“Temporary, and intended to be used and accepted until something permanent exists,” states the Oxford Dictionary next to the word interim. 

“Provisional,” “Makeshift,” “Caretaker,” and “Stopgap” are offered by the thesaurus.

Describing Renee Slegers by any of those definitions seems an unfair understatement of both her managerial abilities and the results she has mustered since taking over from Jonas Eidevall in October following the Swede’s resignation.

Arsenal have played 11 games under Eidevall’s former assistant coach, winning ten and drawing just once, away to Manchester United. Her supposedly final game in charge was a 3-2 win over Bayern Munich, a team who had put five past Eidevall’s side in what turned out to be his penultimate outing as Arsenal boss.

Tactical improvements are clear to see, a combination of a team that appears more unified, and are without doubt enjoying their football again. Arsenal have become fun to watch and difficult to defend against once more, and defensively, a world apart from how they ended up in Eidevall’s final stages. Five clean sheets in six league games under Slegers tell that story.

Some fans would have been happy for the 35-year-old to have been given the job on a permanent basis only a few games into her spell, whilst others, including myself, wanted more proof that Arsenal could make strides away from Eidevall under the Dutchwoman. 

Liverpool manager Matt Beard labelled Arsenal’s transformation from Eidevall to Slegers as “night and day” after the Gunners beat his side in December, telling journalists he hopes that Arsenal appoint Slegers as Eidevall’s permanent replacement.

Slegers’ toughest test on paper was the last game before Christmas, and again, she was up to the task, steering the Gunners past Bayern to finish top of their Champions League group. In my eyes, that was the final piece in the puzzle that Arsenal’s managerial search should come to a swift end, and Slegers be given the job.

Of course, there’s one little catch. Does Renee Slegers actually want to be permanent manager of Arsenal Women?

Here’s my view: Slegers has been outstanding in front of the media. In every press conference, she has batted away questions over Arsenal’s managerial search, which have focused on her own candidacy as her interim spell stretched from weeks into months. 

By refusing to say if she would like the permanent job, Slegers has taken pressure off of the players, who don’t need to feel they are playing for her own future, and that every game is a job interview. It’s kept everybody guessing, and has also bought Arsenal crucial time in their managerial search. 

The lack of top-quality candidates to replace Eidevall is no secret, there were very few obvious names to step into the role immediately. However, three months on from his resignation, players and fans will surely now be looking for more clarity.

Should Slegers indeed not want the position, a whole other conversation will open up. Slegers has managed IF Limhamn Bunkeflo Under-19s and senior side in Sweden, Sweden Under-23s, Rosengard B, and eventually the first team, where she replaced a certain Jonas Eidevall, and won back to back league titles. Arsenal are clearly a step up in terms of stature, not to mention the size of the Gunners’ fanbase, but somebody who has had success in a variety of managerial roles not wanting to take on this job would certainly raise eyebrows.

Arsenal returned to training this week with Slegers remaining in interim charge, and fans still none the wiser as to who will replace Jonas Eidevall. The popular vote is there for all to see, but would she put pen to paper, and do Arsenal want her to?