LONDON — A damaging five days for former Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall began with a 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Wednesday and ended with the Swede offering his resignation on Monday after the 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
While the club did not play badly in either game, the writing was already on the wall. Literally. A large piece of “JONAS OUT” graffiti had been sprayed in white on the brick wall opposite the Emirates Stadium ahead of the Chelsea game, signalling that not only has women’s football risen in profile — such outcries are usually reserved for the men’s game — but also that the fans’ faith in their manager had reached breaking point after a poor start to the season.
Resentment had been steadily building ahead of the 5-2 humbling as the Gunners picked up just one win from their first three WSL games, with some fans seen at the Chelsea fixture waving fake P45 letters, the kind given to people who are made redundant. Consecutive losses raised the volume of distaste to new heights and when it permeated among his players, something had to give.
Multiple sources told ESPN that Eidevall had lost the dressing room off the back of those two defeats. A source said that the external unhappiness of fans and the media far outweighed the pressure inside the club, with the Gunners prepared to wait until the international break next week to consider his future. But in the 48 hours that followed the Chelsea game, the Swede took the decision that the breakdown with the fans had gone too far, and decided that he was done.
When Eidevall sat down with ESPN during the club’s preseason U.S. tour., he spoke about the four phases his teams go through, and how the aptly named “Storming Phase” — where conflicts arise and are confronted — was the one he wanted to iron out ahead of the start of this season. However, the storm was too great for the Swede to weather and as his players lost faith in the philosophy that he first introduced, there was only one course of action left.
“You would never celebrate second place”
And it stalled further after a 2-2 draw against Manchester City on WSL opening day — where, course, Miedema scored against her old club — was followed by an unconvincing 1-0 win over Leicester City and a lacklustre goalless draw with Everton. For the first time in 10 years, Arsenal failed to win three consecutive home games, a record Eidevall could ill afford as frustration among the fans kept growing.
A source told ESPN that the club wanted to win several pieces of major silverware this campaign. This was the standard they set. But the loss to Chelsea left them with only four points from three games — five points adrift of leaders City — and far from how they needed to start a 22-game campaign. Worse still, the players looked downtrodden and confused when Eidevall spoke in his final team huddle, and he stormed down the tunnel rather than doing the standard lap of applause to thank the fans. The atmosphere was hostile, and it was clear Eidevall thought his time was over.
Pinpointing exactly what went wrong over the past three seasons is challenging and according to one source, it was only in the past four weeks that things truly began to unravel. But there had been signs. Preseason optimism quickly faded as gaps in performances became evident, and when the gameplan stopped delivering results, the situation rapidly deteriorated.
Summer signing Mariona Caldentey — one of the best players in the world for former club Barcelona and Spain — visually showed this against Everton when Eidevall, stood on the touchline, tried to explain a shift in the gameplan to her. The Catalan just turned to him, looking confused, and said “Que?” (“What?”) in Spanish.
How will the club move forward?
Eidevall’s final few weeks at Arsenal shouldn’t overshadow the dedication, hard work and loyalty he displayed throughout his tenure. He reignited the club, fostering a competitive spirit that allowed the team to challenge and defeat their fiercest rivals.
Now, a new era begins under former Netherlands international Renée Slegers, who steps in as interim manager. This isn’t the first time Slegers has succeeded Eideval — when he left Rosengård to join Arsenal, she led the team for the following two seasons. No one understands the current squad or Eidevall’s system better than she does.
Though Slegers’ appointment is temporary, it’s a logical decision. The squad was built around Eidevall’s philosophy and bringing in a new manager with a different approach could disrupt that. Slegers, familiar with the current structure, can fine-tune the existing system while the club search for a permanent replacement.
There has been plenty of speculation around potential candidates, but a source told ESPN that former Manchester United and San Diego Wave manager Casey Stoney is not currently in the running. The process is underway, but time is critical. Several key players are out of contract this summer, and with Eidevall losing the dressing room, his departure was seen as essential to keeping them. However, if the club fail to find the right successor, they could still risk losing a host of stars for nothing the end of the season.
