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We need to protect the love in the game
The reason I started watching women’s football was because I got tired of the corruption, the diving, what I perceived as lack of loyalty etc a bunch of things that boil down to me having a strong opinion about something, yet women’s football and it’s culture captivated me. It was different.
Women’s football has grown so much in the last few years that characterizing it as “unrecognizable” wouldn’t be too far fetched. We have seen exponential progress in ability, in coverage, in involvement, in investment and virtually in every imaginable way.
Parallel to this growth is the assumption that the women’s game has to follow the men’s in a way. As much as this can be kinda yucky at first, there are definitely things worth modeling in the imagine and spirit of the men’s game, but of course not all of them.
Unless you’ve been totally detached from anything having to do with social media, you will have noticed an upward trend in one very specific aspect of the fandom: NEGATIVITY. And it’s quite alarming.
I remember starting my podcast and talking about this growing trend a couple of years ago and I knew it would be very hard to stop but I truly believe if we all pull together we can at the very least decrease the abuse the players get online. There definitely are things we can do and it all starts with YOU, with ME, with US.
Among the things you can do to limit this growth in hate is to first of all don’t contribute to that. I know we all have thoughts and opinions and I sure as hell have mine and have negative thoughts or criticism, yet we don’t have to express those opinions. We just don’t! You’re not less of a fan if you don’t voice them, we all think things that we don’t say in public and this can be applied to football as well.
You can also block any and all accounts that spew things that make you feel uncomfortable. Or mute them if you don’t want the drama of the unfollowing being a thing.
If you’re not sure just ask yourself if the would say that to the player’s face, why they would and more importantly how the player would feel by reading that. You’ll know the answer.
Also, you can directly challenge the hatred and the negativity. Not the person but their behavior. In other words, staying silent might not be something you want to do and if you want to respond you can quote them and at least show your followers the kind of terrible things this person is saying.
Is it hard to battle yes? does love always win? Only if it’s louder and bigger and more consistent.
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Too Early/Late
Sorry for the late post but the day got away from me. I had a gig last night about an hour and change away from my house and we didn’t finish playing til 11:30. I was exhausted after 2 sets of non stop conga playing and I just wanted to rush home right after, but that’s not how it goes is it? You gotta break down all the stuff, play Tetris with you gear to fit it all inside your car, say your goodbyes and then it’s when you can go home. Usually though, the drive might be 20 or 30 minutes, but like I said this was farther than usual.
This meant that I got home around 1am, showered and have some late dinner and chatter with my wife about the show. Shortly after we went to bed and watched a show and when I was falling asleep I went to check the kickoff time and it was not so bad… 6am! However, Arsenal men played at 4:30am my time and I just couldn’t miss it either.
Thankfully the girls’s match was shown here via the FA Player app and I was able to watch it, but I have to be totally honest with you… I kept falling asleep and I cannot say much about the match without lying to you so I won’t do that. But from what I remember there’s a player that stood out: Lia Walti. Again she was a Rolls Royce of a player and that assist, with her left foot if I’m not mistaken, was absolutely perfect. Everything about it.
I did see Everton’s goal and although I feel Manu could’ve done more, the amount of vitriol and insults she was getting was disgusting and I’m so over that dark side of the fandom. It’s truly sad and these players never deserve it. Also this hate and negativity is very selective.
If you only blame the keeper for that goal I’m sorry to be rude but you have no idea what you’re talking about. A few things led to that goal and may I remind people that this is a team sport after all and it was not a howler btw… it was a slow reaction to Katja’s quick thinking but she wasn’t properly marked, was she? So blame Manu all you want, just know you might be wrong.
Gonna try to watch the game late tonight and have more things to say, and also, if I’m able to I will be recording a special podcast episode this week that will be potentially longer than usual, just this one time.
Amazing day for us gooners overall and I’m very excited to see what happens tomorrow with Chelsea hosting Man Utd at Stamford Bridge and here’s hoping that Mary Earps has her best game ever but that will not matter if her defenders don’t do their jobs, innit?
