Arsenal drew 0-0 at home to Everton in the WSL on Sunday in a drab encounter. Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News.
On the ponderousness of the performance…
First half we play with too little intent, we move the ball too slow. We have quite a bit of control but here at home, we should have much higher standards on ourselves on our attacking game. When we don’t move the ball quicker than that, it is really hard to break down a side like Everton who prioritise having so many players behind the ball. I think the intent and creating the momentum, we do it in the second half but we leave it too late to be happy about that. That should have been the case from minute one and if we had created that momentum and that attacking mentality from that, I can’t see the game going any other way than us winning. But we sort of leave that to chance and I am disappointed with that and we need to learn from that.
On not bringing Rosa Kafaji on…
I can see that perspective, but we have had so many minutes on our back four and it is really important for us that we invest minutes in Leah Williamson and Steph Catley so we can get them going in a really heavy week for us. That took two substitutions, then the other parts were what we need tactically. In this situation we could only make five substitutions and Rosa was one of those that couldn’t come on.
On Daphne van Domselaar starting and how the rotation with Zinsberger will work…
I don’t know, is the short answer. We have really good competition on the goalkeeper position, like we have in other positions. This was the decision for today and we will see what the decision is for Wednesday. She will get more chances, so will Manuela Zinsberger.
On the reaction of the players at full-time…
We are disappointed, we are disappointed with the result and the performance. Now we need to look forward to an exciting, tough and challenging game on Wednesday night and it’s a quick turnaround so we can’t put a foot wrong in recovery and preparation, that needs to be the focus now. But no doubt about it, we are disappointed about today.
On Steph Catley and Leah Williamson returning…
It is really important for us, like I said before we have been playing a lot of minutes on the same players in the back four. Given we have five games in 15 days, that would not have been sustainable to keep piling the minutes on those players. It was really important to get those players back ahead of those big games.
On whether this result will motivate the team even more ahead of games against Bayern and Chelsea…
We are disappointed today, both with the performance and the result, with the games coming up away at Bayern Munich and at home against Chelsea, we don’t need anymore fuel or motivation for those games. Those games and those opponents are fuel enough for us, so yes, we need to do our absolute best, yes they are going to be different games, yes we need to take the necessary learnings from this game and we need to look forward. No matter how disappointed we are with today, we have a job to do on Wednesday night and we can’t dwell too much but we will be motivated for those games.
On whether there is a mental block against teams that prioritise defending…
The belief is there, you could see that from the team that we keep on attacking and I think it’s more the case we need to play with more intent earlier on in the game, move the ball faster and if we do that we create more time and space for the players too.
On the importance of the Chelsea game next weekend…
I think it is going to be a tough, challenging WSL this season, probably the toughest one we have ever had and I think the key to being successful is going game by game and don’t look too far ahead. Don’t look at too many scenarios, stay in the present, prepare for the next game and do it as well as possible.
On the importance of Emily Fox…
Emily is a world class player, we are so happy to have her here at Arsenal. She attacks well, she defends well. I think she has been in a transition period in getting used to being in a different role here at Arsenal because in the Olympic team she is more of a central defender and here she is more of a full-back. But I think she is getting back into the full-back position better and better.
On what he talked about with the team at half-time…
We go through some details, with and without the ball but the main point, was that we had a good setup but we said, ‘how can we play these passes with more intent? How can we play the ball quicker and a little bit harder and with more pace so we beat the line of the opponent?’ Those things make a major difference when you start doing that, we constantly played the ball a bit too slow the opponent can run and match up and come across and defend by numbers and that was happening way too often in the first half for my liking. We should be able to move the ball quicker and I think we showed that in the second half.
14.van Domselaar; 2.Fox (19.Foord ‘64), 3.Wubben-Moy (6.Williamson ‘64), 5.L.Codina, 11.McCabe (7.Catley ‘78); 10.Little(c), 32.Cooney-Cross (13.Walti ‘78); 9.Mead, 12.Maanum, 8.Mariona; 23.Russo (25.Blackstenius ‘64)
Unused: 1.Zinsberger, 16.Kafaji, 22.Kuhl, 62.Reid.
“I think it is going to be a tough, challenging WSL this season, probably the toughest one we have ever had ……” JE
Is this supposed to inspire confidence? Better think again.
Pathetic. At what point does the Arsenal management realise this isn’t working and sack this guy? This season is just starting. We cannot afford to wait the entirety of it and waste another entire period before we get rid. It simply isn’t working. Almost 4 years in and we keep regressing. The football is probably the worst in the league. So slow, so laboured, so unimaginative. We can single out individual players for all we want but this squad shouldn’t be struggling at home vs Everton. We saw it vs Leicester and the excuse was we had little turnaround time.… Read more »
And please, don’t get me started on our set pieces and how awful they are. Yet another thing that’s regressed under him. One time in the first half, it was played to Little and she hit the most pathetic low cross with 0 direction and it trickled to the keeper. Basically summed up our set piece ability currently. What are those coaches doing? There’s no use playing majority of our games at the Emirates if we are going to serve up utter trash like this against the smaller teams simply cos they are in mid and low blocks. If you… Read more »
Yes, I’m not seeing an improvement in setpieces at all. Not sure we’ve even generated a shot from one this season.
like you mention! those partnership are not working, our press is dire… no coordination in play, we don’t know when to attack or press, sluggish in build-up play, Lazy! and many overrated players living on past glory. what a useless manager in charge.
Casey Stoney is a good shout, more of the same performances and results could kickstart conversations between key representatives of both parties.
While I entirely understand why people would want a new manager if you want a manager to do more against packed defences or to play with a bit more fantasy Stoney would be low on the list.
San Diego scored 31 goals in 22 games last season, with the 8th best xG. The year before that, 32 goals in 22 games. When she got sacked this season, San Diego hadn’t won in 7 games, and had scored 5 goals in 7 games. I think she’s very good at what she does, but what she does is a very defensive style of football.
Huff and Puff for 90 odd minutes and not a huge amount to show for it, very difficult to not talk about the Manager’s position and wanting something new after watching a match like that, having seen it many times last season, but I just don’t see anything happening until Christmas if the results derails badly enough otherwise the end of the season at the minimum so going to park that. Very much the same old here, Everton turned up knew what they had to do, they maintained their discipline and completed the job fairly comfortably – we just didn’t… Read more »
Here we go again.
“…but the main point, was that we had a good setup…”
If that’s what Jonas is thinking at half-time, he’s deluded…
I don’t think there’s much to say about the performance, but was really disappointed with van Domselaar on the ball. Looked scary – unsure and kept giving it to Everton in dangerous spots.
Just go already please
SACK JONAS EIDEVALL NOW!!!
I’m usually fairly positive in my assessments but it is pretty hard to be after that performance. We have had so many struggles against low block teams and it is puzzling that we have not found solutions time and time again. I know the WSL continues to get more competitive but you still have to beat Everton at home if you want to win the league. I also don’t understand the decision to not bring Kafaji on – it was the perfect match for her to get minutes and bring some flair to the dull attack, especially after she proved… Read more »
I’ll be honest, I was at work and didn’t watch the game. By all accounts I didn’t miss anything. I probably wouldn’t have bothered anyway because it’s the same old boring gutless rubbish on the pitch, and the same old boring gutless excuses off it. The club has thrown a lot of money and effort at this team, but they’re not going to keep selling tickets at the Emirates unless they up their game. Eidevall is just a yes man fraud, and until he’s gone I don’t see anything changing, it’s all too soft and comfortable at Arsenal Women.