Arsenal had 17 players at this summer’s World Cup, with Lotte Wubben-Moy, Steph Catley, Lina Hurtig, Caitlin Foord, Alessia Russo, Stina Blackstenius, Laia Codina, Amanda Ilestedt and Kyra Cooney-Cross all involved until the final weekend of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
Jonas Eidevall was asked about how Arsenal would handle those nine players who were involved with their national teams until the weekend of 19/20 August and he insisted there would be no half measures.
“I am an all-in all-out person. When you step in and train with Arsenal, I demand 100%,” The Gunners boss explained. “There is no room for coming in and saying ‘I will have a 90% day today.’ Arsenal is not the environment for that.
“When you step in here you are 100%. But that also means, mentally, coming in after big tournaments with too little time to reset, we have managed time individually with players who have stayed long at the World Cup so they can get complete time off.
“We have done that individually with all the players that were in the late stages of the World Cup during this period. Has that been ideal from a team perspective that we haven’t been able to keep the group together? No.
“But it is still absolutely vital to be able to attack the season fully so we do not feel like we are going into the season with players too mentally fatigued and then not being able to cope so we are forced to give time off. Now we try to manage it proactively instead.”
Eidevall also said managing the player’s other national team demands has been an important part of the process. Ridiculously, the opening weekend of the WSL season was immediately preceded by two rounds of international fixtures. Eidevall said co-operation with national team coaches is a vital part of that process.
“We have also worked in co-operation with national coaches. Australia and England have been great examples of how we are working together, also Sweden. That has been the approach but when you train here, you are 100%.
“Due to the days leading up to the Manchester United game and the days leading up to this game, I really start to see a team reaching good levels. We still have things to develop and have a higher ceiling, but I see we are reaching a good level now. That is satisfying to see.”
As part of his overall rotation policy, Jonas Eidevall also rotates his goalkeepers, with Manu Zinsberger favoured against deep block opposition and Sabrina D’Angelo favoured for games when Arsenal’s plan revolves more around the counter-attack.
New! In this week’s (free!) Arsenal Women newsletter, I look more closely at the goalkeeper situation and the pros and cons of goalkeeper rotation 👇🏻https://t.co/foCVg15hRA
— Tim Stillman (@Stillmanator) October 13, 2023
Both WSL games so far this season have involved both goalkeepers and Eidevall says that policy will continue. “It is not a permanent jersey we stick on one player, not in any position. We try to build at least two really good players in each position and we like to have different qualities in those players, so we can use them for tactical reasons.
“But also there is competition to see who is in the starting XI. Obviously it is the same with the goalkeepers.” D’Angelo made a big error in conceding a first-half equaliser in the game against Manchester United on Friday evening but Eidevall says, for goalkeepers, dealing with errors is no different to any outfield player.
“We have to look forward, we have to think of the next action. If we dwell on mistakes, that is not a winning mentality, you can’t change anything from it. You can learn from it, it can be your positioning or your decision making and you learn and you look forward.
“Everyone has to do that in the team, Sabrina is no different. Then I see more than you guys do because you only see the games but I see training as well. I have to base my decisions on everything that we do, not only the minutes in the matches even though they are very important.”
I don’t think we’ll win anything with Zing ìn goal for us