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Chuffed for Manu and for us
Friends, make no mistake, this is incredibly positive news. Manu staying means the standard of goalkeeping can only get higher. Let me explain…
First of all its very good for Manu to get rewarded by the club after more than loyal service. No matter the amount of criticism and adversity she faces, she is always there for us, giving her absolute all and that is unquestionable to me. I understand people being critical about some of her performances and I’m sure she would be the first person to admit that she’s made some howlers and that she can and should be better. Now, please find me a single elite player that doesn’t think and know they’ve made mistakes and I’ll show you someone who is, in fact, not elite.
I get the emotional side of it and I know people love Sabrina and Kayla. If I’m ruthless and totally open with you, I personally don’t have any attachment with them whatsoever but I can still see their value and that they are very, very good GKs. However, to Manu is BY FAR the best keeper at the club, so if a new keeper comes in, say Mary Earps, then Manu would be our number 2 and that to me is a win win situation.
We all have opinions as to what the club should do, about how Jonas does things and about the short term future which in this day and age of instant gratification it’s hard to manage expectations and assumptions seemingly more than ever.
I certainly have very strong opinions that are not only NOT popular at all, but that they are so strong that I don’t even share them on this blog because people would basically cancel me hahaha. The reality is that I love Manu and I also love that the players love Manu and I also love the idea of Mary Earps and I’m not sure how the timing of this announcement might or could affect her arrival.
Maybe it’s done or she’s signed for PSG, or she might be staying at Man Utd, or whatever but what I do know is that her being an Arsenal player is the kind of thing that would send shockwaves across the women’s footballing world and if its not now, then when?
What we think or see from the outside has usually little to do with what the reality is and we only know things waaaaaay after they happen.
Congrats to Manu and congrats to us.
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Lia, Leah & Lies
New episode out!
d ❤
THAT ARSENAL WOMEN PODCAST on:
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SPOTIFY
You can listen to my music HEREarsenal, arsenal blog, arsenal women, arsenal women blog, Arsenal women podcast, AWFC, AWFC podcast, beth mead, FIFA WWC, Katie mccabe, KCC, Kim little, Leah williamson, lia walti, Steph catley, that arsenal women podcast, UWCL, Victoria Pelova, Vivianne Miedema, women’s football podcast, Woso podcast, WSL, WSL podcast -
Exactly…
The transfer rumors aren’t just something that we encounter right before or during the windows. These baseless pieces of news are part and parcel of the daily lives of footballers and fans and frankly it’s annoying but believe me, I’m not above them and I’m just as guilty as anyone else to pull on threads and hope.
One thing I would like to think is that none of us are irresponsible enough to actually start the rumor itself. Not sure how that even happens to be honest other than at one point someone makes the decision to be speculative, to lie and to stir the pot. And I’m not actually judging anyone, I just don’t know how else to explain it.
A perfect (perhaps) example of this is the recent rumors about Lia Walti headed to Madrid and her resounding rebuttal of said rumor when interviewed after getting the Female Swiss Footballer of The Year award, which might be called differently but I’m calling it that.
Among the reasons why its unsettling is essentially how it makes fans behave and of course this is mostly younger fans that cling onto something and then spread it more, then click bait sites that claim to be news post about it, instagram and TikTok videos fly all over the place, etc… all having in common the fact that its based in lies.
Not really worried about the players as they clearly know the truth and they have so much more stuff to worry about that checking twitter to see what people are saying about something that should’ve never been said.
Of course we will never know what’s actually true and what’s not. We will have to take some chronological distance, as Arsene Wenger would say, to see what is what, who was right, and what was coincidence.
With that said, those Keira Walsh rumors better be true.
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Man City Next
We all saw it and we all have opinions about it but FIFPRO’s best 11 included Alessia Russo and I’m very happy for her even if these awards are always so weird and subjective and it also makes you doubt yourself all while realizing that the people who vote might be biased etc, who knows?
