Renee Slegers reacts to 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace
Arsenal were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday in the WSL. Renee Slegers spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News.
On the frustration of missing so many chances today…
Very frustrating and there might be some recency bias here, but as far as I can remember, this is probably one of the most frustrating ones, because there’s a lot of good things in the performance, we set up a variety of attacks and chances. There’s a lot of set pieces in the game as well. But we don’t get the ball into the net today, so it’s really frustrating also. Of course, what we said about last season and what we want to do this season. So we’re really frustrated, we’re disappointed and we’re very critical of ourselves.
On whether she discusses familiar failings with her team this week…
I would like to make a decision and I’m gonna watch the game back and review and get all my thoughts, but then absolutely there will be discussions with the players. And I think the intent was there on the pitch today. It wasn’t flat, in my opinion. We were constantly trying to drive things, to dictate the game, to dominate, quick restarts from we could, to keep the tempo high and suffocate. So there was a lot of intent and I think the amount of chances created today, if I compare it to last weekend, for example, that was a big step forward, just the ball didn’t go into the net today. And that’s, of course, frustration. We will stick to processes in the way we review things. But we also reflect on what’s our season ambition and this was not a step we wanted to take towards our season ambition and we’ll do it together with players as always.
On whether there was a mental side to missing so many chances…
The first goal in games is always important for both teams, especially in a game like this where we are expected to dominate and the game is basically played in one half or one third of the pitch. I think if that first goal comes, then I think that means a lot in a game. So I definitely think so if that first goal would have come in the first half, for example, when there was some big chances, I think that would be it would be different for us. No guarantees that we would score more, but that would create a different picture of the game.
On whether finishing was the only issue today…
It is about what we set up mostly and the detail of things that we set up. I think we know what we’re looking for and a variety of things that we can do, but then it’s about the final detail, the final intent, the final decision, where we can be even better.
On how she communicates with players after they created a lot but weren’t clinical…
You know that the players that normally are in and around the box for us, we have to make sure that they keep their belief really high because we have so much quality. And so we need to be really positive and in a constructive way, talk about the details that we can do better for next game. And so it’s a real fine line and a balance of what areas are we critical of and what do we really need to reinforce as things that we’re doing really well? Because if we don’t do that and we go into next weekend and we forget about what we are good at, I don’t think that’s the right way to go, so we really have to find the balance.
On Ona Batlle playing very narrowly…
We have different players with different qualities and then we also look at opposition, what kind of situations we want to create? And so we were looking at how can we narrow up their shape at times to then create space, to then go into crossing positions or detach space in our back line to then create spaces again. So, we were playing around with that and I think you saw Ona and you saw Chloe entering those spaces. So we also want to be unpredictable. I shouldn’t be talking too much here and say too much but Ie really want to set up situations that are good for us, that hurt the opposition and fit with our player qualities.
On broaching future challenges against low defensive blocks…
We have to keep on reinforcing what we’re good at and keep on doing those things, setting up certain situations and it’s about the final detail, the final decision, is everyone aligned in the decision? Is the quality there? So it’s about that final detail and we had a we had a phase last season as well where we where we reflected, reviewed, and like I just said, where we have to keep on believing in the things we’re good at, so keep setting it up, it will come. So it’s also perseverance and combination with thinking critically of what we can do differently.
On how quickly Georgia Stanway has adapted…
She is a very intelligent player. She understands football really well. She’s instinctive. She understands herself really well as well, so she knows what she can bring to the game. She’s robust as a person. And I think that combination of things and I think also the players and staff that have done really well to onboard her from a football perspective. I think that combination has worked out really well. But most credit goes to Georgia.
16.Misa; 2.Fox, 6.Williamson(c), 3.Wubben-Moy, 22.O.Batlle; 4.Stanway, 32.Cooney-Cross (25.Blackstenius ‘59), 8.Mariona (10.Little ‘74); 19.Baum (9.Foord ‘74), 18.Kelly (11.Smith ‘59); 23.Russo (12.L.Maanum ‘84)
Unused: 5.De Almeida, 7.Catley, 28.Borbe, 31.Holmberg
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