Arsenal were beaten 2-0 by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Meadow Park on Sunday. Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match, the first three questions are from Arseblog News.
On starting with Katie McCabe at right-back…
There were several thoughts about this. A little bit matching up in defence against Guro Reiten who has been in excellent form and trying to get an aggressive player like Katie against her in defence. But also, with the way their wing-backs press the space should be open for Katie to drive inside on her left foot. I think for a number of reasons I don’t think either of those things worked out that well.
On warming up with Lotte Wubben-Moy at right-back and Catley at centre-half…
In most games Chelsea start very well and aggressive and when we played Leicester last time, I picked up that they warmed up in a back four so we had the possibility to observe how they changed. We scored after a minute in that game, if we hadn’t seen them in the warm-up we would have spent the first few minutes working out how to change our approach but we were able to pick it up in the warm up and talk about it. We wanted to put some doubt into Chelsea’s mind about what we were doing in order for us to try to get the correct momentum at the beginning of the game and I actually think that worked out well. I think they looked confused for the first thirty minutes of the game.
On Beth Mead’s chance sixty seconds before Chelsea took the lead and whether that period defined the game…
Unfortunately for us, yes. I also think that’s the most disappointing thing. Of course it is better that Beth scores and we don’t concede but we can’t allow a goal like that to define our performance after that like we did today. That’s the disappointing part, we didn’t give ourselves the chance to win the game. If we had carried on being consistent, carrying out the game plan, even if we had lost 1-0 and it wasn’t enough, then ok, maybe it isn’t your day and you can accept it. If we want to be a winning team we cannot be dependent on scoring the first goal, of course it is an advantage but we need to have the mentality of being consistent, carrying on doing all the right things and we didn’t do that today.
Mead wide pic.twitter.com/YRWrOUmlew
— 6_hedonist (@6_hedonist) April 17, 2022
On the difference between the two teams today…
Consistency, that’s the difference. The quality of the deciding actions was also the difference today. To beat a team like Chelsea we need to be consistent and we can’t be dependent on scoring the first goal in games like this, we need to keep on doing the right things. We saw in the first 40 minutes that we have the quality to play against and beat Chelsea but we need to do that much, much better. It’s not the easiest thing to fix but we need to work on it.
On the need to be more clinical…
You always want to be more clinical but my biggest disappointment is how we react to the first goal and the last five minutes of the first half, that was really, really poor. We lost our focus and made a lot of individual mistakes. None of those things is associated with a winning team in my mind. We need to learn and to nullify those moments.
On potentially not winning silverware this season…
I am very disappointed with the match today but I am very motivated to do everything to finish the season as strongly as possible, that’s what we need to do. It has been clear for us that when we play at our best we can play against any team but we need to develop consistency on doing our basic principles over and over again. That is the most important thing for the rest of the season to feel like we are growing with that and then we can develop into being a really strong team.
On the value of repetition of pressure moments in these big games…
Repetition is one thing, because then you have a strong shared mental level. I also think it’s accountability, to keep each other accountable for the way we play and not to let one mistake become two or three mistakes. If somebody is jumping out of position or making bad decisions, then we need to communicate and tell that player to do it differently. Or sometimes we might need to play easier so that we don’t make the second and third mistakes. So one part is repetition, the other is how we communicate so that we hold ourselves accountable on the pitch.
1.Zinsberger; 3.Wubben-Moy, 6.Williamson, 7.Catley, 15.McCabe; 13.Walti (12.Maanum ‘62), 10.Little(c), 11.Miedema; 9.Mead, 19.Foord (77.Heath ‘70); 25.Blackstenius (14.Parris ‘70).
As with the mens team we have the wrong man in charge
I’m sorry but your statement is simply not true.
So Emma Hayes is the “right man”?
She’s been better than our coaches, I think that is fair to say.
