Every word of Renee and Beth's Juventus presser

Renee Slegers has held her pre-match press conference ahead of facing Juventus in the UEFA Women's Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Our interim coach was joined by Beth Mead and answered questions on our impressive win against Brighton, team morale and what to expect from the Italian side.

Here is everything they had to say: 

Beth on how much she enjoyed Friday night’s win:
It was a nice game to play in, I feel like as a group we’ve been working hard to get that result. We’ve played and had some good performances but ultimately we weren’t ruthless enough in front of goal on Friday night we did that. We scored five goals and created a lot of chances again so we’re heading in the right direction. It put us in good stead for tomorrow night and we’re looking forward to the next challenge.

Beth on her goal:
I felt like I was in a good position and full of confidence. I backed myself and my left foot which is sometimes just for standing on so I was happy that I was able to get that one in the back of the net. When I saw it hit the post I thought it was going to come back out but luckily it went in the back of the net.

Beth on why the attack clicked on Friday:
We’ve worked really hard alongside Renee in training and stuff. We’ve really tried to hone in on small things that we’re not quite getting right in front of goal at the moment. Sometimes small details can win you games and ultimately that’s probably what we did on Friday night.

Renee on the most pleasing aspect of the win:
Different things, I think we looked like a team on Friday, and that’s for me the most important thing. There’s a couple of things that give us the signs that we’re going in the right direction both on a team level and how we care about each other and how we communicate on the pitch, so that was the biggest one, and then obviously very happy for the hard work that the girls put in. I’ve said before, there’s a big ownership placed on the players at the moment and they’ve been doing that 100% and working so hard, all going in the same direction and it paid off on Friday night. I’m just very pleased for the players mostly.

Renee on encouraging the players to show more confidence:
As a coaching staff, we try to create an environment where players can feel confident and have the courage to do what they’re good at, and feel backed up if they fail because football is also a game of failure. That’s what we try to create but ultimately small successes could goals, could be wins, but they could also be small things in training and build momentum off that, so that’s what we’ve tried to do.

Beth on working under Renee:
We’ve obviously worked with Renee for quite a while now in different roles to the ones she’s in now but she’s taken to it like a duck to water. It’s been an easy transition for us as a group. We know what she gives us and the confidence she gives us. We’re playing good football, so I think as individuals and as a collective we’re happy with what Renee is doing for us right now. She deserves the credit for making us feel good and the performances that are coming on the pitch.

Beth on increased confidence:
That’s sometimes what happens, it’s a new chapter starting and we’ve got to take the most out of this chapter and keep pushing forward and creating nice new ones. It’s been a breath of fresh air with Renee and I’ve been enjoying it so far.

Beth on whether she’d like Renee to stay in charge:
Always, in some capacity. We love having Renee here so we’ll be happy with whatever she chooses to do.

Renee on if Mariona was injured on Friday:
It was a small little problem but she was back in full training today. It was a muscle problem.

Renee on the proliferation of one-twos against Brighton:
We always look at what the opposition gives us. But one thing we've been talking about is having more variety in our tempo of attacks. I think what Brighton gave to us, we took that really well, especially in the first half.

Renee on whether there’s variety in the Arsenal way:
That will always have to be there, because there's something that the players own, that the players created and that's something we always want to be. Then again, depending on what the opposition gives us, we'll try to exploit it in different ways. So I don't know if that answers your question, but that's one blueprint, that's one thing, and that's what we want to bring to every game.

Beth on whether the mood in the team is good right now:
The weather always helps. When the sun's out, we're happy! But no, I think we're just in a good place at the moment. We're building in the right direction. We've got a good foundation to build from. It’s just a release of new energy right now and when you get the results and the performances, it always makes you a happier footballer. Myself, individually, I felt that. I can't speak for the whole team, but I know that we feel like we're all in a good place. 

