Renée Slegers was back in front of the media for her pre-Everton press conference at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Tuesday.
She was asked for her thoughts on our players who are leaving, the final Barclays Women’s Super League home game of the season and more.
Here’s everything she had to say on the following subjects…
on if she can put Beth Mead’s legacy into words:
No, and I haven’t been part of her whole journey at Arsenal, I’ve seen it from the outside, I’ve been part of it, I’ve been lucky to be part of it the last couple of years. She’s an amazing character, she’s something special on and off the pitch, there’s so many sides to Beth. There’s a lot of joy and happiness for the game. She always brings energy to a team. She brings lightness to the room when it’s needed. She brings honesty when it’s needed. There’s a lot of intelligence on the pitch, you can see that in the stats, the amazing stats throughout her time at Arsenal. For me, it’s been a privilege to work with Beth. Every day of it was joyful, even though there’s always hard times when you’re in a team, when you’re working with people, but I have so much respect for Beth and what she’s done for the club.
on what she’s learned from Beth as a person:
A little bit linked to what I just said. The highs and the lows and how she just keeps on coming back. She’s gone through a lot in life, which sometimes feels unfair as well. Of course, the loss of her mum. How strong she’s been and how she can be that person that will still be there for others. She’s driving the team forward and bringing the energy every single day, so I’m really impressed. The things that she’s gone through, it’s not easy. How she’s picked herself up and how she’s been so strong, her resilience in setbacks and in hard moments. It’s been so impressive. Looking at her and what she’s brought to the team, I think she’s been spreading that into the team. I think she’s not only been an inspiration for me, but also for many others. Hopefully, and what I see also for a lot of fans. In that sense, who she is as a person in the background, but also the football that she’s played for Arsenal. She’s not done yet. There’s two more games to play. But huge respect for Beth and who she is. I’ve learned so many things from her.
on if there were conversations about why now is the right time for her to move on:
Yeah, I think me and Beth have always had really honest and transparent conversations. There have been conversations with the club as well. This is the outcome. I think what Beth and me have shared with each other stays in the room. This is private information. Like I said, a lot of respect for Beth and how we’ve both been honest in our collaboration. Of course, it’s been a long time for her at Arsenal and she’s done so much for the club, so it’s going to be strange to see her in another shirt. But yeah, we’re grateful, I think the club is grateful for all the time that we’ve had with Beth. Let’s make it two really good games, the last two.
on Laia Codina and Victoria Pelova also moving on, and what qualities we’ll look for in replacements:
Yeah of course, Laia Codina and Victoria Pelova have been super important members of the squad as well. If you see what they’ve been bringing in the background and what they’ve been bringing on the pitch as well. Unfortunately, Vic was out for quite a long time with her ACL injury as well. But what they’ve been bringing, it’s what you see on the pitch, but it’s also everything that they’ve been doing in the background, the contributions they’ve had to the team on the training pitch, on matchdays. It’s been so valuable and they should both be very proud as well of what they’ve done for the club. I think they helped the club grow and they helped our football grow, the culture grow. All three have played a really big part in it. It’s dynamic, so they will leave us. Like you said, we’re in a good place for next season and where we want to go with the squad and the qualities that we want. But that’s next season, tomorrow is Everton.
on the futures of Katie McCabe and Caitlin Foord:
I think it’s similar there, there’s conversation of course between parties in the background which are private. So I think if there’s news to share, we’ll share it. Again, this season, the last three years since I’ve been here, I’ve seen what they bring to a team, and they’ve been amazing, especially Katie, but Caitlin Foord as well, they’ve been here for so much longer than me. They’ve done so much for the club and they’ve contributed to the growth of where it all is now. If you look at where we are now, everything that we have to our availability at the training ground, playing games at the Emirates, I think tomorrow we’re going to play our 50th game at the Emirates, which is a milestone. How everything has grown, the football, the physical side of it, the technical, tactical side of it, the staff, everything. They’ve been part of that and they’ve been helping the team grow in different ways. They’ve been very important this season as well for us. They’re both two players with very high minutes across the squad. Again, for them as well, there’s two more games to go.
on the news that all of our WSL home games will be at Emirates Stadium again next season:
Very good, very pleased with that, of course. We love playing at the Emirates. Next year there will be two more teams in the leagues so there will be 13 games at the Emirates next year, which is great. We look forward to it, we look forward to tomorrow night as well to finish the season at the Emirates strong together with the fans. I think there will be some presentations for the players leaving as well afterwards. It would be great if as many fans as possible can stay and celebrate the players that will leave us at the end of the season. But yeah, of course, really good, and again, very proud and privileged to be part of a club that is so much pushing forward for women’s football.