I remember talking about how bad Blackstenius is as a general footballer and getting so many dissenting opinions. I seriously feel we are losing so much in midfield and attack with this Vivstenius experiment. Stina is just not a good enough ball keeper and passer for this to work. For the umpteenth time this season, she was easily out muscled, her passing was awful and barely anything stuck to her. We need Viv back in the 9 position and Jordan or Mánà in midfield to retain the ball better and be more incisive. Cut this experiment out please. Asides that,… Read more »
Absolutely disagree about both Stina and Viv – Miedema is for sure happier and much more effective in midfield. Stina is a deceptively very effective contributor to the Arsenal cause – whilst she’s not an especially physical player, her passes, assists and hold-up play are excellent. Don’t forget she’s also scored quite a few goals! My humble opinion is that Blackstenius is a first class signing.
I do agree about Jordan, specifically she’d definitely have been up for the game today – I would have played her from the start.
Could not agree more with regard to Jordan, but it seems, of late, both the England and Arsenal managers are content with leaving her on the bench and ignoring her never say die fighting spirit which is a rare asset in a player.
Viv is happier playing midfield than scoring goals? Hmm–that’s a bold and statement to make about one of the most prolific goal scorers in the women’s game. I will grant that given that Arsenal signed Stina, it was solid decision to switch Viv to the 10 as she’s the best attacking mid the team has–better than Nobbs. I’m sure Miedema likes being more involved in the action in games like today’s, because over the last couple of years, when Arsenal play really strong opponents she’s barely seen the ball at CF–and she’s far too talented to be spending 2/3 of… Read more »
Blackstenius would be great for a Simeone style counterattacking team built around not having possession. She doesn’t help a possession based team like Arsenal.
Exactly what I’ve been saying. She’s devastating with space to operate in cos she has wonderful movement and finishing. But when you ask her to interact more with the team via build up, link up and hold up play, she just isn’t built for that.
Maybe she will eventually come good with us. Maybe. But right now, the overall team structure is suffering. Especially in the big games.
Her passing and hold up play at Arsenal have been woeful. Idk what games you’ve been watching. I don’t know if it acclimatisation period or English league is too fast paced for her but she always seems a second slower in making decisions. See the chance she had to either pull back quicker or take a shot. I’ve watched her over the last couple of big games and she was persistently bullied on the ball and had so many wayward passes, I wanted to cry. It is always okay to admit that two top class players aren’t dovetailing properly. I… Read more »
I agree about Foord at the 9. I think she’d be better than Stina.
HHer passing and hold up play at Arsenal have been woeful. Idk what games you’ve been watching. I don’t know if it acclimatisation period or English league is too fast paced for her but she always seems a second slower in making decisions. See the chance she had to either pull back quicker or take a shot. I’ve watched her over the last couple of big games and she was persistently bullied on the ball and had so many wayward passes, I wanted to cry. It is always okay to admit that two top class players aren’t dovetailing properly. I… Read more »
Until someone can cure Arsenals fear of Chelsea we might just as well give them the game and leave it at that. As for our so called stars they might just as well sit in the dressing room for all the good they do! Once again another Arsenal manager sets them up to combat Chelsea’s game instead of concentrating on playing our own way.
Except Chelsea didn’t turn up to play the Chelsea way either. Emma Hayes stated that her game plan was to stifle Arsenal, and that is precisely what they were trying to do until they were gifted a goal.
Point taken but I don’t think Chelsea actually played players out of their normal position. Katie McCabe at right back?
That was truly a dumb move–the coach trying to be clever. You’re playing the best team in the league and you put one of your players on the side of the field where she rarely if ever plays? Yikes. It’s interesting that Eidevall said he made the move partly because he wanted her to drive forward and inside with the ball with her stronger left foot–breaking Chelsea’s press. This team needs to do more of that–but as a longtime pro she ought to be able to dribble inside and break pressure with her right foot (playing on the left side).… Read more »
I don’t know why Eidevall didn’t just play Maritz. Reiten may be in excellent form, but my understanding is that Maritz has fared well against Lauren Hemp in the two games against Man City. If she can deal with her then she can deal with Reiten. I know different opponents require different strategies, but sometimes I think you’ve got to just keep it simple and back your players. For me that’s a big strength of Emma Hayes, she’s flexible with her tactics but doesn’t seem to overthink things.
It wasn’t a great game from either side really; for sure, fatigue from the international break was a factor.
None of our “superstars” shone brightly at all. Best players were Steph & Lia.
