Arsenal have appointed Renee Slegers as Jonas Eidevall's permanent successor after a highly successful period as interim head coach.
It's been 94 days since Jonas Eidevall left Arsenal. The Gunners have played 11 games since that gloomy day in October, winning 10 and drawing one. The increase is clearly noticeable, both in terms of results and performance, and the person credited for this is Renee Slegers.
Numerous coaches from around the world were considered for Arsenal's permanent position, but none with such a convincing record in the place of honour. Slegers was the candidate who was lucky enough to already be on the inside – a clear advantage – but her graduation as interim boss is no less deserved.
Some labeled the Dutch a shoo-in, including this journalist, but such praise is deserved with results achieved the 'Arsenal way', and with an impressive display of strength to come clean from setbacks.
Simply put: she was the steady hand of the club.
The process to replace Eidevall is believed to have been rigorous and thorough, with as much attention paid to playing style and philosophy as to a vision for short- and long-term success.
Arsenal were consistently close during the Swede's three years in charge – winning two Conti Cups – but there was a one-sided view that the team had lost their way towards the end. As good as the margins were, performance had declined, results were poor and the club's relationship with its wealthy fan base began to dwindle.
Reality had arrived. Arsenal had a good side there somewhere, but it was hidden under a cloud of burden and pressure. Eidevall himself told Sky Sports that his presence only dragged the players further into the mud and that his rather abrupt departure was intended to stop that slide.
If Eidevall, on the other hand, was a cloud, Slegers' leadership was a breath of fresh air. Her style – confident and direct – has resonated in the dressing room, which has blossomed again and is once again playing with expression and freedom.
If the term 'interim' had been a distraction, this has not proven to be the case. Slegers has never seen himself as merely the manager of the fort.
Arsenal went into the winter break with four straight wins in the WSL, their best run of 2024 and their best winning end to a calendar year since 2019, after starting the season with one win from their opening four games.
And at the end of Eidevall, they weren't inherently evil, they were just labored and without any creative power. The direction didn't feel right.
In came Slegers, a coach who leaned on her existing trust and credit within the camp to build a structure that better suited Arsenal's approach. Her three-month unbeaten run in all competitions is testament to small adjustments that have made the plan clearer.
Most notably, players have spoken publicly about the calming effect of Slegers' even temperament. Her style is synonymous with many Dutch coaches currently working in women's football – think of England's Sarina Wiegman – as someone who commands respect with consistency and open communication.
“You see the team growing,” Slegers told Sky Sports in December. “The players want to play a kind of football, the Arsenal way. It is integrated into the club and that is what we strive for, as many minutes on the pitch as possible.”
Eidevall was always emotional. Outbursts on the sidelines were commonplace and often exaggerated. Now the regular voice in the dugout promotes better control. Players want to play for Slegers. They want to win for Slegers.
Forward Alessia Russo's recent purple patch is perfect proof. After finding the net once in her nine appearances under Eidevall this season, she has scored 10 in 11 under Slegers. Her all-round play feels more instinctive, as if a weight has been lifted, replaced by conviction.
Performance is a fickle thing, and the 35-year-old's reign will hit a stumbling block at some point, but the magic appears to be back. The synergy with fans has returned. And the Emirates atmosphere once again does its thing on match day, bringing an energy rarely found elsewhere in the WSL.
Slegers has had a remarkable start, the new manager is flourishing and has proven that her formula can deliver short-term success. She has reassured Arsenal's hierarchy that she is the right person to take the club forward and the players appear convinced too.
Now the hard work really begins. Arsenal have undoubtedly fallen behind rivals Chelsea and Manchester City in the WSL pecking order, and addressing that should be the newly appointed manager's first port of call.
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