Before every home game, Renée Slegers gives her thoughts around the team and our upcoming game in her manager's notes published in the matchday programme.
Ahead of our last Barclays Women's Super League match of the season at home to Everton, the head coach wants to finish on a high, give our departing players the send-off they deserve and build momentum to carry into next season.
Good evening and welcome to Emirates
Stadium for the last time this season as
we welcome Everton for our 11th and final
home game in the Barclays WSL.
We can’t wait for the chance to play
football once more at our beautiful stadium
and to thank you for your unbelievable
support all season long. The stakes are
very clear for our final two games: secure
our spot in next year’s UEFA Champions
League. We’re expecting a battle from both
Merseyside teams and our squad will be
ready to face them. Until the final whistle on
the last day, we have to remain in the here
and now. Our collective focus is on finishing
the season in the best possible way.
There is naturally disappointment with
how our season ended. We all said at the
start of the year that we wanted to compete
on all fronts, defend our European title and
win the league for the first time in a long
time. The tough reality of this league is that
we’ve lost one game all year and that was
enough to keep that trophy at bay. It’s the
draws, decided by such fine margins, that
we want to transform into victories. I think
that’s where our success lies in the future.
When the dust has settled and we’re
able to reflect on the campaign as a whole,
there will be plenty of time to analyse and
implement changes. I think everyone could
see how devastated the team were two weeks ago in Lyon. I felt that same sorrow,
but I was so proud of how we responded.
We were humble in defeat and made sure
we took the days that followed to try and
reset as best as we could. Emotions were
still raw – we are only human! – but the way
the team came back together to reflect
and move on was all I could have asked for.
How a team responds to setbacks is
one of the most important aspects of high
performance. That’s certainly not easy
when you’re playing matches at a rate of
three a week, but the team and the staff
have managed it. I am so incredibly proud
of how we’ve grown as a group. The way
the girls show up every single day and how
they take ownership for our progress as
a club is something I’ve loved watching.
We can change players and positions
and opposition, and still, our football
stays the same. The Arsenal Way.
I’ve learned a lot about myself, too.
Wherever I can, I try to remain grounded
and present. That’s not always easy
because I love this club and I’m so
passionate about helping the club to be
successful. When we suffer setbacks,
when we pull off victories against all
odds, I have to find ways to stay level and
zoom out. That is a constant challenge as a
coach. The whirlwind of last season taught
me so much, but I feel like you learn even
more during the hard times.
Tonight will also be a bittersweet one.
The time has come to say goodbye to a
number of players who are departing in the
summer. No matter how long they’ve served
our club for, they have performed admirably
on and off the pitch. I have loved working
with every single one of them and wish
them all the very best for their future.
I am certain we’ll provide the send-off
they deserve this evening.
This season may not have ended with
the same euphoria as last year’s Champions
League win, but it has still brought some
unforgettable moments. We made history
by becoming the first ever team to win the
FIFA Champions Cup. We reached yet
another Champions League semi-final. And
we’ve celebrated some wonderful victories,
home and away, with the best fans on the
planet. We know what the team is capable of
on our best days, so how can we turn every
day into our best day? I am so excited to
reach that next level together. COYG!
Read more about the game, as well as a host of other fantastic content, by buying the Arsenal v Everton programme either around the stadium or online.
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