A very subjective look into AWFC

Forgive me in advance… I’m still jet lagged AF plus today was nuts. It’s 1:48am and I will make less sense than I usually do.

Today was supposed to be my first actual day off on this tour. The shows have been going great for us and we hope the crowds have felt the same. I always loved playing club shows outside of the USA and the UK never, ever disappoints. So far we’ve played in Manchester and Glasgow, both of which have had stellar crowds and local crew.

As I woke up today with all the intentions of writing about the Chelsea match and the upcoming FIFA situation, I was then jolted and halted by the lovely sound of drilling in the room next to me. There were massive construction works scheduled basically in the entire hotel and this meant that sleeping was out of the picture and so was trying to concentrate in anything other than my own breath so I didn’t go insane.

Insanity is something that I can associate with football for sure. A lot of people seem to think that the definition of that word is, and I paraphrase, “to do something the same way over and over again and expecting different results.”

News flash! That is not the actual definition. Essentially, being insane implies lacking the ability to think and behave in a rational manner. That is me. I have no idea what rational or irrational thinking is when it comes to football and the sport humbles me and proves to me that I am rarely correct. I will always be correct about Viv, DvD and Jill btw 😉

I was convinced that we wouldn’t win at Chelsea. A point maybe… but when I saw Guro Reiten start I got nervous. I wasn’t too pleased with our lineup either, and it’s not that I don’t believe in the girls, its that I have had my doubts about Renee if I’m being totally honest and I still think that these types of wins, same as with the CL last year, defy logic.

I am always positive and confident but I am also human and sometimes, following matches like the Man Utd one, we feel low and don’t think we have a shot. I think that’s normal. What is irrational? Doubting these women. Not just irrational but insane and stupid.

This is such a different situation as with the men’s team. Our girls will always bounce back and show us their true history and pedigree whereas the boys play like little boys sometimes. They should be calling Beth, Mariona, Steph and Katie every day and asking them how its like to be a winner.

Also…

I see some many experts, analysts and podcasters (the latter not being the same thing as the other two) and hell, even Renee talking about the 10 position … but you know what? You cannot separate the importance of said position from modern era Arsenal aka since Dennis Bergkamp joined the league. He changed our club forever. He was the architect of whatever standard exists now and the fact that our own fan base want a 10, on both men and women’s squads, that holds the ball up well and not provide an insane amount of assists and some goal contributions is absolutely insane. That is actually insane.

This obsession that seems to exist about the fact that because someone CAN play there doesn’t make it a viable or sustainable option. Can Katie play GK? Fuck yes she could… but should she? I would only say no because we need her at LB and not because she wouldn’t be an absolute nutter below the post.

Also Beth Mead is considerably better than Martin Odegaard and I don’t care that she doesn’t play as a 10 but she can and probably should. That’s neither here nor there.

I need to sleep.

❤

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