Every word from Renée’s pre-Chelsea presser | Press conference | News

Renee Slegers gave a press conference at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday, ahead of our Women’s Super League derby against Chelsea on Saturday, November 8. 

Our head coach was asked about the latest team news, the significance of this fixture and the importance of our crowd in big games. 

Here is what she had to say to the media: 

on injury updates:
So the four players that weren’t in the squad against Leicester: Lotte [Wubben-Moy], Kyra [Cooney-Cross], Liv [Smith] and Frida [Maanum], they’re all available for tomorrow, so that’s positive.

on how big a boost it is for the team:
It’s good and across the season we’re going to need every single individual and of course against Chelsea as well, can we have as much strength as possible from the start, but then also players that can come in for us and finish the game.

on building confidence:
It’s constant work, it’s always under construction, what you’re doing, you hear coaches always say we’re building and we’re building, everyone is building, we are building as well. Of course, we’re happy with the three wins, the two before the break and then the way we’ve started the block against Leicester away. So, of course, that’s a boost. I think it’s good to see players playing towards their strengths more and showing great form, and I think as a team we’ve come together really well at the start of the block.

Block one was very intense, it was very demanding, it was all the way from pre-season and then we spent several months together and the competition is high. So there was a lot of things, but I think the way we’ve come back after the break has been so positive and you see there’s good energy in the squad, in the building, around everything. So they’re putting in an enormous amount of work on the pitch. Off the pitch, we ask a lot from them in all aspects, and they’re delivering, and I think that’s why I’m so happy with the good, convincing performance against Leicester, because I think the work that they’ve been doing was rewarded on the pitch.

on how big a match it will be:
It’s still early in the season and like we said at the start of the season, every game is important and you see how it’s more and more competitive to play against every single opponent in the WSL. But of course, this is a great opportunity that we have ahead of us tomorrow, and we look forward to it. This is why the players work so hard, what they live for, to play these kinds of games where there’s so much at stake. But also a beautiful moment in a fantastic stadium, playing for a beautiful club, and having so many fans in the stadium tomorrow. So it’s going to be a beautiful moment, and of course, we are football players and we are here to perform, and we go for the wins, always, and that’s no different tomorrow, it’s the same every game, and it’s going to be a beautiful occasion tomorrow.

on the connection with the fans:
It’s definitely a factor. I think if you try to add up all the things that can give you energy and positivity and those small margins to get a performance on, then for us the fans are a part of it, and we are so grateful for the fans and how we can live moments together. You feel it when you step out in the stadium. I even mean Leicester away, that away section was filled and you could feel the energy. They were bringing so many positive vibes to us on the pitch and that’s what we want to bring back. It’s that synergy that is so special, I think, that we’re all wanting the same thing, we’re all going for the same thing. At the start of the game, there’s the unknown, and everyone is positive and then we’re going to take each other through every single moment on the pitch and that’s really special, I think, what we have together with the fans.

on if the WSL is the most open is has been this season:
I think so, so far. Also, if you look around in Europe and the other top leagues and top teams, I think if you look at the WSL, the competition is enormous and it’s so good. It’s so good for football. We will only benefit in the moment because it’s attractive for the fans, but also in the future, the more competitive games we can play, the more the game will develop, so it’s very positive at the moment

on the reaction to Mary Earps’ book:
I don’t read much news, but of course it’s come to me. Well, I’m very proud of the environment that we have at the club. We have transparency and we have honesty in our environment and I think that’s been great. If there are things or challenges in the team, then we solve them internally and I’m very proud of the way we act with each other. But I think there’s been a lot of talking about the issue. I’m not directly involved, so I’m not going to add more to it.

on the environment created in the club:
I think it should be a safe space because it’s a high-pressure, high-demanding environment and there’s high performance asked from every individual, both staff and players, every single day. I think in that environment, we have to feel safe with each other, and you have to protect what you have. At the same time, you want to build a culture and an environment where there is, of course, nothing to hide because it’s positive, it’s open, it’s transparent, it’s constructive. I’m happy with the culture we’re building here and that’s all I see.

on Kim Little’s availability:
Probably she won’t. We’ve had our last session and the game comes tomorrow at 12 o’clock, so I expect her not to be available tomorrow.

on if there’s an emphasis on low crosses:
I think everyone understands and watches football; if you attack fast and that pass comes early between the back line and the goalkeeper, those are the situations that can happen. We want to play towards our strengths and also look at the opposition’s strengths. Of course, when there are players in the box defending that have a lot of length and have high aerial success, then we look to cross differently and the other way around. But I think every team will do that. You’ll always look at where your strengths are and where the weaknesses are in the opposition. And then you have a game model with principles that you always want to follow. So it’s a mixture of those things.

on switching full-backs:
I don’t think we’ve only been using different players in the wide positions. I think you see it all over the pitch and if you look at the contributions that players have had, and that’s in games, but also in our training environment, the whole squad is involved in what we do. Then we always look at how ready a player is to perform, where they come from, what qualities we need, what the qualities of the opposition are, and so forth, and then we try to make good decisions. And we are in a luxury position where we have an enormous squad with so much quality. And that’s where we can make our decisions, and that’s our starting point with the importance of partnerships in the pitch as well.

on Beth Mead’s performances:
Yes, I think in high competitive environments, where I would categorise England and Arsenal, you have to perform and when chances come, you have to take them and I think Beth is a really good example that she was ready when the opportunity was there and she plays with conviction at the moment. She plays with high belief and an urgency in everything she does. She’s in a really good place. So it’s, of course, always good to see when players, when they get opportunities and there’s an expectation of delivery that they live up to it and I think that’s a really good example of it. It shows a lot of mental strength.

