Renée Slegers was back in front of the media for her pre-Brighton & Hove Albion press conference on Friday.
She looked ahead to Sunday’s Adobe Women’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with the Seagulls.
Here’s everything our head coach had to say on the following subjects…
on how much of a boost Wednesday night was for us:
It took a lot of energy and investment of course, but I think the players have been delivering this throughout the whole block, so not only on that night, but everything they do. So of course it took a lot, mental, physical energy, but we’re happy with the result of course, going through to the semi-finals, and now we know we have one more game to play against Brighton this block, which is going to be a huge game for us. It’s ten years for us (since we won the FA Cup) for Arsenal, so we’re well aware and it’s going to be a very important game for us.
on how we have changed since winning the Champions League last year:
It’s always been a pleasure and a privilege for me to work for the club and with these players and that hasn’t changed. But life is a journey, so everything you go through in life, if you have a reflective and growth mindset, you’re going to learn and you’re going to take it with you and it’s going to help you further in life, and I think that’s what the players have done, us as a staff as well, we’ve learned a lot from those experiences last year, how much it takes, but it also inspires us to see what we can do and what we’re capable of. Of course we’re going to face Lyon again, first home and then away so it’s going to be a big battle, we remember that from last year, but we really look forward to the challenge.
on if she’s had a chance to review the incident with Katie McCabe against Chelsea:
Yeah, I’ve seen it, I’ve spoken to Katie today as well, she’s very apologetic about the situation and it’s unfortunate that it’s happened. I think it took quite some attention from the game, because if you look at the game and the quality of football and all the big and small battles on the pitch across these two games, it was, in my opinion, a great product of women’s football. So I think we’re really proud of that and it was a great battle against Chelsea and it’s unlucky that this incident in the game has taken so much attention, but I understand.
on how important this FA Cup quarter-final is for us:
Yeah, very important, just mentioned it, we know we’ve done some big things so far this block, which we’re very proud of. I think I said it post-match after the Chelsea game that this was probably the biggest challenge so far in the season from a scenario perspective, but we did it, now we go and prepare for Brighton off the back of all this, that is, for us, the big challenge of the block, that we have to finish the job and keep on going and never stop. So doing everything to recover mentally and physically from the Chelsea game and being ready for Sunday.
on if Steph and Leah will be available:
No, both Leah and Steph won’t be available. We were hopeful for Leah, but it’s too soon. Steph of course left the pitch with a calf injury, so she won’t be available tomorrow.
on what went into deciding on Daphne playing ahead of Anneke on Wednesday:
I think we pride ourselves on making really good decisions as a staff, again, because we are in this position now where we have so many players performing at such a high level. Going into the season, being in this position where the girls are so close because everyone is performing so well, that’s the dream scenario, so we’re in a really good position. But yeah, of course, a lot of back and forth on decisions that we make. Also on the goalkeeper decision. They’re both great goalkeepers and Daph did amazing that night.
on if we’d like less chaotic games than our matches with Chelsea:
Yes, I think, of course you want to go into a game and you want to play 90 minutes and you’re going to be in control and everything goes as planned and you’ve played the perfect game. But I don’t think that will ever happen. The further you get into a tournament, the harder it will get. So I think we were prepared, we were accepting of the fact that momentum would shift and we’re playing against a really good team that are going after goals, and of course, we’ve had a look at and reflected on how could we get more pressure on the ball for example, what do we do at the end of the game when they’re going for it and pumping the ball in and getting numbers forward, what could make our decisions in dictating those moments even better? But yeah, we spoke about it before the game, the Arsenal ways, and if we can defend really well, if we can do everything to prevent the ball from going in, that’s such a big, big thing that we’ve developed as a team, I think, and we did that against Chelsea. So in a sense, in those moments, if we can still feel control, then that’s a big strength of ours, I think. So in answer to your question, I expect the game against Lyon to be a big battle, it’s two really, really good teams. I think Lyon is a very strong team, so control can mean different things.
on what we admire about Brighton, having sent Kafaji and Agyemang on loan there:
They possess the ball really well, I think they try to do that, they’re brave in their game, they work with rotations, so I think they look to dominate games with the ball, which is important, I think, for our players as well. It’s important in our game, they have a high-pressing system where they also want to be front-footed and brave, similar to us. So I think it’s been great, if you look at Rosa, how she’s been performing and how she’s been developing, it’s been a great environment for her.
on what we learn from cup games that are less about tactics:
I think you need to bring everything to a top game like that. I think you have to be tactically really, really well, well-organised, have very good ideas and a sharp game plan. But I think mentality comes into those games as well. If you do all things really well, you can win the margins. I think that’s, like I said after the game, one of the things I’m proudest of, if you look at the team’s performance and how the players dealt with difficult moments on the pitch and the scenario in itself. And then physically as well. The further you get into tournaments, the more you have to master all the sides of the game. I think that’s what we’re looking at. We have the willingness and the humility to do all those things, but also in combination with that, the belief that we can do all those things. It’s been a journey with a lot of learnings, but I think looking ahead at that game, all that will be required. But back to Brighton on Sunday, all of these things will be required against Brighton as well on Sunday because I think they’ll try to go for it. And the same for us because the FA Cup is very important for us.
on how to deal with momentum shifts in real time:
I think it’s building a library with the players, what we do in different scenarios, planning for different scenarios, working a lot on problem solving with the players in training so they become really comfortable on pitch as well. And then all this in balance with the amount of information you want to give because the players need to play on intuition and make quick decisions. So that’s important for us as a staff. We need to be very well prepared and well planned in a lot of detail so when things happen on the pitch, we have the solution close to us. I think as a staff, we’ve been at a high level. And the players, the same. So problem solving, if you look at training, if we do attack and defence, if we do tactical sessions, that’s something we ask from players and they’ve done that incredibly well. And I think that then helps in the moment, when the moment happens, you’re well equipped.
on if she’s noticed our players standing taller in European games:
I wouldn’t say there’s a difference in what competition we’re playing in and how they feel in those competitions. These are all professional players that started to play as young kids, young girls with a dream and they’re here now, so every competition is special to them. But of course, representing Arsenal in Europe, it is special. You get to play the big games under the lights, so it is very special. I think it’s special as well as a coach. But I think we’re just, as a group, very good at the moment, regardless of the competition or even regardless of if it’s match day or it’s a training game.
on if it’s difficult not to prioritise one competition over another:
Yeah, we have a squad that is well prepared. Everyone is ready to go. So it’s all about making really good, well-informed decisions on how we want to start and how we want to finish games. But they’re all just as important.
on the key to strong performances despite changes in personnel:
I think we work at a high level with the staff, so the analysts and Aaron D’Antino, who is very detailed with the defensive side of our game. We work really hard together with the players to build good game plans and have a really strong game model and clarity in how we want to defend. And that, in combination with what behaviours we want to see on the pitch and what’s our mentality in those moments, has been really strong. But then, again, the ownership of the players to be prepared to understand the role in all phases of the game has been really good. So the investment of the players has been really high.
on what we expect from Brighton on Sunday:
They always do something different, so we know how they play. Like I just said, they want to possess the ball, they want to rotate, want to create overloads, they want to press high. But we’ve also seen that they have specific game plans for specific games, so we’re also expecting something that we might not know about. But, yeah, they like to spend time on the ball and they’re very front-footed, very quick in their counter-press as well.
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