Ahead of the return of Women's Super League football and our away clash with Reading, Jonas Eidevall spoke to the media about injuries, loans, and our collective mindset.
Here's every word of the press conference:
on whether there's an update on Rafaelle Souza or Leah Williamson's injuries...
No further updates. Like we said before, we expect it to be several weeks, unfortunately. But we have to wait for further assessment by the consultants before we can put a more exact time frame on it. At the moment, we don't think any surgery is needed.
on what the team has taken from last year's injuries and their impact...
I think what's really important is that we need to treat every game 100%. We have some team values, but it's really important for us to live them. We want to be 100%, we want to be fearless in our approach, and we want to put the team first. None of that changes. If we get one, two, three, four injuries or have unavailable players, then it's about always finding ways where we can play the best together as a team and that might change on the personnel that we have available.
That doesn't mean that we can play exactly the same way with every one of our players when they are on the team because they will have different strengths but also different weaknesses. So in that sense, I think if I learned something from that period last year, it was to see that when we are playing with different players, we might need to tweak some of our priorities in order to be smart and to play into these players strengths, instead of into their weaknesses.
on whether Gio Queiroz's move on loan to Everton was partly due to her international aspirations...
It was more about the long-term vision that I have for Gio. Because you have to remember she's a young player but she comes from playing a lot of first-team football. She played a lot in Spain and for me, I didn't want to take a step back in the stage of her career right now, by not playing minutes regularly. And we wanted her to do that at the highest level possible and to get accustomed to living in England and playing in the league.
So I think Everton was a very good fit. In the minutes that I've seen her play, she has performed well, which has been really pleasing to see. But then we have to evaluate that week by week and then we have to make a decision in the winter if that's the right time to take her back or if it's better for her to stay one season with Everton. It's just in the beginning now so let's give it some more time.
on if he's relieved that our Gunners won't be playing in the World Cup play-offs in February...
I am really happy for the players who qualified for the World Cup. We are very experienced in having players going to Australia and playing their national team football there. This happens quite often so that wasn't a major concern.
on whether Leah Williamson is likely to be available for the November internationals...
No.
on his reaction to the Sally Yates report of systematic abuse in the NWSL...
I'll be really honest and say that I have not had the time to read the report in detail. I have only been able to read it briefly. And of course, it's really terrible when there is a system that has failed the players and failed to protect them and keep them safe.
on what he's made of Reading's start to the season...
Yeah, I think it's a hard-working team. We saw last season that they had a tough start to the season. I think they were one of the better-performing teams once they got going. They won a lot of games in a row. So it's an opposition that we have massive respect for and we're preparing like it's our most important game.
on how to avoid any complacency going into the Reading game...
I think it's a constant challenge, to prepare for every game, to be 100%, and to be able to do all the work and preparation. We learn that as a team as you're getting more mature, it's about getting those processes right. Reading is no different from that. We know that every game in this league, especially the away games, can be tough if we don't go about it the right way.
So we need to focus on what we're going to do. It's our first game after the international break and if we think the game's going to be easy by any means, then we're making trouble for ourselves. We should always give our very best, our 100%. That's my intention on Sunday.
on the role the team has to play over the next few weeks...
Everyone always has a role to play. It's just that the external persons might only see the players that are playing on the pitch. But for me, the way that we prepare for a game, everyone has a role to play in the environment that we have, the meetings we have, and what we do on the pitch together. That part is so important.
When I speak about us being 100% and putting the team first, the games may be the fewest minutes we have together every week. So even the injured players like Rafa, Leah and Teyah - they all have a big, big role to play for the group in order to give, be supportive, and be able to stay together here. So we go through this whole block as a group.
on whether Katie McCabe will be fit to play this weekend...
She practised great today. So no worries.
on whether it's difficult to get back into club football after the international break...
It can be challenging, of course, because we now have to reconnect again with the group. We have to find our foundation and our identity again. Not only that, we have not been together for long.
Also, players have been in different cultures and different environments and of course, now they need to refocus back to our group again. So the two days we have here are really important in order to build into Sunday's game.
on whether Anna Patten can be recalled from her loan early...
“It's not a loan where she has to stay the whole season if we need to recall, but I don't think there is a recall option before the transfer window opens. It is logical that we can't move players, professional players back and forth from different clubs when the transfer window is closed. So that would be the same for all our players on loan, that it will be in the next transfer window.
on whether he'll be resting players ahead of our Champions League clash with Lyon...
No.
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