a place in the next round at stake at Meadow Park.
The Halfway Line got the chance to speak with Arsenal’s interim manager Renée Slegers who took the time to speak with media on Friday afternoon.
Slegers ‘trusts’ club will make the right decision over new head coach
Much of the talk in these winter months regarding Arsenal has surrounded the search for a new head coach, even if in some quarters it is felt the search should have concluded before it expanded further than right under Arsenal noses. The Interim head coach only emboldened those calling for her to be instilled on a full time basis by winning the WSL Manager of the Month award for December. The recruitment process appears to be concluding, and she was asked how close the club was to making a decision, Slegers explained:
“Well, the club is in the process, very detailed about it. We trust them.” Slegers continued, “it’s that’s all on the club to answer that question. I have big trust that they will do this very detailed, and that they are very keen to make a very good decision. So I trust the club.”
Slegers noted a wider point, and was keen to ensure that the praise for recent performances remained with the players, she continued:
“I love being here. I love working with the players. I’m happy that the players are in a good place as well. I think we’re doing a lot of great things at the moment, and I want to bring the credit back to them again, that they stepped up. They’ve been changing things. And I think the key for for success moving forward is that they keep on doing that. So I don’t think this individual role is going to going to make the big impact, or the biggest impact, that has been made up until now is what the players have been doing.”
Slegers delighted with ‘mentally and physically refreshed’ team after the break
Prior to the winter break Arsenal were on a breath-taking run of form under Slegers, winning 10 out of the last 11 matches, Slegers was asked how her team keep that momentum after such a long break, she replied: “So what we try to do is to hit our levels as fast as we can. So we very demanding in meetings and trainings. So we definitely want to start with that foundation, and then we also do not lose the motivation and that momentum, we also set goals for the next level for us to reach, and I think the players have been responding really well to that. So that’s all the work we try to do in the background.”
Slegers continued: “We’re very comfortable with what we’ve been doing here in the building. I understand from the outside, you don’t see it, you don’t get to experience it every day, but there’s incredible hard work behind the scenes from both players and staff, and we started doing that again after the break, the girls came back really well, very fresh, mentally and physically refreshed. They look really good. And we’re still in that process, and we focus on the here and now and Bristol on Sunday.”
‘Very little movement’ expected over the transfer window admits Slegers
With the New Year comes a new transfer window and the January window is now well and truly upon us. Slegers was asked whether Arsenal were looking to recruit new players this month, she retorted, “We’re very happy with the player group that we have at the moment.” She continued, “I think they’ve been performing well, and everyone is trying to push and get the best out of themselves and out of each other. So I think we’re in a really good place with the squad at the moment, with the players that are here. So very happy with that. But I think a big club like us, we’re always looking to take the next step and always active. But at the moment, there will be very little movement. We’re very happy with the players in the building.”
Wälti ‘in contention’ for Sunday says Slegers
Arsenal face Bristol with a few players returning from injury and the availability of some others also unclear, however Slegers took the time to clarify, she noted “Lia Wälti is in full training, so she’s in contention for Sunday. Lina Hurtig and Emily Fox they’ve come back later from their breaks, so that’s part of the individual plans for different players.”
Slegers urges her side to be ‘on their toes’ against Bristol City
Slegers’ was asked to comment on the opposition for Arsenal on Sunday, Bristol City, currently second in the WSL Championship, she responded:
“I think it’s going to be an interesting game. It’s going to be challenging, it’s our first game back after after the break. Bristol is like you say, is a top team in (the WSL) Championship and we definitely shouldn’t think this is going to be an easy one, so what we’re going to ask from the girls is to be on their on their toes in this game against this opposition.”
Players take ‘pride’ in being able to go for all four competitions
We asked Arsenal’s Dutch interim head coach about the importance of the FA Cup and how she impresses that importance onto the players of a competition that Arsenal have been so successful in down the years. Slegers responded:
“We have clear objectives for for this block and for the second half of the season, and talking to the players, listening to the players they they take big pride in all prizes that we can win, there’s four at the moment, and we want to go for all four of them. And that’s that’s really clear when you listen to the players.”
‘I’ve learnt a lot from him’ Slegers on Eidevall
Over the winter break former Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall got the head coach job at San Diego Wave, after being asked about Slegers in his first interview since getting the post he noted she was a ‘great leader’ and gushed about the job she has done since taking over from the Swede in October. The Halfway Line asked Slegers about her relationship with Eidevall and if they still are in contact, she replied:
“Yeah, no, I got to know Jonas in Sweden” Slegers continued, “he was the first team coach and I was the reserves coach back then, so we go far back, and I think I’ve learned a lot from him, and I’m also very grateful for the opportunities he has given him given me, and he’s put a lot of trust in me in different roles and in different environments when we’ve worked together. So I have huge respect for Jonas, and yes, we’re still in touch, and he doesn’t live here anymore, but we went for dinner and we catched up but now it’s mostly on the phone too, but we’re still in touch, and I’m very happy for him, excited for him for the San Diego job.”
