Jonas Eidevall reacts to 2-2 draw with Manchester City
Today at 11:02 AM
Arsenal drew 2-2 with Manchester City on the opening day of the WSL season. Frida Maanum gave Arsenal an early lead before Vivianne Miedema equalised. Jess Park put City in front in the second half before Beth Mead came off the bench to equalise. Jonas Eidevall spoke to the press post-match, the first two questions are from Arseblog News.
On whether it was deliberate to have varied tactical approaches during different phases of the game…
That is a lot of questions in one question! You are right, in a game like this there are different phases and that is part of what makes a game like this so stimulating. I hope it is stimulating as a player, it is certainly stimulating as a coach and I hope it was for you guys and people watching. That means it is determined by small margins, I think you can see throughout the game that we have a clear plan about how we play out from their pressure, which I think is one of Manchester City's real strengths. Overall I think we did that very well.
We created a lot of opportunity as a result of being really good in our build up. What pleased me a lot was that we turned over the ball in build up 30 or 40 seconds before Frida scores the first goal. It really shows what we are about as a team that we don't start to question if that is the right way, we just make small adjustments and 30 seconds later we are successful with the same pattern and we get the result of a goal.
We were not good enough to sustain that in the first half and I don't think we got our structure right there. So that was an adjustment during the game so we had a better structure so we could sustain pressure and we did that better in the second half. Then it comes to the phases in press and there we varied a little, sometimes we are in a mid block, sometimes we are higher pressure looking for transition opportunities and that is where we were most flexible in showing different faces without the ball and still be in control and controlling spaces where we allowed them to have the ball and understanding where we had the ball and how we wanted to hurt them.
Then on XG, if we zoom out, we are the team with the better chances, especially if you consider the goal we have ruled out for offside, if that is onside that would've increased the goal tally and the XG by a lot. But they also had chances in the game and we showed incredible morale as a team in a difficult situation, being 2-1 down and after that second goal we have a tough momentum against us for a first five or ten minute period but we managed that and turned it around by changing the way we press and change some personnel and once again we start creating chances and we see the finishing eleven and it is not a coincidence that two of our game changers are involved in the second goal. Then there is two teams that go for three points and neither team is content with a point and that is the way it should be.
On playing Rosa Kafaji out wide when she came on…
It comes down to qualities that you want to utilise at the time, Rosa can play as a wide forward, or a 9 or a 10. You get really good attacking runs from her, she is a great finisher, she is great one v one. Sometimes that is easier to utilise on the side. A lot of times when you look at us winning the ball in transition moments against Manchester City it is our wingers on the ball in these decisive moments. It was really important to keep fresh legs on the wings because those moments are going to be the most decisive and that was part of the plan of playing Rosa and Beth as wingers later on because they would have the freshest legs at that time.
On whether Leah Williamson was close to playing today…
She was not close to playing today, with the concussion protocol I have to be guided by the medical team as to when she can play.
On starting Stina Blackstenius upfront…
The thinking was to know that in the first half there was going to be space in behind, both when we win the ball against them, we know we were a bit lower in our approach but also when we play out of their high pressure, there will be moments where we can go in behind. You could see that in the first half, Stina came into a number of opportunities, she made a number of good runs and that was why I thought it was good to start her and when legs got more tired, we put Alessia on.
On his emotions when Miedema equalised…
For me it is a player scoring against us, it doesn't make any difference who it is.
On the timing of City's goals and the response…
Goals change football games, of course. But it is so important to show resilience in these moments and understanding when you play against another top team, the momentum is going to shift. We were in a tough period after we concede the second goal with a combination of hard work and good defensive play, we managed to not concede a third and it gives us the foothold to come back into the team. It is so important to manage those periods in a game.
On his emotions during such a tense, topsy turvy game…
A good question, I have to say that sometimes in games I can feel nervous, that is human. In these games, there is no nervousness at all because you are so switched on, you can't allow yourself to be nervous for one second. You are constantly taking in information, making decisions, understanding what part of the game plan we execute in the right moment, being good in communication and communicating things in the right way to the players. It is a state of alertness, then afterwards you are tired. You feel you have stimulated your brain a lot without doing any physical work, so I definitely I need to put on the running shoes and go for a run later on!
On whether he will watch the men's game against Manchester City…
I certainly hope so, because it is a great football game not only as an Arsenal supporter. I think the whole world is going to watch this game. It is two of the best teams globally there are so many interesting tactical battles, I think we are all excited to see that game.
On Katie McCabe's performance…
She had a very solid game, it is a great piece of skill on our second goal to set up that situation. Steph Catley not being available, you see how reliable Katie is and has been for us, being able to put in big shifts.
On whether he feels the team are close to their peak physically…
We still haven't had that much time together so we are still in that process of working out what is going to work best for us. Hacken was a prime example, that was a step backwards for us performance wise. Sometimes that is necessary to have a performance like that because it becomes clear what we need to do differently and the demand we have to have on each other to not have that happen again. That is what defines great teams, the ability to learn and move forward and take the necessary lessons. While i would hope that we would be in a performing state all the time and everything flows, I think we are in a good learning phase.
On the importance of having an impact sub like Beth Mead…
It is so important, if we are going to utilise the squad to its full potential, sometimes you are going to be a starting player, sometimes you are going to be an impact player or game changer. What you owe to the squad is that you do your very best in either one of those roles. Sometimes that is tough on players, they want to start games, but sometimes they have to accept they are going to come on. I think that it what is so great working with these players, they are disappointed not to start but they understand what they will bring to the team and they do it fully with 100% quality and if we can keep that, we are a very strong football team.
1.Zinsberger; 2.Fox, 3.Wubben-Moy, 5.L.Codina, 11.McCabe; 10.Little(c), 32.Cooney-Cross (13.Walti '73); 19.Foord (9.Mead '63), 12.Maanum (16.Kafaji), 8.Mariona; 25.Blackstenius (23.Russo '63).
Unused: 14.van Domselaar, 22.Kuhl, 26.Wienroither, 56.Godfrey, 52.Reid.
The post Jonas Eidevall reacts to 2-2 draw with Manchester City appeared first on Arseblog News - the Arsenal news site.
