Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall says that the competition in his squad for this season is tough but that he wants the competition to create the right culture around the team.
Stina Blackstenius has seen her role reduce after the summer signing of Alessia Russo but the Swede is currently the club’s leading scorer for this season and has scored big goals against Manchester United and Manchester City. Eidevall says Blackstenius is a great example of the pros and cons of competition.
“It is super important, it is the benefit and the problem of having a bigger squad with a lot of competition. Sometimes, you might be better in the finishing eleven than the starting eleven.
“Sometimes you might not get the chance even if you perform well because maybe I think another player will benefit the team better at that moment. But you take Stina as a good example, Kathrine Kuhl and Kyra Cooney-Cross are great examples, the way they played in the Conti Cup yesterday but haven’t played so much but they have trained well. So when they get the opportunity they are well prepared to take it.”
Eidevall says competition for places creates a better training ground culture which translates into the games. “That is so important that we have that culture, that is really important for us across the season. Time has not been a friend for us this season with the Champions League qualifiers.
“I think I said we are going to be a team that develops during the season and that is what I think you have been seeing that with this Arsenal team, that the more time we have had to train together and work on ideas, the more we have improved and we want to continue that and we will need everybody in the squad to do that.”
Choose the best.
More competition and therefore rotation means less injuries, we desperately need that.