October 15th 2024.
The Women's Super League has been through its first managerial shakeup this season. After a string of disappointing results, Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall has officially resigned from his position. The decision was made in a meeting on Monday, just after a tough 2-1 loss to Chelsea over the weekend. It marks the end of his three-year tenure at the club, leaving many wondering where it all went wrong for the 41-year-old Swedish coach.
When Eidevall first joined Arsenal, they were known for their dominant possession-based style of play, but struggled in big games. However, that all changed when Eidevall implemented an aggressive high-pressing strategy. In his very first match in charge, the team impressed with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Emma Hayes' Chelsea at the Emirates. They only lost one game that season, but ultimately fell just short of the league title by one point.
It seemed like the start of a new era for Arsenal, but their momentum was derailed in Eidevall's second season due to multiple key players suffering anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Despite the setbacks, the team still had an impressive run in the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals and winning the Continental Cup final against Chelsea with a 3-1 score. The sense of togetherness within the team during this difficult time was evident as they continued to push through adversity.
However, in his third season, problems began to arise as the team struggled against weaker, defensive opponents. They failed to qualify for the Champions League after losing to Paris FC on penalties and were defeated by Liverpool in their season opener. Most notably, they suffered their first ever North London Derby loss to Tottenham the week after an impressive 4-1 victory over Chelsea. Any hopes of competing for the league title slipped away once again, despite winning the Continental Cup final against Chelsea for the second year in a row.
One of the major issues during Eidevall's time at Arsenal was his inability to get the best out of star players. Vivianne Miedema, the club's all-time leading scorer, was not offered a new contract and ended up joining Manchester City in the summer. Behind the scenes, tensions rose as players struggled within Eidevall's system. Scoring goals became a major concern, and the team's attempts to rectify this by signing players like Stina Blackstenius and Alessia Russo did not yield the desired results. It was unclear whether this was due to individual struggles or the system they were playing in. The confidence of both players seemed to be at a low point.
It was also evident that there was a rift between Eidevall and Miedema. The Dutch international, who had previously played as a striker, was now being utilized as a No. 10 under Eidevall. However, she spent a significant amount of time out with injury and frequently appeared frustrated on the sidelines. When the club decided not to offer her a new contract, many saw it as a sign of the club backing Eidevall over Miedema. She went on to sign with Manchester City and even scored in their season opener against Arsenal.
As frustrations mounted, fans began to lose faith in Eidevall. In his final match in charge, a large cardboard P45 was displayed in the stands, and "Jonas Out" was spray-painted on Hornsey Road. With a large fan base, Arsenal's poor results were felt more intensely than at other clubs in the league. While managers like Marc Skinner at Manchester United and Gareth Taylor at Manchester City were able to weather poor results, it was clear that Eidevall's time was up. He ultimately made the decision to resign, admitting that he was unable to win back the support of the fans. It seemed as though he had run out of the energy needed to turn things around.
For now, Eidevall's assistant Renee Slegers will take over as the interim manager for Arsenal's upcoming matches against Valerenga and West Ham. Interestingly, Slegers had previously taken over for Eidevall at Rosengard when he became Arsenal's manager. The club will have to act quickly to find a permanent replacement, with former Manchester United manager Casey Stoney and former Netherlands manager Mark Parsons as potential candidates. Whoever takes over will have the daunting task of turning the team's results around quickly to avoid another disappointing season.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
