Just two days on from arriving back in the UK, Renee Slegers sat down in front of the media for her pre-Aston Villa press conference at Sobha Realty Training Centre.
Here’s what she had to say on the following subjects.
on what the emotions have been like since beating Lyon:
I think the big intense, ecstatic moment happens straight after the whistle and I will never forget that moment. It was very big for everyone who works around the team, for the club. So we're happy we put ourselves in a position and we're going to go to the final to do everything we can. Then we travelled back and yesterday has been about individualisation, so players need recovery or players need to get a little bit of work on the pitch. We've got together as a staff and players group at lunch together and then today it was all about looking forward to the game tomorrow. Yeah, it was amazing.
on how to guard against that moment being psychologically draining:
Yeah, so we've been very good in games to regulate our emotions and so I think that's a quality that the team has. So that's going to be needed now as well.I also think we don't want to neglect emotions and emotions can be turned into a lot of positive energy. So that's the balance we try to find, to find the perfect preparation for us.
on balancing our ambitions in the Champions League and WSL:
It’s not conflicting because we had two objectives for the block and that was going to the final and do our job in the WSL by getting four out of four. So we've done one now and now it's Aston Villa tomorrow and all we want to do is get three points tomorrow because we want to keep the pressure on in the WSL.
on if there are any team news updates:
No, same availability.
on how we’re preparing for tomorrow’s match:
Yeah, so individualisation yesterday with regards to what the players needed from a recovery versus training perspective. So that's what we did yesterday, but it was also an important moment to get together and acknowledge what we did. So great energy, togetherness and that was important for us. I think you want to acknowledge the emotions and not neglect them and today has been all about the preparation for Villa and like I said before, the balance of using those emotions and the momentum that we have, but also regulate that because we need to be focused and ready for Villa tomorrow.
on if she’s met Villa’s head coach before:
No, no, I haven't spoken to her yet, no.
on her thoughts on Villa:
It's a good team. They've secured their spot in the league for next year. So I guess they're happy with that. They've changed their structure a little bit. Of course, they come from two wins in the league and I think they will be free in the way they will try to take on the game tomorrow. So we are very aware of what they can bring to the game and where they come from. So we need to be 100% focused and concentrated on what we need to do tomorrow.
on how we reflected on our first leg against Lyon to prepare for the second leg:
I think like between the Madrid games, so we always want involvement and engagement from the players. The process wasn't exactly coaches went away and players went away. So we do blend coaches and players together to look at different things. And of course we had a week or more between these two games. So we had a lot of time spent together with the players. There was some engagement from them. I think the first day back, we gathered their thoughts on the game and what we want to focus on from different perspectives, our attacking game, defending game and how we want to manage the game. And that's set us up really well. So we could align coaches and players the next day we were together and we put a plan together on what do we want to work on and what details do we need to get right. And then towards the end of the week, there was great engagement from the players again, more from a scenario based perspective, but all the way through. And I think that's been a strength of the team that there is engagement, there is involvement, they take ownership, they hold themselves accountable. So that's a strength of ours. And that's definitely been a key for the Lyon win.
on if there’s any progress on appointing someone to Renee’s previous role:
Yeah, so it's very important for us to get the right structure around the team and the players for us to reach our goals. And development is a big part of us reaching our goals. So we're looking at how we fill that role. But at the moment, the setup is great. I think we have one of the biggest staffs in Europe and we have so much competence and quality. So everything's going really well at the moment.
on under-21s coach Elliot Allum joining the staff on matchdays:
Yeah, so both from a player and staff perspective, we have loan players, academy players coming in to train with us. We also like to have staff around from the academy and under-21s. So Elliot has been with us a lot, a little bit more lately, and he's been a great addition, bringing some new perspective and giving us that bridge between the senior and junior players.
on our bravery against Lyon:
So bravery is one of our pillars. It's something we always want to be. And I think in this scenario, after the first leg, we needed to be brave going to Lyon, and that was going to be key for us. But we can only be brave if we know exactly what we're doing. And again, coming back to Tim's question, the detail of the preparation together with the players was on a very high level. And then if you know what you're doing, you know your role, you know what to expect, then you can be brave in the role you're going to play. And then I think spot on, because I think our press against Lyon leading to turnovers, but also the press stopping them from attacking, it was on a very high level and it was key in our game.
on enjoying the moment that we’re in:
Of course, I want to enjoy the moments as well. And that moment on the pitch, seeing all players, staff, fans, thinking about all the other people that weren't there and then thinking about what we achieved, that's very big and that does a lot to me as well. So I'm not just calm and composed and don't feel anything. And so I'm very passionate as well. I think my presence is maybe calm, but I need to love what I'm doing to be able to perform. That's very important for me. And so I love what I'm doing. I love what I'm a part of. But I also know in my role, in my job, it's good for me and hopefully good for the environment that I am calm.
on what marks she would give herself out of 10:
Don't put me in this position because I'm going to say [enough] again. It's honestly, it's a team performance and I understand my role in it. So I don't take myself out of that. But I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to play the game. But no, I'm just very happy and proud. And I understand my role, but it really is a team performance. And I, especially working in a big organization like Arsenal and the big staff that we have in the different departments playing their roles towards success, it really is a team performance. And I know you don't want to hear it, but that's really how I see it.
on how important the winning momentum has been in both competitions:
Yeah, it's very important. Players and the club, they want to work towards something and you want to be in this position at the end of season where you're competing. And I'm happy we are. So we're really proud of the spot in the final and we look forward to that. But also with a couple of games left in the WSL, we want to keep the pressure on and we want to end with as many points as possible from where we're at. So no, I'm happy with where we are, but no job is done. So a lot of work to do still and let's start tomorrow.
on bravery and the other pillars we adhere to:
Yeah, so there's five of them and I want to keep that a little bit internal. But no, it's something we've worked on with the players. So we have the Arsenal way and that's the type of football we want to play, but it needs to be built off of something and that's our pillars and it's created together with the players. And we try to keep that alive as much as possible and make it as specific as possible as well.
on remaining calm in exciting scenarios:
Yeah, so I need to be calm to perform in my role. I think that's what I believe. But I feel the emotions as well. I get goosebumps all the time for different reasons because of big performances like last Sunday, but also small things, working with people, saying beautiful things, doing great things that add value to the team. So I really feel what I'm doing and what we're working towards. But again, the calmness is important for us. I think it's the way we perform at our best. But within that there's a lot of intensity and passion as well.
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