England captain Leah Williamson 'refreshed' in Lionesses camp after 'different start' to Arsenal season
Published 24/10/2024 at 18:49 GMT+1
Leah Williamson admitted that returning to international duty has been "refreshing" after a "different start to the season" at Arsenal following the resignation of head coach Jonas Eidevall. The Swede left the club after a poor start to the season, with chastening defeats to Chelsea and Bayern Munich leading to his unexpected departure early in the campaign.
'Not normal for a human being' - Pep on Haaland's acrobatic goal against Sparta Prague
Video credit: SNTV
England captain Leah Williamson has admitted it is “refreshing” to be back in the Lionesses camp during a tumultuous time at Arsenal.
The Gunners head coach Jonas Eidevall resigned after just five wins from the opening 11 games in all competitions this season. A damaging 2-1 loss to Chelsea at Emirates Stadium in the Women's Super League side and a heavy 5-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League preceded the Swede’s departure.
Williamson, meanwhile, was named in Sarina Wiegman’s squad for friendlies against Germany at Wembley Stadium and South Africa at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
"To be here in this environment is refreshing, obviously; it is natural for that to be the case at this time and playing for this team, everyone knows how much we love it. I think you see that every day,” the 27-year-old said in a press conference.
"It's been a different start to the season. Obviously, we've been at club for a long time. Normally, we'd have an international break window before this so it's been different in that sense of being there [with Arsenal] for so long and being in one place, we're not used to that.
"I'm a footballer, our job is to win games and that hasn't happened so smoothly."
- Christian Eriksen exclusive: Manchester United midfielder on facing 'massive, incredible’ Jose Mourinho
- Phil Foden labels Erling Haaland 'freak' after wonder goal, Rio Ferdinand says Norwegian gives 'Ibrahimovic vibes'
Since appointing assistant manager Renee Slegers as interim head coach, Arsenal have secured back-to-back wins over Valerenga in the Champions League and West Ham in the WSL before the international break.
It has been reported that Arsenal have made New York City FC men’s head coach Nick Cushing their primary target to replace Eidevall. The Englishman has been in New York since 2022, and in 2016 led Manchester City to a WSL title.
But the immediate focus for Williamson is the upcoming international break.
She added: "Results tell a story, performance is another thing that you can actually change and affect on a day-to-day basis and to be honest, I'm happy to be here in a different environment. I think sometimes that comes at the right time and since I've been here, I've had no contact with the club.
"Everyone is enjoying that challenge, and things change every year, but this is a Euros year now. Everyone's focused; everyone will have a plan for the weekend and a plan for the next year. I think you'll see that iron out over the next couple of months."
The centre-back also defended the FA's decision to appoint German manager Thomas Tuchel as the men's head coach last week.
His appointment now means that neither England's men's nor women's squad are managed by natives.
"I think firstly you can't pick and choose when it suits us just based on a result," Williamson said. "We've had great times with Sarina. I think she's an honorary Brit now, anyway.
"I think England teams want to win. The best coach will always be appointed. I know that there is so much, we're across all the plans of the FA, the women's game especially.
"I can't speak for the men's game, but there are so many opportunities for English coaches, and more and more opportunities are coming up. It's not really my place to speak on managers, but I know that we've all been very happy with Sarina."
TNT Sports will show over 500 matches from the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League across the 2024-25 season. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
Related Topics
Thoughts?
Advertisement
Advertisement