Arsenal were beaten 5-2 away at Bayern Munich in their opening UWCL group game on Wednesday night. Mariona opened the scoring before Viggorsdottir’s equaliser, Sydney Lohmann gave Bayern the lead before Codina equalised. But Pernille Harder scored a late hat trick to condemn Arsenal to a bad defeat on matchday 1. Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News.
On why things disintegrated in the final third of the game…
We start the first half is, in large parts, a good half of football from us. We control possession, we control them with our pressing. We have a period of five minutes where we become a little bit passive and we concede a goal as a result of that. But first half is a good half of football and maybe we were a bit unlucky to be tied 1-1.
Second half, I think Bayern upped their intensity, they were threatening much more with runs in behind and asking more difficult questions for us. We get a bit stretched, a bit tired and a bit hesitant as a team pressing which means they play through us more often. They create some opportunities from, but not a lot. But what really strikes in the second half is how we defend the crossing situations. That is not good enough, we concede goals as a result. When it is 4-2 it is a decision to want to sit back and control the result or to go for it and I decide to go for it.
I know, of course, that is a risk and it exposes us to concede again. But I am happy and willing to take that risk at that point because, at the end of the day, that was the only thing to have gotten us a point. So I am happy with the first half, I am not happy with the second half. We look a little bit tired, we can’t play with the same energy like we do in the first half and we definitely can’t defend like we did in the second half.
On whether his message is still getting through to the players…
No, it doesn’t (give him cause for concern). We are off with our timing with pressing in the second half. I think the players are trying their very best to do it but we don’t get our timing right in pressure and that’s the difference between the first and second half. I don’t feel like there is a misunderstanding of the message of what we need to do. I agree with you, we don’t defend well enough in the second half and I am not happy with that but I don’t think that is a result of miscommunication or a lack of clarity of the idea of what we need to do with those situations.
On lifting the players ahead of Saturday’s game against Chelsea…
A lot of the same things we need to improve on today are going to be really important against Chelsea as well. We saw yesterday against Real Madrid what a strong team they are on crosses as well and that caused Real Madrid a problem yesterday and we need to improve defending crosses massively. That is a red line and then there are different things we will need to focus on and we have no choice but to put this game behind us and take the necessary learnings from it and getting ready for the task on Saturday.
On starting the group in this manner…
There is a lot of football left to be played in the group stage. We did not get off to the start we wanted and I am disappointed with our second half today but there is a lot of football left to be played.
1.Zinsberger; 2.Fox, 6.Williamson, 5.L.Codina, 11.McCabe (7.Catley ‘65); 10.Little(c), 13.Walti (32.Cooney-Cross ‘78); 19.Foord (16.Kafaji ‘78), 12.Maanum (9.Mead ‘65), 8.Mariona; 25.Blackstenius (23.Russo ‘65).
Unused: 3.Wubben-Moy, 14.van Domselaar, 22.Kuhl, 40.Williams, 53.Lia, 56.Godfrey, 62.Reid
Is he a good enough manager?
Does not appear so at this point.
While it is distressing to say out loud, the results (and performance perhaps even more tellingly) do not reflect potential of talent assembled which suggests either they are not being adequately trained / prepared or they are not responding to his methods / motivations. Think it may be time to acknowledge that any light at the end of the tunnel is yet another onrushing train.
Diplomacy forbids any comment to that. The time is drawing near for a change.
The time was over the summer- not gaining entry to the cl last season was dereliction of duty
That was a diabolical performance in the second half, gaffer.
Let’s hope you use this to double up motivation for this weekend’s showdown. Anything other than a victory in that game would be unacceptable, considering you already gave up crucial points to Everton!
Therein lies the problem. I don’t believe he knows how to motivate the team, make strategic substitutions, or manage tactical situations on the fly. The first 30 minutes were ok, no better than that, but we pretty much held our own. What happened for the last 60 minutes. Sorry but feeling a bit tired does not wash! These are professional athletes that train every day, have the best healthcare, physios, nutritionists and facilities and they get tired after jogging around a football pitch for half an hour! How do tennis players mange chasing a little ball around like a headless… Read more »
‘JE reacts to losing job’ incoming
Song suggestion for Jonas…
https://youtu.be/lDszpGDlEGs
Very worrying. If Edu and Claire Wheatley aren’t busy reviewing their succession plan options for the next international break then they aren’t doing their jobs. However, no point moving until then even if we lose to Chelsea on Saturday. Eidevall really needs to win the next three games. If anybody mentions Casey Stoney as an option then I’ll scream. She was sacked for playing negative football in her last job. If you are looking for people there are the managers of the leagues which are out of season, ie Scandinavia (Rosengard have been banging in the goals) and the US… Read more »
Also worth noting that our current coach Renee Slegers managed Rosengard after Eidevall and won back to back championships.
Time for a change sadly, the club have backed him time and time again over the last 12 months in particular but tonight felt like the end. If not this week his time will be up come end of the season and the smart move would be to part ways now. We could easily be out of UWCL and WSL contention by end of December otherwise. We may still be out of reach in both competitions by then but we have to change something now to try and alter the inevitable slide down the team is on. I would now… Read more »
With the the resources we have, the manager has no excuse for such a display today and also the turgid form we showed against Everton over the weekend.
he should have been let go two seasons ago,
he is wasting these talented squad’s best years for success. SHAME!!!!!!
This is exactly what I was thinking. He already ruined Mana Iwabuchi’s career. Meado is at the time in her career where she needs to be winning things, as is Walti. And it’s a travesty that someone like Kim who has been consistently good over many years in service to Arsenal, isnt going to win a worthy trophy, just cause she played for Scotland and plays for arsenal.
Been saying it a while. Eidevall doesn’t fit at arsenal. Been saying for a while the women’s team has gone backwards under him. Some performances are bad. Also think he is a little strange too.
It’s not a great situation, I do think it has become toxic. Fans need to hold the club accountable for what ever is going on internally. Please remember that arsenal bet Lyon 5-1 in 2022 and Lyon went far in the competition until Chelsea knocked them out with penalties. Please also remember the Lyon manager at that time is now the Chelsea manager, so we know that arsenal can bet Chelsea and their new manager. Although I do hold similar feels as the other people on the site, we don’t want to be negative to much as it won’t help… Read more »
You’re absolutely right that we have to avoid excessive negativity. That will only make it harder for the team to come out of this slump.
TBF, playing Eidevall press conference bingo, he did actually use different words to describe this week’s (first?) defeat.
Nothing to comment, there is nothing more to comment.
I’m still rooting for these girls in victory and defeat, it’s not easy to get through this difficult phase. I know you’ll rise up and it will be this season.
We don’t even need to blame the strikers in this game the defence in the second half were rubbish too!
Basically, over the last three and a bit years, we’ve spent loads of money, brought in lots of players and got worse.
It gives me no pleasure to agree with the general opinion because I genuinely like the guy, but JE doesn’t have what it takes. I’m prepared to believe the problem is more than just JE, but he is definitely part of it.
I totally agree, at least arsenal are in good company tonight as Barcelona have just lost to city.
It’s now been 2 full seasons that I’ve been saying, Eidevall is nowhere near good enough to manage Arsenal Women’s team. He’s done well in early stages of his time with us but has been regressing for a while now. His inability to get the best out of players has led to us losing the best striker we have ever had, now he’s just embarrassing us. He has that aura of a man that has a secure spot so he just says all the right words and his job is safe, even though the results are frankly embarrassing and simply… Read more »