Alessia is without a doubt one of the best forwards on planet earth and we are very privileged to have her. Also, I’m chuffed for Alex Greenwood whom I’m a massive fan of and is my dream signing for AWFC but highly doubt that will happen.
Greenwood, a star for Citeh will be one of the players the girls will come up against on the next round the FA Cup and even though yesterday I had hoped for an easier draw, the reality is that we need to beat the best teams now or later on so we might as well get it out of the way.
I know people have lots of opinions about Jill Roord and I have mine which are all positive. I love her and I think she’s one of the most misunderstood players. She has quality, vision and bite. I would have her at Arsenal IN A SECOND and she would walk into the team. That’s my opinion and I get that you don’t share it. So, playing against her always worries me.
We have a good record against them and I’m not actually worried worried, but. they seem to be on the rise and playing really well plus any team with Lauren Hemp, Shaw, Kelly etc is frightening for anyone.
Gotta run now BUT should be recording a podcast in a few hours, should be available before midnight UK time.
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Who’s next?
Few things make me happier than seeing the girls get a resounding win at Meadow Park. AWFC were absolutely dominant and I felt energized watching how the girls played, how a lot of things seemed to click at the right time and of course some individual performances were great.
Really enjoyed Viv’s game and her freedom on the pitch. You can just tell that it’s a matter of time until she scores and then that’s when the dam will break and she will get back to being unstoppable in front of goal, which we definitely need.
Emily Fox had a solid debut and I can’t wait to see her play against one of the top WSL teams and see how she deals with that type of pressure and players. No doubt that she can more than handle it, I just want to see what she’s capable of.
Lia not only got her first goal since the wheel was invented, but she, as always, is the barometer of the team: how she plays, we play. She was outstanding and made everything tick. Conductor of conductors. Rolls Royce of a player.
Pelova was great, reading the game well and releasing the ball quickly, and good things happen when she does that. That little dummy for Lia’s goal was so very smart.
Five different goal scorers, including Frida who might’ve scored her last goal in an Arsenal shirt?
The next round draw I believe happens either today or tomorrow so this will be a very interesting situation. Chances are we get a WSL team but I wouldn’t mind a favorable draw against Nottingham or Wolves.
What’s up with Mary Earps though?!!!
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Appreciate Lia
If you don’t appreciate Lia you’re blind. Sorry not sorry… I get this is not the most kind or nice way to start a blog post but if I hear one more person either say anything negative about Lia or hint at the idea of other players at the club being better in her position I swear to you I’m gonna have a heart attack.
We have one of the most incredible players at her position in the world, yet some people are just desperate to have a different partnership at center mid. It’s baffling.
Let me try to expand…
As you know I have been critical in the past of Pelota and Wubben Moy. However that position I take is nothing personal and it has everything to do with who they might replace and how high I rate those players.
So just for arguments sake.. if Leah to me is a 10/10, Amanda a 8/10 and Lotte is a 7/10, it doesn’t mean that I don’t think Lotte isn’t good, is just that I rather have 8s or 9s or 10s. Does that make sense?
Regarding Pelova, she has progressed beyond my expectations, yet I rate Kim Little so much higher that anyone ever, that of course I’m not gonna want Vicky to start or play or be called “the new Kim Little.”
The facts are that she has been playing incredibly well. She’s truly finding her spot and best position and her decision making has been quicker than ever. Even then, and this isn’t a dig at her, she’s not as good as Kim Little, and she’ll be the first one to admit that. If anything, the longer she plays with Kim, the more she will learn and if that happens to be the position she takes over, then so be it.
This would mean Vicky has continued to grow and that has to be great news. I’m here for it, and she needs to take that form onto the Dutch national team and not be player at right back where she isn’t anywhere near as good as she has been for us at the center of the pitch.
Like I said before, Pelova is not the new Kim Little. Pelova is Pelova. KCC is not the new Lia Walti. She deserves her own name, with her own set of abilities and attributes and comparing her to Kim is unfair to everyone, specially to whomever actually compares them… like, what are you doing? Let Pelova be HERSELF.
