A very subjective look into AWFC

In case you are new here I need to tell you that very often this Arsenal-centric blog takes a bit of a left turn and I try to talk about things that are more woso/football and sometimes sociopolitical. There are moments where I feel I have a bit of a responsibility to add, even if it’s a drop in a massive ocean, something to a bigger conversation. The whole Rubiales thing, Jonas pushing Viv, standing up for Beth and so on and so forth. I do take prime in being outspoken on these things and I enjoy defending people I care about.

Back in my twitter days I got so much criticism and hate from fans from all over the world for being vocal about my dislike for Jonas and for hating how he literally pushed Viv. Very few people said anything about that bar from Suzy Wrack and Shebahn was also very critical, and of course there were lots of fans with common sense that saw what happened on and off the pitch.

Hell, I have gone on and on about how we miss Jill Roord and Danielle Van de Donk so trust me, I have gotten a lot of criticism, mostly NOT positive and I’m ok with that but I gotta tell you, a few months back I posted one simple comment on an instagram account about Ruesha’s suspension and when I tell you I have never gotten so many messages and insults in my whole life I wouldn’t be exaggerating.

To make a very long story short… Rue gets a 5 match ban and I wrote: justice for ruesha. What followed was all kinds of vitriol and assumptions and as usual these super bright and kind fans never stopped to try to understand what I meant and why I wrote that, even when I explained it to them. People often confuse opinions with facts and at the end of the day we cannot forget that most people that interact on social media are children and or people that have very little experience watching football. Not only did they insult me but the shit they were saying about Ruesha and also Shebahn made my blood boil.

Let me be very clear, if there are two people that do not need defending, women who are badass, intelligent, kind, eloquent, outspoken and overall GREAT humans, then they are Ruesha and Shebahn and today I wanna take some time, not defending them, but by trying to put things in perspective, mostly about the former. Also, full disclosure… I am friends with Shebahn and I know first hand how great of a human being she is, what a great mother, wife, sister and also one of the best and most valid voices in women’s football, someone who has been there basically her whole life. She’s a pioneer and one of the architects of it all.

Ruesha Littlejohn is a fantastic footballer. To get to where she got and is is nothing short of admirable. Her trajectory within the game is incredible and has had a wonderful career. She clearly has had some adversity regarding injuries but when she is fit she’s a great player.

We cannot overlook some of the fouls she has committed but to be fair I think people absolutely overreacted and just take advantage of a particular moment to then insult, claim patterns of misconduct and abuse her, thus proving that people are projecting and revealing how ugly they are. You can criticize someone without insulting her.

Was that headlock deserved? maybe not but did you see the foul before that on her? Also, she didn’t slam her down on the ground to break her neck like all these donuts are implying, they fell, she fell, the other player fell and that was that. Now, you can disagree with me and whatever but from that to insulting her, her family, that she should go to jail? what the fuck are you on about? Whoever said that should go to jail for sitting on their couch for so long and not having friends.

Moreover, I need to say that I wish more players were like Ruesha and yes I mean that from a footballing perspective but more than anything because of something that is way more important at the end of the day and that is how she is truly, authentically and unapologetically herself. Ruesha is Ruesha… love her or hate her… she is who she is. She has personality, intelligence and all the experience in the world. She knows what she’s talking about and the way she talks about it all is fresh and interesting.

People (some players for sure and mostly those fans that talk shit) WISH they had her personality… whatever she does I hope it continues to help her set herself apart. She’s the good kind of disruptor unlike a racist piece of shit like Joey Barton or other voices out there that are dangerous. Ruesha is the opposite. She empowers people to be themselves, directly or not and it’s all there for us to see, if you wanna see it.

Also, if current players want a future post retirement, in a world where they are still not making the money they need to live afterwards, they better develop a brand/personality/identity of they will be left behind, much like a musician who doesn’t embrace technology or social media. This is modern football and I wish more players would be as comfortable being themselves like Ruesha is. It inspires and empowers me for sure.

Lastly about Shebahn, what a lot of people forget is that she has been part of this world we love for years. Not just because her twin sister played but as a journalist and radio presenter. She has had a massive love for the game and for our club and knows so much about the sport in every dimension possible. Disrespecting her is disrespecting yourself as a football fan. And I do have to say I agree 100/100 times with everything she has said.

We see people around the club being interviewed for x, y or z, and these men have 1/900th of the football nous that she has. Why do I say this? Because she has been there and seen it all and as a woman she understands things better and deeper than anything I or any man in the woso world could ever.

Basically I’m team Ruesha and Shebahn if I wasn’t extremely clear and if nothing else, their show is incredibly entertaining and it gives such a great insight not just into the sport but also the personalities of players. They both have a unique ability to disarm their guests and that shit is priceless.

❤

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