‘We have a lot of confidence’ – Brighton ready for league opener says Ruiz | OneFootball

Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Arturo Ruiz says that the team are full of confidence ahead of this afternoon’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Arsenal.

The Seagulls play host to The Gunners at Broadfield Stadium in what will be Ruiz’s first competitive match in charge. Ruiz was appointed into his role just days before the new season with former Brighton & Hove Albion boss Dario Vidošić opting for a new challenge.

When speaking in the pre-match press conference, Ruiz said that his team will face Arsenal with a strong identity, regardless of the short time that he has had to work with his players.

“Teams are built with time,” Ruiz said. “We haven’t had that but I’m excited for this weekend’s game. I think that we are going to be very competitive, compact and very aggressive. We will have that identity in the team.

“We need to be patient, put the focus on high performance and results will come. If it’s soon, it’s better but we need to be very clear in our game plans, have a high-performance mentality from the very first moment.”

Arsenal will provide Brighton & Hove Albion with a stern test but Ruiz only has confidence and belief in his mind.

He said “We are confident, strong and I only have trust in my mind. What is important is how my team is, how my players are and we are very good. We have a lot of confidence, clarity and I hope that everyone enjoys our performance. Our first objective is to be very good, even though we have only had a few days together.”

Despite only having a matter days to get to grips with his new job, Ruiz did oversee some pre-season matches last weekend and those games have helped with preparation.

He said “Last Saturday, we played two games and they were very good. It helped me a lot to watch the squad then we’ve had some coaching sessions. I’ve had individual meetings, group meetings, collective meetings and they’ve all gone very well. They have provided a lot of clarity, synergies and I’ve had a lot of good conversations with players which is very good. I am very happy with their performances and the work that they have done. I think we are going to be very solid this weekend thanks to that work, the players’ pre-season work and the work of my staff.”

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Arsenal kicks-off at 12pm.