And at the same time, if she’s gonna take over or KCC over Lia or whatever, why don’t we give Kim the grace she deserves and not just assume that she’s declining because of the new shiny object? Same foes for Lia.
I love Khul more than most, but I still wouldn’t play her over Lia! Let Lia play and appreciate what we have, specially with Lia AND Kim.
Read that again if you have to: WE HAVE LIA AND KIM AND SOME PEOPLE WANT THEM BENCHED, WHAT?!!?!?!?!?!??!!?!??!?!?!
Anyway, I’m having none of this dismissal of Kim and Lia and I will probably post about this million times.
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NOt quite a preview preview
Friends, I don’t have a lot of time today (still morning here in LA) and nor do I have a lot of information as it relates to doing a preview for the match vs Watford tomorrow.
What I will say is that I truly hope we win the FA Cup this year. Yes, the WSL is the big thing, without a doubt, but we all know the FA Cup is a step above the Conti Cup so I would see it as progress if we were to win it.
Not to beat a dead horse but being away from Twitter has been amazing and I also have missed out on who knows how much. I definitely do not miss some of the absurd things that would pop on my feed from username: wittycombinationofnamesandsurnamesfromplayersplusawfc
Yesterday I logged in to post the link to my blog and my feed showed me a lineup without Lia Walti and I literally said out loud: NOPE…. Anyway, more than anything I’m excited to see them play and tomorrow can’t come soon enough. As per usual I have no idea where I’ll be able to watch if at all but hoping Arsenal.com show the match.
Looking at my FotMob app which I totally recommend, I can see that we’re unbeaten in 6 home matches, and Watford have not won a match in 7. That has to bode well for our girls and I’m expecting a resounding win. Which is the same thing I truly expected vs Spurs and look how that turned out.
Quick sidetone for my fellow Oranjeleeuwinnen fans: Katja scored 2 as Everton beat Villa! 3-0. Wild.
Nothing is guaranteed!
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Top 100 list, loans and press conferences
Some days I wake up and stare at my computer screen for what feels like hours when I don’t have anything specific to talk about. Then on days like today I feel like what I really should do is take a few things I want to talk about and spread them out into a few blog posts so that the first thing I just mentioned doesn’t happen. But no, I’m not going to do that. Instead, I’m gonna chat about a few things really quick.
As it relates to Jonas’s press conference, like with any/all coaches to me it’s always weird. Its oddly diplomatic and a lot of times just frustrating to hear. And to be clear, this isn’t against Jonas, it’s just in general. So, I’m not gonna go into what he said as it might come off as criticism but what I will say is that why not have 4 specialized full backs and not just 3? I don’t envision Laura playing again this season, so why not have kept Noelle? What am I missing?
Kühl is a player that I rate so, so, so highly. I cannot understand for the life of me how some people don’t see that or how they think other players are much better, when to me she is clearly the future of the midfield at Arsenal, not anyone else. So if Jonas doesn’t see that or does and has a different approach to her development and a loan is what she needs then I’m excited for her. However, the idea of letting her go for good isn’t absolute madness to me and if that ever happens I’ll go mad.
Now, to end this on a much more positive note, I have to tell you that I enjoyed going over the Guardian’s Top 100 Female Footballers list. In case you haven’t you can read it here.
Regardless of what I think of the order of some players (like DVD being outside of the top 50 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA WHAT!!!!???), the overall incredible amount of talent is out of control. So many players to choose from, with exceptional quality. Truly incredible and I’m so happy that lists like these exist! All the way down to the 90-100 part the players are incredible.
We’re very lucky as fans and may this continue! I also love, speaking selfishly, that a couple of years ago I might’ve been familiar with 1/4 of the names and I might’ve not recognized only 5 or 6 players today. Pretty cool.
I’ll do a little Liverpool preview tomorrow.
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe out there.
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A very subjective look into AWFC 