We're all looking after each other. We knew, obviously, it was a tough period with the transition of how things have gone, so we've stuck together. It's the new energy that the girls have brought. It's just showing on the pitch right now. And we were so close to doing that before, but we just wasn't quite clicking at that point. But it was nice to get that feeling for most of the game on Friday. I won’t say we were perfect on Friday, but for most of the game, it felt that.

Beth on her individual form:
I guess I would be critical of myself at the start of the season. I could have done better. It's nice to start feeling that little bit of confidence and get that little bit of form again when that comes, in or out of possession as a player. But I've really been trying to work hard to try and get that right alongside with Renee, who's been great, trying to push me in that right direction. So it's been nice to start to get that feeling back again.

Renee on what we’re expecting from Juventus:
It’s a different kind of football than what we usually play against in the WSL. We're expecting them to make it really hard for us in the way they defend. I think, from a WSL perspective, it's unorthodox. They're a little bit more player-for-player in the way they play. So that's a new challenge for us, and we’ve tried to prepare the girls as best as possible to be able to exploit this defending system in the best way.

Beth on what she thinks the game will be like:
It's a Champions League night, a European night. Those games are very different. It's going to be probably a very high-tempo game, and we've got to try and get a foothold in these types of games early and try and control it the best that we can. So I think that's going to be a big challenge for us in the way that they play tomorrow.

They have a really good squad. They have a lot of qualities in their team, and we'll see who they will bring into their starting XI. We don't know who they will finish with, but there's a lot of core people in their team. So it's a very strong position and they’re very good at counter-attacking as well. We really have to try to find the right balance of when we go forward, when are we fast, and when do we need to stop them? It's going to be a new challenge for us. But I'm sure that the players are all on board with this idea, and I think they have a good idea of what the game will look like. Then we'll try and manage tomorrow.

Renee on if this game is must-win:
We are going there to play our best football, and we have a big belief in what we can do tomorrow, looking at what we've been performing lately, and obviously scouting Juventus, we have a big belief in ourselves, and then we'll see how the game progresses, what decisions we have to make, but we go there to win.

Beth on whether Juventus' defensive record will pose a challenge:
There's always motivation to try and unlock them, score and assist. I know a lot of our forward players will be very hungry to try and change that stat there tomorrow night. So, looking forward to the challenge, but hopefully, we score some goals and get lots of assists. 

Renee on whether she would take the head coach job:
I think I get this question every time, and my answer will be the same. I'm very much in the moment, I know that this will be the situation for this block, and we as the coaching staff are trying to do everything to help the girls forward. And I think everyone is putting that little extra in from both the staff and a player's perspective. So I’m just in the moment, trying to get the best out of Arsenal, because I care a lot. And like I said, I really enjoyed the role I had before. Now I have to play this role for the team, so I’ll play this role for the team. About the future? I don't know.

Beth on how Renee has helped lift players' confidence in recent weeks:
I think the nice thing is that Renee played as a player, so she understands that you kind of have these moments within your career. And we've sat down, we’ve worked on stuff on the pitch. We've honed in on little things that I can improve on and can work more on. And sometimes you need it in black and white. I think we've put that out there again and things that I need to be better at, and hopefully I've done that a little bit better recently. So it's nice to have an understanding between each other. We're trying to push for the right reasons, get the best out of me, get the best out of the team. And so far, so good.

Beth on how significant this game is against Juventus:
I think every Champions League game is a big game for us, but the position we're in right now, every game in this group is a must-win game for us, and that's what we'll go out to try and do in each game that we play in. Obviously like you say, Juventus are a very good team. It's going to be very difficult to go there and get a win, but that's our ultimate goal going into this game and moving forward in the Champions League. 

Renee on how valuable and important the goals from Friday’s game were for player mindset:
That’s part of the very hard work that the players have put in. And what we try to achieve together, again, coaching the players is to get the best out of everyone. And I agree with you, Beth's goal was Beth at her best. Frida’s goal was Frida at her best. And I think Foordy’s goal is us as a team at our best but also Foordy making those runs into the box too. I 100% agree with you.