on if there’s an element of disappointment that we’re not finishing this season with the league title:
Yes, there is disappointment. But also having to say, respect to Manchester City, they got all the points that they needed to become first. But for us, if you look at it so far, only one loss and the run we’re on now, it’s a frustration, of course, that we weren’t able to, especially the draws, to get them over the line. That’s the learnings. Yes, we’re going to go for second place now. City has done really well this season. But of course, that’s frustration and fuel for us to try and achieve more next year.
on if there are any changes to the squad for tomorrow:
Katie McCabe is back, and Leah Williamson will be in the squad as well. Steph Catley is still coming back. Let’s see if she can make it for the Liverpool game if she’s not available tomorrow.
on the unsung heroes working behind the scenes:
There’s a couple. I go to the staff and the people working at the training ground because they are here for us every single day, and I think when we drive in through the gates, there’s always smiles and energy. So whatever the result or the day or the weather, ‘whatever the weather’, they are there and they bring energy and a smile. So that’s how we start our days. I think the atmosphere we’ve created in our restaurant, which is the main point where we all move, staff and players, it’s great. So all credits to everyone working in the kitchen. I won’t mention any names because they might want to be private still, but everyone working in the kitchen, creating the right atmosphere, putting on the music in the right moments, the right music in the right moments, and then I think the whole staff. So we talk a lot about our tech and analysis staff where there’s so much work being done. I’m always here. I’m always presenting myself in press conferences. But there’s so many more people who do so much that is not seen by others. So it’s the other coaches, but also the backroom staff making everything possible, making everything as smooth as possible for the players to be able to perform. So there’s a lot of people. Like I said, I’ll keep it private. I won’t say any names, but there’s so many who are doing so much in the background. But the kitchen and the restaurant, that’s the area where everyone comes together. So that’s a special place.
on if anything about the league has surprised us this season:
If I look at the football, I think technically it’s on a high level. I think teams are showing versatility. So there’s not teams just doing one thing, but teams can adapt. I’ve seen a lot of teams adapting in really interesting ways, so I found this season fun. It challenged me as well and inspired me to think in different ways and find different solutions. So I would say that that’s been what impressed me the most with the league, if you look at all the teams together.
on if she looks forward to the challenges between the seasons:
Yeah, I will get some time off as well. But yeah, there will be some after work that we need to do, all the reviews and then going into the next season, of course. So there will be a lot of preparation going into next season on different levels. But that’s also fun because parts of it are creative processes, which I enjoy, and we all know we’re all very driven, I think all departments, all staff, and we know that that will set a good foundation for the next season to come. But I’ll definitely get some time off, but also look forward to the preparation for pre-season.
on some leagues running to different start and end dates:
They’re in the first half of their seasons, yeah.
on if that makes it harder to recruit certain players:
I think our recruitment team in the background is working more long-term, so it’s not just happening in the moment and looking at when we finish a season, what’s happening. Of course, there’s longer and bigger processes in the background, so if there’s players in the Scandinavian leagues that we track and follow and we like what we see, then they would be on our radar anyway. But I will go to Malmo for a week, I think, so I might catch one or two games in the Swedish league, yes.
on having such a high average attendance at Emirates Stadium:
Yeah, it’s… I’m going like this now (pinching myself), I have to… Is this real? Is this… Because, one, I’m part of Arsenal. Two, I never thought I would be a coach. Three, to be coaching in this time in the growth of women’s football, doing it for Arsenal at the Emirates with so many fans. It’s nothing I’ve ever dreamt of. I didn’t know it was going to be possible. So, no, it’s every single time when you walk out, when you see the fans at the Emirates, singing all the songs and the connection they’ve created with our players, the way they support our players, it’s the best, and I enjoy it every single time. But also, the away games, if you look at the fans at Villa Park this weekend, it was incredible. They were so loud and just giving us so much energy. Yeah, I think the moments that I enjoy the most is when I see players and fans connecting. That’s what it’s all about for me, that we can give them something and they give us something back, and that synergy, that’s it. It’s a special place, I think, Emirates, Arsenal, and the fans are a big part of it.
on what she would say to someone who hasn’t been to one of our games yet:
Come and watch us. Come and feel and see the atmosphere. Come and see it and feel it live because I think that’s a different experience. Hopefully, we can give some attractive football to the fans that leads to winning. I think, hopefully, what it looks like is that between fans, there’s a great atmosphere as well. So, yeah, come to the Emirates and come watch us play.
on when our end of season review begins:
There’s constant reflections and reviews. We do one every block. So, there will be a big end-of-season review. Every department will do one for their own, but we will do a football review with our tech and analysis staff and that’s after the Liverpool game. So, collecting all the data first, and we’re in the moment still. So, there’s two very important games to play for us still. But, yeah, there will be a bigger football review. So, we’ll look at what areas we’re really happy with and where we look to improve.
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