Renée Slegers Emphasizes Squad Depth Ahead of Arsenal's Season Opener

Renée Slegers, the head coach of Arsenal Women's team, has expressed her satisfaction with the increased competition within her squad, emphasizing that the club's enhanced depth was a strategic decision made with the demands of a full season in mind. As Arsenal gears up to host Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium for their first home league fixture of the season, Slegers faces the challenge of making tough selection decisions following a productive week of training.

The Arsenal manager confirmed that all players who were available last weekend have come through the week without any issues, although Katie Reid, Daphne van Domselaar, and Michelle Agyemang remain sidelined. On a positive note, Elisa De Almeida is back in contention for selection, adding to the options available to Slegers.

With Arsenal having bolstered their squad across multiple positions during the summer transfer window, Slegers now has a wealth of choices at her disposal, a stark contrast to the challenges faced last season. This abundance of talent presents a new dilemma: fully fit senior internationals may find themselves excluded from matchday squads entirely. However, Slegers views this predicament as a direct result of a deliberate recruitment strategy aimed at long-term success.

"We’ve been clear with that when looking at the squad composition and considering all the what-ifs and scenarios," Slegers stated. "We thought this was best for us, long-term as well, because there will be a lot of games. We’re in a fantastic position, with everyone fit at the moment. But you know how a season goes, so we really felt we needed it, and this was a conscious decision we made."

Managing player selections and effectively communicating those decisions will be crucial throughout the campaign, according to Slegers. "At the moment, with so many available players, it also makes my job harder," she admitted. "It’s small margins, and that’s something we need to manage really, really well with the squad because it’s new to us, it’s new to the players as well. A lot of my investment, a lot of my energy goes there because it’s an important one to get right, the decision, communication and all those things. But, playing a long game, over the season we’re going to need everybody."

Slegers also supported calls for clubs to be allowed to name larger matchday squads, echoing sentiments expressed by Arsenal men's manager Mikel Arteta. "I know that Mikel has expressed this and I 100 percent agree," she said. "I wish that would be possible for us as well. We know in Europe, in the Champions League, we have a bigger squad, which is great, so everyone is together. If there’s something I want to say to the league, it’s: can we increase the squad numbers for matchday? There are pros and cons, but I think the benefits are heavier."

The discussion then shifted to Kyra Cooney-Cross, who recently spoke about the support she received from Arsenal during a difficult period away from the club. Cooney-Cross returned to Australia to spend time with her mother, and Slegers emphasized the importance of prioritizing the player's personal circumstances over immediate footballing needs. "We always look human first," Slegers remarked. "What’s important for Kyra in this moment? We’ve respected that, and I’m happy we did. I’m happy she could spend that time with her mum in Australia. Of course, losing a really good player for the second half of the season was difficult for us, but it’s not comparable to what Kyra has been going through."

As Arsenal prepares to face Crystal Palace, who showed promise in their opening match against Everton, Slegers remains optimistic about the growing competitiveness of the Women's Super League. "I think it is [stronger]," she stated. "It’s growing, and I think everything is developing, so automatically the games will be better, tougher, more competitive. It’s really early in the season still. There’s only one round played. But definitely, I think Crystal Palace-Everton was a competitive game, and the same with Birmingham creating issues, especially in the first half against City."

The upcoming match against Palace will present a different tactical challenge compared to the previous encounter with Brighton, with Manchester United looming on the horizon next weekend. Slegers believes that Arsenal's enhanced versatility will allow them to adapt to these varying demands. "Every game has its challenges," she noted. "If it’s not tactical, then it’s something else. That’s the exciting part of this role, and the exciting part of the squad that we now have, the versatility, the dynamics within the squad."

Let's Call It What It Is

While the focus may be on Arsenal's attacking options, Slegers takes pride in the defensive identity her team has cultivated. "We take pride in defending," she affirmed. "It’s been a big part of us last season and will continue to be this season."

As the season unfolds, the challenge for Slegers will be to maintain a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts while keeping every player engaged. Although the selection process may become more complex, Arsenal is confident that these difficult decisions will prove invaluable as the season progresses.