Four goals helped us pick up three points against Aston Villa at the Emirates and Renee Slegers was delighted with the outcome.
Our interim boss gave her thoughts on the victory, the performances of Kyra Cooney-Cross and Alessia Russo's goalscoring form.
Here's everything she had to say in the post-match press conference.
**On Kyra and Mariona in the middle:**
I think they were world class today, they are both world class players, we tried to prep them as best as could as it’s a new partnership. Kyra plays in that role, always, but it’s new for Mariona. But Mariona is so intelligent as a player we were very confident she would solve it. There were a couple of details we went through from a defensive perspective that were new for her, for example what’s her role in a low block, but otherwise it was quite straightforward. So I’m very happy and I think they worked well together as well so their collaboration on the pitch was very good and they played to each others strengths so well done to both of them.
**On tweaking things in the second half:**
Players coming on, a couple of energy injections, but we did some changes at half-time and after 30 minutes in the first half from a defensive formation perspective, which helped. But otherwise it wasn’t changing things so much in the second half, it was more about can we play the game in the spaces on the pitch where we want to be and I think at times we did that after those 15-20 minutes where we struggled a little bit, even though I wouldn’t want to say struggle because yes, they had a couple crosses and this breakthrough where Steph blocks the shot and they have one more blocked shot by Lotte but that’s it, so they didn’t create much, it’s just we are used to having the majority of possession and we didn’t have that in that period of the game, I think it’s 50-50, shared with Aston Villa. So that’s different for us, but I think the ruthlessness we showed today again and the control we have, even though we have to defend a little bit, we do that really well and we put a lot of value on that as a team.
**On why Emily Fox came off:**
It was a bit of both, Foxy plays a lot for us, she plays a lot for the US, we felt comfortable in the game, as a team, and it was important for us to get Lotte back in the groove as well, give her a decent amount of minutes so it was a little bit of both.
**On if she pays any attention to goal difference:**
We pay a lot of attention on how we act in both boxes, how we defend our own box and how we attack the opposition box and I think that’s where games are being won and lost, that’s what we put focus on. We don’t look at the table with the team and look at positions in the table and goal difference, that’s not what we do, that needs to be a result of that, so we try to work on specifics that we can control but definitely have more focus on how we defend the box and how we attack the box.
**On how Alessia Russo’s goalscoring form changed:**
I think we defend as a team, that’s what we’re good at, and I think we attack as a team so, obviously, it’s our forwards most of the time getting on the end of attacks but credit to the whole team and how we create at the moment. But, for example, in training, we’ve been working specifically with the forwards, so Kelly Smith is with us and we spend a little bit more time with the forwards, working on their finishing specifically so that’s in their roles and that hopefully is a part of why we are so clinical and ruthless at the moment. I think Kelly puts in great detail so. But again, it’s all in the players, how much effort and investment that comes from them and I think we’re in a good place at the moment and we need to maintain that.
**On the changes in the second half:**
The height of the press was the same, at least for the second half so we wanted to press the same height with Frida as we did with Alessia and Stina, but in an attack, obviously, Less is used usually as a nine, she comes down as a 10, that is specific space that we want her to find in the 10 role, and then someone else needs to fill another space. But, again, we want to play to the players strengths and she probably comes a little higher, a little closer to the number nine position but, I think, with all the creativity and all the players around, we still fill the spaces that we want.
**On more confidence in the team:**
I think that’s exactly what it is. I think at the start of the season we were really good as well. We outperformed our opponent in almost everything, we didn’t score as many goals, and what that is, yes, I said, we work on a lot of specific stuff in both boxes, but I can’t say exactly one thing, it’s a cocktail of things that are working together at the moment.
**On if we can catch the league leaders:**
Yes, I think so, we have to believe that. But we’re happy we’re in the top three at the moment, we won’t settle for third place of course, so we try to go for more and that’s the same in the Champions League group, we want to go for first place as well so we’re not settling, we’re not happy yet. But obviously a good step.
**On what she’s learned about herself in the position:**
I’m enjoying it, I’m having fun, it’s also very hard work. Sometimes you forget to enjoy it as well, because there are so many things that need to be done, from a planning and preparation and reviewing perspective, so you’re working most of the time but matchdays and these results and seeing these fans at the Emirates, being able to play for so many fans, that’s moments where you really feel the enjoyment and happy about what you’re doing, definitely.
**On making a statement:**
I’m not thinking about me making statements, we’re just trying to help the team perform and get the results we need, and at the moment that’s working really well, especially with the clean sheets, how the whole team has invested in defending together, I think that’s things we talk about and what separates us from the rest, that’s one thing for example, so we’re very happy with that, so it’s all about the team.
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