Having said that, had Beth’s shot gone a few inches the right side of the post, the result might have turned in Arsenal’s direction.
The ladies should have had the league sewn up. The only team to lose against the bottom club and a few draws allowed Chelsea to catch up. Too negative some have told me, haven’t watched all their games but they come across as bottle jobs like the men!
Just shows the fine margins of football. Beth puts her shot inside the post then we’re probably talking about an FA Cup Final appearance but she didn’t & Reiten scored straight from the restart thanks to non existent closing down
When you’re at a match you can get a different impression compared with analysis on TV. For both this game and the one at Wolfsburg (apart from the temperature being 20 degrees higher!) I felt that many of our attacks were halted by strong tackling, especially from behind when the attacker has their back to the goal. Look at the contrast between what happened when we reached the edge of their penalty area with how they scored their goals.
I think Emma Hayes might have been watching the Wolfsburg games, especially the second one.
My comment?
It’s simply not good enough from Jonas. His idea to play McCabe at RB was a mistake he didn’t correct during the game. Hayes sees when things aren’t working for Chelsea and she is smart enough to make the changes to make her team better. I have yet to see an example of this from Jonas when Arsenal are in trouble and his plan A isn’t working. You can blame individual player mistakes but the team does not play as a unit with a style and focus in games. And that’s a problem of coaching.
Whilst I agree about Katie – which was pretty clear from the start, Jonas has been a very effective coach in many ways and in many games. He certainly hasn’t “got” Jordan Nobbs yet, who would have been ideal for this game.
It’s his first season though don’t forget, and I personally feel optimistic going forward – and we may well still edge the 2021/22 league title!
Why are fans continuing to give Jonas a pass and saying he just needs more time? The mark of a good coach is to evaluate the players they have and make them into a functioning team. Haye outclasses him and his mind games with Katie at RB when Maritz was left on the bench (along with Nobbs and Iwabuchi) show he was desperate to be right and was shown up to be wrong. You can blame Rafa being unavailable but these players are all national team players and Jonas should be able to get his tactics right, even if that… Read more »
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that Eidevall will bring trophies to the club in time. In his first season he’s taken the team to the quarter finals of the Champion’s League and they’re still very much in contention for the league title with only four games left. Yes, he’s not got the better of Emma Hayes since catching her cold on the opening weekend of the season, but she’s had years to build her team and instil a winning mentality. You could argue that Eidevall has done excellently to go toe to toe with her for almost an… Read more »
Kim Little always were a great contributor of goals for the Team, since November she barely scored a goal in the league, in Jonas structure she’s playing down, barely touching penalty area, we lost the attacker from midfield, don’t want to say what I think about Nobbs because is taboo, the results until now are not for Jonas work, are because the good quality of players in the team, to be honest with this team other coach would get more than nothing.
Agree with the last sentence, but doesn’t mean one is better than the other in the Team, Stina need to be ready for the next season, because maybe Viv will not be there, and keep her as a 10 is pointless, better get a world class 10.
If Viv leaves this summer then Arsenal are in need for another forward. Stina scored a couple of tap ins. She’s done next to nothing in most games. Tim can detail her attributes of occupying the defenders time but we need a goal scorer in the box and she’s not Viv. The very poor defending has overshadowed how poor Blackstenius has been for us.
The equaliser against United showed how the Viv-Stina link can work well, and it wasn’t a gimee that Mary Earps would be beaten. However, I do feel that we are missing Viv’s ability to run onto a through ball. In the 2019 Conti Cup match against United there was one of my favourite goals when Dominique Janssen (then Bloodworth) split their defence with a brilliant ball that Viv collected to run on and score. Three years later they’re on opposite sides with a very different outcome!
I’m still not seeing what Jonas has achieved. He talks about high pressing but where is it? It’s never consistent, there’s no excuses for the tactical failings against Chelsea or Manchester City. In the 5-0 against Leicester City game it doesn’t matter about tactics because the other team collapses so it’s easy to overload players into the final third but a game against Chelsea that is a semifinal and last chance at a trophy this season, the tactics had to be right. And they were not, Maritz benched for McCabe is a joke. But rumour has Maritz leaving this summer.… Read more »