Every word of Jonas' pre-Spurs presser

Ahead of our final game in 2023, Jonas Eidevall has held his pre-Tottenham Hotspur press conference.

Our head coach fielded questions from the media on Spurs under Robert Vilahamn's leadership, Beth and Viv's return from ACL injuries and team news for the weekend. 

Here's every word he said:

on what the win against Chelsea has done for the team’s confidence:

I think we were confident going into that game. It was nice to see the level we could play at but it’s all about what you do with that going forward. You need to have lots of humility, being able to have the standards really high in training and when we play. That’s the standard and the demands going forward. 

on if Russo is getting the support she needs on the pitch: 

I think relationship-building in football takes time. It takes time to learn to play together. There are qualities that Alessia has already shown very well on the pitch and there are qualities she will be able to show here with the more time we work together. As for her performance on Sunday, I thought it was strong - both off the ball and on the pitch. That was very pleasing to see.

on Miedema’s performance on her first start after recovering from her ACL:

First of all, it was really nice to see her able to start a football match and able to play 60 minutes. You could see her qualities, off and on the ball. She has reacted well to that as well, which is a really good step in her returning to play process.

on team news ahead of the weekend:

Kim Little is the question mark from the Chelsea game. We will need to review and assess that. Then we will see tomorrow.

on if there are any other updates:

No. 

on whether Arsenal are the team to beat:

No, I don’t think about it that way. I’m happy that we’ve been developing during the season so far. I still think we need to continue to develop. We have more things that we can do better as a team. We need to do that work day in, day out, so we can be ready to perform in all games we have in front of us. That’s where our focus needs to be at the moment.

on Beth Mead looking to be the same player she was before her injury - and how much of a relief that is:

I wouldn’t say I was worried but I have a lot of respect for her return to play after a long-term injury and to find that level in your game again. I think there’s no human that can step into the same river twice. That’s the same thing for football players. 

You will never be the same player again - you will be a different player and hopefully for the better, that you learn from the experience and come back stronger. These things will all be managed individually. 

With Beth, it’s been really nice to see the levels she’s been hitting here lately but that’s from the accumulation of a lot of hard work she’s done which has led to this point. The team needs to develop, as Beth continues to do. That needs to be her mindset.

on the strength in depth in attack - and having to leave players out:

I already think I have those nice problems, with both team selection and squad selection. That’s how it should be. We were talking about last season, where we were too thin. In the spring, I did not have those problems at all and that was really hurtful for our campaign then. 

We’re at a much better and stronger place now, needing to take those decisions. While that is tough on the individual at that moment - if you’re not starting games or if you’re not making the squad - it’s definitely beneficial for the team and for the football club and for the collective ambition we have.

on playing Tottenham twice in a matter of days - and how difficult that is:

I don’t know if it’s difficult or not. Both teams learn when they play against each other for the first time. It’s like a longer half-time break, where you can actually work on things on the training ground. Both teams have also had a quick turnaround between the games. I think there are going to be details that will be changed but I don’t really picture seeing big changes from one game to another, when there’s such a quick [turnaround].

on needing to have the balance between intensity in training and in matches while not overdoing it:

It’s a really thin balance but I think the reality of it is that competition drives intensity. That’s one thing - when you have a squad where there is a lot of competition for a spot, that drives intensity in a good way. That’s important. You don’t become that fragile as a squad if you do pick up a minor injury. You still have cover. 

In a thinner squad, that quickly goes to a downward spiral, where you pick up a smaller injury and can’t afford to pick up another one, so then you load and train less. Then you become less able to handle load in the future. That’s not a good spiral to come into as a team. You want to go the opposite way - where you’re able to train better, with more intensity, to prepare more. 

Then that can prep the team, so they can develop and become stronger during the season. I think that comes back to both the quantity and the quality aspect of it. It’s the quantity in numbers to be able to do that, but you need to have quality because otherwise you can’t play at the tempo and have that competition. That has been a main driver in us being able to go there from a training culture perspective.

on if he treats the north London derby as a big occasion:

We prep the same way for every game. The next game is our most important game. This is our next game and this is the most important game, for that reason. That means that 100 per cent of our preparation and focus goes into this game. We’re really determined and motivated to try and end this year on as high a level as possible. After that, hopefully, we can go into a well-deserved Christmas break.

on what he makes of Tottenham - and how they are progressing under Robert Vilahamn:

You can see that he has changed the way they’ve been playing. You can see they’ve been very good with that process. They have a very clear identity of how they want to play. They’ve been sticking with that, both in good times and in bad times. 

He’s been very clear on the direction he wants the team to go in. That is always helpful when you try to develop something, that you are strong-willed and you are able to live your values in both good and bad times.

on Kyra Cooney-Cross being named Player of the Month and how he rates her development:

It’s very well deserved for her. I think she’s been excellent for us. She can contribute with her passing and her dribbling but she’s also constantly developing her defensive play as well. It’s been really nice to see her integrating into the team and being able to develop with the team.

on what he’s seen from Russo so far - and on what’s still to come:

I think I’ve seen all the attributes that I wanted to bring her in for. Our next step to develop is to increase the number of times we get her on the ball in the golden zone, in the penalty area. She has quite a low number there for my liking and too little involvement. 

That is a very clear relationship - if we can find her more often in those positions, it’s going to result in more goals or assists in those moments. She has really good qualities once she is there. That’s the next step for us, to get her more involved in front of goal.

on Vilahamn saying he wants to make Tottenham the best team in north London: 

It would be weird to have any ambition other than that.

on if Tottenham can compete with Arsenal:

This WSL is the most competitive it’s ever been. Any team can beat anyone on any given day, if you’re not playing up to your standards. We know we need to be very good tomorrow if we are to get the result we want. That’s what we need to focus on.

on the January transfer window - and if Arsenal are in the market in terms of incomings and outgoings:

I’m not going to comment on individuals but the squad is not permanent. I can see us having players both in and out in January.

on playing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - and if that suggests Saturday’s hosts will be braver with their ambitions:

I don’t think about it like that. It’s great that it’s a game that can be played in front of more spectators. Hopefully, a lot of people will come to watch the game tomorrow. I’ve been there once before, for a training match when I had only been here for a couple of weeks. The pitch then was very nice to come and play on. The conditions should be on a really high level, so we’re looking forward to the game.

on if Katie McCabe is gaining a reputation that makes her a target for opposition players or referees:

I don’t think the referees have missed many opportunities to try and caution Katie so far this season. I definitely think she’s reffed on a very strict level if I compare that to other situations. You saw that in the game against Chelsea - there were a lot of situations that were defined by small margins.

If I look at that and try to see it from a bigger picture, I feel like how good that game was without VAR. From my personal point of view, in terms of how I would have experienced the match, there were so many potential stoppages. I think it goes both ways and I hope I don’t see that too much with my Arsenal glasses on - but I really think there were decisions that could have gone our way, but didn’t, and there were decisions that could have gone Chelsea’s way, but didn’t. 

All in all, I think it evens out during the game. But the game flows really well because we don’t need the reviews. I thought it was a nice way to experience a high-level football match.