‘She has been mature, calm and enjoying her football’ Slegers praises Cooney-Cross reintegration
Arsenal undoubtedly laboured to a 1-0 win over HB Koge on Tuesday night. In the official Arsenal Women Whatsapp channel, they ask for fans to vote for Player of the Match. Cooney-Cross earned over 4,100 votes. Leah Williamson ranked in second place with 366 votes. Her performance did not go unnoticed by Arsenal fans.
Arseblog News asked Renee Slegers whether she has been surprised by the speed of Cooney-Cross’ reintegration after missing nine months of football due to compassionate leave.
‘I’m so happy for Kyra. Because, of course, what she’s gone through and then coming back to us it’s not been easy for her at all, but she’s been training whilst in Australia, so she came back in a good place, but was still, of course, a question of you haven’t trained with us and you haven’t had the same football load.
‘But she came in physically really good and mentally, and also strangely enough, really, really positive for the group. Mature, calm and just enjoying her football so she spreads that throughout the team as well. That enjoyment, happiness, lightness and and now she’s just come back really, really well so I’m also so pleased.
‘I think you’ve seen it in preseason and in most of the game on Tuesday how good she was. And she’s in a great place, so we’re so pleased and happy to have her in the squad.’
Slegers has selected different midfield trios and different front threes in each of the first three WSL games so far. Arseblog News asks whether the balance is correct between rotation and unpredictability for the opposition and internal cohesion.
‘I don’t think we’re unpredictable internally but I understand where you come from with changes in units. Don’t forget that we spend six days a week together so if you make one or two changes or three, these players have spent every single day together on the training pitch. 10 or 15 years ago where there was two sessions, I don’t think the first thing trained that much.
‘Then it’s hard to build connections and relationships, but we spent so much time together six days a week meetings, moments to build connections and partnerships off the pitch and on the pitch. And so these players understand each other.
‘So I definitely think there is predictability within what we’re doing so I don’t think that’s the issue for us and again we do this because it is something we believe in that we need on the pitch and what we want to put on the pitch and trust in the squad. But then, of course, not taking away that partnerships and the collective and consistency are important as well.’
While much of the focus this season has been on Arsenal’s struggles breaking down low blocks, Brighton caused Arsenal issues on the opening day with quick, direct passes to rapid winger Kiko Seike. In Alyssa Thompson, Chelsea have one of the fastest attackers in world football. Arseblog News asks how important it is to prevent Chelsea’s speed on the break on Sunday.
‘That’s a constant. We always have to prepare for that also for this game, of course, but I also think that this game will play out differently. I think two teams that really wanna go against each other rather than one team wanting to sit off and looking to break.
‘But of course, there will be moments and spells where there is control and we have to have a really solid rest defence behind us because we know that they have certain qualities in the Chelsea team that we have to stop but like I said, I think this game will look different.’
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