‘We Need To Be Perfect’ – Miquel Previews Arsenal
After a solid start to the Barclays Women’s Super League season, in which Jutta Rantala salvaged a point at Liverpool for the Foxes, Miquel’s first home test awaits when Arsenal make the trip to King Power Stadium this Sunday (3pm BST kick-off).
Here are the main talking points from the Manager’s press conference at Belvoir Drive…
A point against Liverpool
Happy to rescue a point, but disappointed to not take all three, Miquel was proud of the team’s ability to adapt to Liverpool last weekend, leading to an improved second-half performance.
“I think that in possession we saw something close to what we want to do,” the Manager announced. “Out of possession, we adapted a little during the game to gave bigger trouble to Liverpool.
“That worked for us because we found a goal and didn’t concede many chances to them, which is what we wanted; less opportunities for them in our penalty box.
“Defensively it’s not what we’ll always do but for that game, we thought it was the best way to get back into the game which we did.”
Facing Arsenal
This weekend, Miquel heads to King Power Stadium for her first WSL game on home soil, but faces tough opposition in the form of Arsenal, who come from behind to draw 2-2 with Manchester City on the opening weekend.
Admitting that a first home win this soon against the Gunners would be a tough task, the French Manager will be hoping to produce a perfect performance in order to make that a possibility.
She added: “The way we work is that we go from a fresh start. For me, we haven’t lost against Arsenal yet. We are new and this is the first [home] game so anything can happen.
“We know that they are a good opponent, like many in this league, so we will play our game plan offensively to hopefully give them trouble defending.
“We want to make sure they have as less occasions in our box as possible, to give us a chance. Right now, I’d like to think winning is possible. If not, why would we turn up?
“It is possible but, of course, it will be very hard. But if you want to beat that type of team today, this season, then it has to be a perfect game.”
A first WSL game in charge
After making her WSL debut on Merseyside, Miquel is excited for a first home clash, and is proud of how her new team have been able to adapt to her tactics and philosophy.
“It felt good to have my first game in this league,” the Manager continued. “I was quite impressed with the overall performance of the team. There were some things we could’ve done better, but against a good opponent, I was happy.
“We were strong in the air, and adapting the game plan wasn’t too difficult for us, and I'm happy that we produced a good start to the season.”