on what makes Chelsea serial winners:
Of course, you find inspiration in other teams, in other sports or other parts of life, always. Huge respect for it, because it’s not easy. It’s easier to get to the top or it’s easier to win one trophy. But to do that consistently over time, that’s really hard. That’s really hard because personnel change, and times change. So you have to grow with the change. You can never stand still. So, of course, a lot of respect. And they have found their ways. They find their ways. And like I said, very respectful about that. And we have to look at ourselves and where our strengths are and of course, we achieved something great last year and we want more. And the club is really invested. And so I think I’m very proud to be here, to be part of this club. I also understand the high demands on trophies. However, we are determined to find ways to continue building and creating something that fosters consistency in winning.

on the team’s mood and confidence going into the game:
We love playing the big games, I think we’ve shown that last season and I can feel this in the group at the moment. So I think from a preparation perspective and where the group’s at, we’re good. Like I said, we’ve asked a lot from the players group and we’re in a good place. Then the moment comes tomorrow at 12pm, and we’ll have to be ready from the get-go, so it has to be delivered at that moment. But if you ask me now, beforehand, I think the group is in a good place and has invested a lot and they walk around the building with good belief and energy, so that’s really positive. 

on if this is the biggest game in women’s football:
You put me on the spot now, I have to go through all the leagues quickly and see if there’s any other fixture that can compete with this one. Maybe not, this could be one of the big ones in Europe in women’s football, yeah. 

on what usually decides this fixture:
It’s small margins often, we know that Chelsea like to command in a certain way and we know that momentum will shift and we know where our strengths are, I think we have a really good idea of where our strengths are and what we can bring to the game, not the least the energy that we can bring at the Emirates with all of these people involved because tomorrow is not only going to be those 11 players on the pitch, it’s going to be everyone. But then we also know, I think we have a really good idea of Chelsea, how they play their games and where their strengths are and how they want to put the game in their hands. So I think we have a very clear idea and then tomorrow it’s going to be about execution and like I said, I think there’s two really good teams going against each other and there will be fine margins on the pitch. 

on Stina’s performances:
She’s been so good, she’s always thinking about her own growth and what she can contribute with. I’ve played with Stina, she was 16. We played together in Linköping, and it’s so impressive to see where she comes from and where she is now. I’ve seen her journey, I haven’t been part of the journey all the way, but I’ve seen the starting point and I see where she’s been now, it’s so impressive. 

I think she’s grown so much as a person. I think she’s very self-aware, she knows her strengths, she connects really well with people, and she’s a very professional athlete. I’m just very impressed with where she’s at now at this stage of her career. Stina and I have had a couple of conversations, and she’s grown so much, but this is definitely not the endpoint for her. I see, especially that last six months, that she’s grown and she’s grown and she becomes better and better and more mature and more complete as a person as well and I think this is going to help her on the pitch as well, so I think she’s only going to get better. 

on managing Stina after playing with her:
It’s such a long time ago. I was active with the Swedish national team before I came to Arsenal as well, so I’ve always stayed closer. There have been occasions where I’ve worked with her or against her when I was coaching in the league in Sweden after my playing career. She played at Hacken at the time and I was coaching Rosengård. It was funny because I played with Stina and I saw the impact that she could have when you’re in the same team as Stina. Then all of a sudden I had to go and coach against her and I was like, how do you deal with this? This was always a big part of the game plan with Rosengård, playing against Hacken. So I know what it’s like for opposition to play against Stina and it’s great to be on her side again, to represent the same club again. 

on the dynamic between Alessia and Stina: 
I think with those two together on the pitch, they play themselves to their strengths, but they also made each other stronger in that game, in the areas of the pitch they can operate, but also in the areas in the box. We have so much quality in the squad that we can make different decisions from game to game where we see fit, how we want to start games, how we want to finish games, where we see we need certain qualities. We’re in a luxury position where we can choose different qualities. Of course, I’m not going to give away anything about what that looks like tomorrow, but we were really happy with them against Leicester and the roles they play for us. 

on the timing of the fixture:
Well, the direct audience is rich, because I think we’re at the moment, at 57,000 tickets sold, so I think that’s amazing, so from that perspective, all good. What I do not have is insight into broadcasting figures so I don’t know what it looks like from that perspective. But it’s amazing that we sell so many tickets for the game tomorrow. 

on if the early kick-off changes game preparation:
We’ve had a couple of 12pm kick-offs now and you just have to be flexible. It’s the whole range of 12pm is the earliest, but then you have 8pm kick-offs in the Champions League. So it’s the whole range and everything in between and the players need to be flexible and they are, so we will be ready at 12pm tomorrow. 

on her progression in the last 13 months:
You guys always see me as very calm and composed on matchday, I am. But on a daily basis, there are a lot of things that need to be managed and dealt with, both longer-term strategies, and it could be anything. There’s also things in the moment that can come up that you have to deal with, and that’s probably where I see myself, where I’ve grown a lot. Don’t make hasty decisions in the moment, or don’t get too emotional about things in the moment. You have to be so calm, because anything can happen in this environment. 

Every single day, there’s something that comes up that I haven’t planned for, and I might have thought I’m going to watch one hour of video on Chelsea, but then something else has come up, and I haven’t been able to do that, so that’s postponed to the evening. So there’s always things coming up, and what I’ve learned is to be calm about the daily things. You can have a plan in the morning, but I think in my role, that plan is very rarely executed and that’s part of the role as well. We work for a very big club, very big staff, a lot of players. You work with people and when I started the job, when I started the role, I didn’t understand that there was going to be so much time going towards those things rather than the football and I don’t mind it, because it’s a beautiful thing as well. I like working with that, but that’s probably the biggest learning where my time and energy goes, and how I stay calm in anything that can happen all day. 

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