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ARSENAL: White - Why we failed in Europe

/noticias.info/ Ladies Week continues on the Club's official website today. Here, Arsenal.com reporter Matt Fortune brings you an exclusive Q&A with Arsenal captain Faye White.

Read on to see what the England defender made of the 'Double' winning campaign, her own delight to be playing again after a serious injury, the strength in depth in the Ladies squad and her desire to hoist the Uefa Women’s Cup once again.

Faye, it has been a strange season, but a successful one nonetheless. What have you made of it?

It has been a bit mad this year but obviously I am really pleased we managed to win the ‘Double’. It was difficult for us knowing so early on that we wouldn’t be able to repeat the ‘Quadruple’ of the season before, but the League is always the main focus and we kept hold of that. Then we won the FA Cup which is the big one of the two cups and although we are disappointed we couldn’t win the League Cup, I think that was going to be hard. There are mixed feelings because the season has been hard and long with the World Cup in September, but like most other teams would be, we are happy with our achievements.

Did you ever expect a clean sweep of trophies again?

Of course it was going to be difficult. We waited 20 years to achieve it for the first time and it is the pinnacle of the women’s game. Everything seemed to fit last year, and work so well. It was going to be hard, we knew that. The players do feel mixed emotions about it all, because of how good winning the Uefa Cup can be. But that shouldn’t detract from the fact we won the ‘Double’, that’s for sure.

Just how hard has this season been, after the World Cup?

I think the girls really deserve the break over the summer and I know they were looking forward to it for a while. It felt from the start that we were up against it, struggling through the season, after returning from the World Cup. It sounds mad to say that you were suffering from a hangover after playing in a World Cup but until you have experienced that, people won’t realise. You aim for something like that for so long and then when it is done you have to adjust and get back into the domestic programme; it’s a strange feeling. All the players thought that we needed a break then, but we didn’t have one. Still, every player stuck at it and without playing, we feel, at our best, we fought to win the league without losing a game. We did that, so there are definite positives from the season.

What did you make of the manner in which you were eliminated from the Uefa Cup?

We set high standards by winning the competition and we wanted to reach those again. We felt good enough to do that and I think if the Lyon game had come later in the season, when we were back into the routine of club football, I think we could have done more. It was a close game anyway, they were strong, but I think we could have got passed them. We shouldn’t be too disappointed because in the next round they gave Umea a good tie. Lyon were strong, similar to us, with internationals, French internationals. I know Vic Akers mentioned it, but France didn’t go to the World Cup. The game came at a time when Lyon were at their most determined, with momentum, and they wanted to show that they could do well against a country, or club from a country, that had been to the World Cup.

With a better schedule next season, will your focus be on Europe?

We have to focus on the League every year as it is the way back into Europe, unless you win it of course. But the players do see the biggest challenge as Europe. That can be said in the men’s game too. Everyone wants to play in the Champions League with the top teams. As a player you always want to be challenging yourself.

And it has been quite the challenge for you these last couple of years. Are you just glad to be back?

Without question I am pleased to be back. After you experience an injury like that you just want to be playing, which is why I have mixed emotions. It felt hard at times this season because on one hand I was delighted to be playing and on the other it felt like I should have a break as part of the rehabilitation. Mentally, too, fighting to get back and play can take a lot out you. But I definitely enjoyed it.

Someone else who definitely enjoyed her season was Lianne Sanderson. What did you make of her contribution?

Lianne has really stamped her authority on this team, and the game. She did really well. She was Player of the Year in her first season with the Club, developed more in the second year, and has now had an excellent third season. Getting 51 goals is a great achievement but now the hard part comes; she has set that standard and people will expect it again. That happened when she was Player of the Year, everyone saw the impact she could make but we had to make sure she continued doing those things. This season she will probably say she hasn’t played her best, but to score the amount she did is a real credit to her. She has been slowly making her impact on the international scene too. She has the ability to do that and has to keep working on her game to make sure she stays around for a long time; she certainly has the talent!

What about new signing Kim Little. How has she settled in?

She is a really quiet member of the team, but then you would be at 17, coming into a team like us. She knows Julie Fleeting very well from the Scotland team. I remember the first game she played for us, after we had lost the League Cup, was probably a difficult time for everyone. But Kim slotted in really well, and has done so every game. Kim is that kind of player with her ability, her vision, she uses both feet and, for a small girl, she is strong and can win headers. I think she has done so well and I have just been really impressed with her game and how she settled in. She is a bit like Cesc Fabregas for us!

There is a strong focus on youth at Arsenal Football Club, at whatever level. How important is it for your team?

I think it is important to have talented young players here. If you look at our age and some of the players are getting towards their 30s. It is an important time for Vic to bring in the youngsters to show they can make an impact in the team year on year. We have them in the ranks but it can be hard for young players sometimes, especially with international players ahead of them. There are a few that we can really look at to be pushing on next season and it is exciting times at the Club.

Finally then Faye, looking forward. What do you hope the team can achieve?

I think next season again, we won’t have it all our own way and we will have to fight hard to make sure we repeat at least what we have done this year. We didn’t feel like we played our best football this season so we must get fresh, have a good pre-season and get the good atmosphere within the team that served us so well in 2007. notas_de_prensa_archivo