Jonas Eidevall expects different Arsenal energy against Manchester United following loss to Liverpool
JONAS EIDEVALL would have preferred his Arsenal contract announcement had followed a win rather than a defeat at the Emirates.
The Gunners chief’s new deal was revealed yesterday four days after his side’s season-opening loss to Liverpool.
It also comes four weeks after the team were knocked out of the Champions League.
However Eidevall, who sealed a three-year deal to remain as Arsenal Women’s head coach, has backed his side to bounce back when they face Manchester United this evening.
He said: “We would much rather have won the last game and announced the contract, of course.
“But I also think it’s very much about the long term vision that we have, and that we share, that’s the important thing.
“Each one of us wants to push and to get the short term results right.
“I feel very much supported by the club. I have always felt that.
“And I hope they feel the same for me, that they feel a lot of trust in me in being the right person to drive this forward.”
Arsenal’s season-opening loss on Sunday means the team have lost their last three Women’ Super League matches.
However two of these games includes their final two fixtures of last season.
They were also beaten home and away by the Red Devils with Gunners summer signing Alessia Russo netting the winners in both games.
But Eidevall is confident his team will show a different energy and attitude following their loss to Liverpool last time out.
The Gunners boss added: “We didn’t play with the right amount of energy and attitude and that can never happen.
“And that hasn’t happened to us in a long time. One thing this team has been excellent with is playing with the right amount of energy.
“Football can be like that, sometimes you can forget the basics or you don’t get them right on the day.
“But life is about how you respond in those moments.
“You’re defined by how you react to those situations. This is what this week (in training) has been about and this is what Friday is about.”
Tonight’s game, which will see Alessia Russo face her former side, comes five days on from Emma Hayes’ call for the use of VAR-lite in the WSL.
The Chelsea boss, 46, was reacting to officials failing to spot Guro Reiten’s shot crossing the goal line against Tottenham on Sunday.
The Blues chief, whose team trialled the system in a pre-season friendly with Roma, called the absence of VAR and goal-line technology in the WSL “embarrassing”.
Eidevall added: “If we’re talking about VAR, then that has to be with highest quality as well.
“It can’t be operated in like a low budget camera system that will only see a limited number of angles or with a limited number of referees with limited amount of training.
“We see in the men’s game, even when it’s operating on a high level, still the mistakes happen.
“So then we can understand that a more low budget system will generate even more mistakes.
“The quality of the implementation of these things is really important.
“So let’s take the time and make sure that you have consistent levels in the competitions.”