Welcome to a brand new episode of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, the number one podcast about Arsenal Women.
In this episode of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, Tim and Jamie review Arsenal’s season at the halfway point. Tim and Jamie pick their player of the season, most improved player, player most in need of improvement, goal of the season and best and worst performances. Then in the second half they take listener questions on the January transfer window, Mariona’s versatility, Renee Slegers’ tactical tweaks and expectations for the second half of the season.
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Bum, I missed you were recording another this year or I’d have asked question. Although don’t have blue sky so maybe not!
Enjoyable cast, thank you. These are my answers to some of the points: Player of the year so far: Emily fox Most improved player: Alessia Russo Most imprtant/best goal: Any by russo or the Maanum goal against Brighton. YES!!! Renee should be the new permanent Manager of AWFC. Player not in form: As much as i love her it has to be Beth Mead. The difference between AWFC now and under Jonas is minor adjustments in palyer behaviour on and off the pitch, aided by the tactful Slegers who they all love and so do we. I said it before… Read more »
It has to be Renee, l see no other way
Emily Fox definitely MVP
Hope the club doesnt screw things up again and just give Renee the job till the end of the season at least to see how far she can take us after such a terrible start.
Whether it’s Renée, or someone else (and I hope it’s Renée), the management of the next two transfer windows and the evolution of the squad is going to be fascinating – and challenging. Identifying targets and then persuading them to come (and their clubs to release them) is one aspect. However, deciding who in the current squad can be let go is, on an interpersonal level, perhaps harder. Renée has worked closely with individual players but, if she is to be successful in her current position, she will have to put personal feelings aside and take hard decisions. There are… Read more »
I would not try and stop Manu leaving if she has options elsewhere because we now have a keeper that is noticably better already, is still developing, and has a much higher ceiling. As for Laia, she has really been displaced by the Steph as a centre back experiment which appears to have been successful and we do not seem to be short of centre backs at the moment. What we really need is some pace on the wings and we don’t really have that from anyone in the squad at present.
Completely agree about the need for a fast winger. Who would you suggest? A name I’d put in the frame is Sveindís Jónsdóttir.
I don’t know who is likely to be available but I would have thought the back room staff must have some ideas as they are not oblivious to the requirements.
With respect to Laia Codina, I have been very impressed with her play & don’t agree that she should be considered as an exit possibility. Of course Steph has been great in recent games and seems to partner perfectly with Leah, but I believe that Leah as Vice Captain and our most important defender, should also be able to partner well with such a quality player as Laia.
I have always liked Jule Brand, who may be a sensible attacking pursue.
Laia may be the one who decides if she stays or goes. She is going to want regular game time to cement her position in her national side which is less likely if she is warming our bench. Jule Brand was linked to Arsenal a couple of seasons ago but chose to go elsewhere; again her choice I understand. Do we now have enough to change her mind?
Super podcast, thanks Tim and Jamie. I’d agree about Jonas Eidevall’s time at Arsenal that of course it wasn’t a disaster but missing the mark by small amounts *was* the issue. You hear all the time in sport about fine margins or marginal gains. That’s the difference between elite performers and the rest. The number 1 tennis player seems to get all the “luck”. JE has a fantastic tactical brain and is incredibly knowledgeable about women’s football. Lovely man, brilliant pundit. But he is not a great manager of players. This is not a small failing, it’s a huge failing… Read more »
Exactly! Jonas is an excellent analyst but turning that analysis into a workable proposition on the pitch and being able to reinvent the tactics in real time to react if things are not working seem to be his Achilles heel.
What would you think about moving Katie Reid into CDM? If she can play RB and CB she can play CDM, I would be prepared to bet. Not to convert her completely but as part of her development and to give her another opportunity for a place in the team which isn’t reliant on another player getting injured.
Also, might Beth plus Mariona work better if one of them plays centrally, does anyone think?
Cunning plan to try Katie further forwards but I can see Leah making that move with Katie into centre back. She has the right physique for protecting the box and both players have already shown that they are capable in these positions.
I have always said Beth should be deployed through the middle it is her natural game. She only went out to the wing to accommodate Viv through the middle but that is now eons ago! Sticking her out wide has always knocked off some of her effectiveness imho.
I was thinking of causing as little disruption as possible. I take your point about LW’s build but Katie Reid is very mobile. The “apprentice 6” position is still open despite KCC’s improvement, because it’s not her or VP’s natural game. I wouldn’t be easy about having either of those as a lone 6 – Lia Wälti is currently the only MF I would trust completely. Reid could learn from Wälti and play with either her or KCC, I reckon.
Additionally, we really need two central strikers who can start games. Even speaking as a Stina fan, I think she works best as a super-sub. Everything Alessia Russo touches is turning to gold at the moment, but IMO we can’t become over-reliant on her goals. Beth is a wonderful, instinctive goalscorer. She is going to have to adapt her game anyway because she has clearly lost some of her pace. So part of that adaptation could be playing centrally more often. We’d lose her defensive contributions in wide areas, but Foord, Hurtig, Kafaji and Mariona all put in defensive shifts.… Read more »
Another couple of thoughts on JE…
Regarding what went wrong. I wonder if it was to do with the push to get the team ready for the CL qualifying rounds. Once that was achieved, perhaps there was a price to pay – a reaction which JE couldn’t turn around – just connecting to JE relying on big external energy to lift the squad?
And finally, I can see how the NWSL playoff system might suit JE well, but I can also imagine that he might just exhaust his players emotionally in the medium to long term.