A very subjective look into AWFC

Morning…

In all my years of watching football… I all my years as a musician… in all my years as someone interested in pop culture… etc etc etc I cannot think of a worst take, of any topic, in any era, of any sport and metaphorical arena than when people say that Beth Mead isn’t good enough for Arsenal. For someone like me who defends opinions and how an opinion is never wrong or right, I’m here to tell you that I make an exception and if you think Beth isn’t good enough for us or for any team, you’re absolutely wrong and you have no idea what you’re talking about. Happy Monday!!!

I have a theory as to why there has been a massive rise in criticism against her and many players that for many of us seems insane, unwarranted and disrespectful, and I will emphasize the last word in a bit. It boils down to the players doing that do themselves, not on purpose. How? Why? Because of how good they are, ironically.

Before the 2022 Eurocup life was different and players were considerably more approachable because very few people, all things considered, went to matches. They could take pictures, chat, have tea with fans, etc. It was a whole different thing… but you need outgoing, outreaching players to represent the club, to gain organic traction and that could be reduced to, and this is overly simplified, but to sense of humor and kindness. These are descriptors for her, if you’ve ever been lucky enough to speak with her.

You don’t need me to be condescending (even though I got pretty heated in that first paragraph) and point out that things have changed drastically since the Euros. You know well that things have changed. Not overnight as people often say. The way football exploded has been a product of historic, brave, fearless women over 100 years and the Euros was just another monumental moment in the young history of the sport. But if we zoom in on that tournament and we put aside emotion and the reality that it is a team sport, one player basically did the damn thing and that player is Beth Mead. No need to bring up other names from other teams, but the reality is that Meado fucking killed it, in every way, by every stat and measure and by all the intangibles… the work rate, the goals, the celebrations, her personality, she has always been the cultural glue of a team full stars and her kindness, selflessness and undeniable ability set her apart from anyone in the whole damn tournament.

So, she kills it, they kill it… They become household names, a project that actually intentionally started 5 years prior in a very thought out, strategic way, but thankfully the lionesses did the business and made it a reality along with the support they got from the FA, former players like Kaz Carney, etc… anyway, they become role models for a whole knew generation. Those fans were fed the best football they could watch, with emotions of an entire nation and beyond at an insane high and when those expectations aren’t met, my guess is a lot of them become frustrated.

The people watching are not the same ones that are on twitter all the time, or it is all the way around? Point being that there’s no way in hell that for those accounts that are so vocal about Beth not being good, are essentially old enough to have watched football for long enough to have an opinion based on anything other than whatever the hell they think they know…. simply put: they don’t know ball. Beth IS football and if they can’t see that, we cannot change their mind

Our algorithm is being flooded by people that flood the algorithm, not by truth. Youth is a wonderful thing and it brings with it immaturity, a sense of knowing it all and hubris where people argue with people that know considerably more than them… The issue is not about football but about the inability to admit they are wrong. And by the way, this also can be seen with AWFC’s favorite “journalists” who tell you they are the authority and said people refuse to stand up and be counted when it matters. And btw some of these people argue with Beth’s dad, hahahahahah are you fucking kidding me??? Do you know how stupid that is? Talk about no respect.

And that’s I think a point I wanna make… having an opinion about any player is totally fine. Trust me, I have very strong opinions on LWM, Foord and Pelova and as much as I have voiced them, I have never been abusive. Some people might think I’ve been disrespectful and that has never been my intention but abusive? Never.

When we insult and abuse players we are disrespecting ourselves. We are showing an ugly side of us and the best way to counteract that is gratitude. Few players are owed as much gratitude by world football than Beth and there’s not enough to go around, frankly. What she has done is not going to be understood by a 13 year old girl in the favelas in Caracas, a boy in Whitby kicking a ball in the pier, or a football academy in the most affluent of places in Zurich, but her impact will be and is being felt. They will get it later on, when they grow and mature and develop a sense of gratitude and more empathy.

And that’s the crux of it all, isn’t it? Empathy. She has given everything to our club, everything. When she starts, off the bench… are these people forgetting that without her we wouldn’t have won the Champions League?

Her accolades are unfuckablewith. She’s the truth. If the noise, the very loud noise, cannot be quieted by her past or her future then that’s not on her. She has nothing to prove, this is all on those people that cannot see, cannot hear and cannot feel football truth or the truth in football.

I know where I stand and I will always have her back.

❤

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