-
It’s open!
First of all: HAPPY NEW YEAR
Secondly, The transfer window is finally open and I will be an absolute ball of anxiety the next few weeks.
I don’t talk about rumors for several reasons. One of them is that they are just that, rumors. Another reason is because of the nature of social media, now more than ever, when it’s just copy/paste or more like AI doing it’s thing and there’s just nothing to hang on to from a reliable source type of situation.
Thankfully, the small number of contacts I have that know these things, are not people I bother with inquiries so I’m as surprised as anyone else but Jesus it would be nice to be told something juicy.`
Rumors are always a deep rabbit hole and there’s never any end to them and it honestly feels like a waste of time. Specially because I get super emotionally invested and end up hoping for the transfers that would never happen. Like I wanna see Alex Greenwood or Mapi Leon play with Leah at the back, but that’s not happening is it? I want Rafa to come back too, etc etc etc.
But seriously speak, what do we need? who do we need? I have answers to both of those questions. To both I will say: I’m not sure. Just because I don’t share the same view for the future that a lot of people seem to have. I see things completely different and I have come to terms with the fact that what I want to happen is just not going to be in the short term future.
What I will say is that whatever we do I hope we do it soon. Make a statement. Don’t wait until a freak injury or situation happens when we are SOL aka sh*t outta luck.
Here’s to a trophyful 2024
-
My best year as a fan to date
When I look back at this year I can’t help but feel the deepest and truest gratitude. It has been, by far, the most important year of my life as a football fan. Interestingly enough it has also been one of my toughest, if not, the toughest year professionally for me in recent memory. Although I will mention things that I have lived, it’s not my intention to make it about ME but as a way to register my gratitude.
This is from memory btw… chronology might be all messed up.
I was able to fly to St. Louis and watch Katie McCabe, Louise Quinn, Ruesha Littlejohn and company play the USWNT. There I got to spend a lot of time with my friend Pete aka LeGrove aka The Arsenal Opinion Podcast.
The World Cup was a total success and even though I wasn’t there, to follow a tournament and actually know A LOT of the players, coaches etc this time around was a very important thing for me because that was my plan after the 2019 WC… to be much more well versed and I think I was able to do that.
Podcasts/YouTube wise I had started and ended my channel because it was just way too much work and my expectations for it’s growth were just not realistic compared to the amount of effort it would take, and I have to admit I wasn’t interested in that much work. It was exhausting and maybe if I had a team or had the budget to employ a video editor, etc. Will I revisit this? I doubt it… not AWFC specific though I don’t think. But who knows?
I was lucky enough to be invited to speak on talkSPORT now a total of 3 times with Martin Kelner, a total legend. This was done thanks to my friend Sophie Nicolaou, who runs The Highbury Squad YouTube channel, where I have been privileged enough to appear a few times, including shows with Shebahn Aherne, Suzy Wrack and others.
Arsenal LA hosted an event here with Gooners vs Cancer and I spoke at a panel too, which was amazing and we were able to raise a lot of money. Oh, and Gooner Mike who runs that foundation, hosted a 27 hour podcast and Sophie and I appeared as well, and it was incredible to be a part of that.
Of course, the highlight was flying to London and seeing the girls beat Aston Villa at The Emirates. To live what I lived was truly surreal and whenever I can, I will share more, but for now what I can say is that my life changed, for sure. Massive thanks to Jamie, Adam and Leontine for being so incredible and literally walking me through the steps.
London was magnificent and so were the prices at The Armoury but I had to buy some goodies which were worth every penny. Went to talkSPORT, met some incredible people, walked a lot, ate a lot and also slept a lot.
Last but not least: THIS BLOG.
I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me. To have a consistent outlet which above anything else, helps me become accountable and consistent, has been one of the coolest things I’ve ever done and I’m very excited to continue writing.
As you know some blog posts are better than others, some make sense and some don’t. But what I do know is that I will continue to be a source of AWFC content for you, all coming from a different perspective than what you read out there.
Hope 2024 is your best year yet!
THANK YOU
-
my super power
As I take a look at the fixtures for the next few weeks, I can’t help but think: things have changed! There was a point, not so long ago, where I would pick out 12 points out of 4 matches, easily, and they would be pretty much guaranteed. This is something I also try to characterize when I say that the times of a second half Lisa Evans hat tricks are gone… and that’s a good thing.
Essentially this all means there are no easy games and it’s one of those things where you can assume things at your own peril. Liverpool proved it, Tottenham reinforced it. Maybe we were that for Chelsea too, but the fact is that for me at least, I cannot assume anymore that any match would be easy.
Except for one variable which to me is virtually omnipotent and that is when, not if, Vivianne Miedema starts playing 90 min, assisting and scoring. If this is happening then I truly believe we can win every single match, always. Simply put: Viv is my super power.
This is not me assuming she will do all this or that I’m expecting her to be even better than before or anything related to standards I want her to keep, this is just about the fact that if she’s fully fit, I have much more confidence and it reduces doubt.
There are players in world football, for men and women, who we feel they always have a mistake in them. I surely feel that way and have felt that way about many players for many teams. Where you just don’t fully “trust” them. Then there are players that you would trust with your life, and if Viv isn’t one of them then idk who is.
The most important thing about her involvement in the squad is just that. She needs to be involved, on the pitch as much as her body allows her to, as she glues everything together and she also terrifies opponents, which is something that I feel we are missing.
Just a couple more days left on the year which to me just means we’re getting closer to the WSL transfer window opening. I’m excited…
-
Who is leaving us?
Ah, the good ol’ massive elephant in the room… We just need to talk about the players that might be leaving us either on a transfer or on loan. And I want to make clear that this is just some possibilities based on nothing but speculation. I have opinions but this is not about those. It’s about players that have barely featured.
Also, my opinion on players is rather controversial and because I end up criticizing them, I just don’t want to put any negativity out there, or be perceived as having an agenda. Not vibing with a player is totally ok and I have never been bother when people dislike a player I happen to love, it truly means absolutely nothing what their opinion is, and with love, the same thing happens with some AWFC. Like, I just don’t see it… and I trust myself and my view more than what other people think.
So, what will the club do with Lina, Gio, Naomi, Manu, Sabrina, Laura and Noelle? Anything? Does the club need to do anything? Well, I think so for sure.
Injuries have been absolutely brutal to Lina and it breaks my heart that she has had so few minutes. As a club we might have to be ruthless and let her go and bring in a player that at the very least can stay fit for extended periods of time and, as harsh at this sounds, actually contribute or be counted on. It sucks but I know I’m not the only one that feels its only a matter of time until she’s back in the treatment room and man that sucks. Poor Lina… and I don’t say that out of pity, it comes from a place of empathy. Based on love and kindness alone I’d say keep her but it doesn’t work that way. I’m guessing she’ll be sold but not til the summer? I have no idea why I’m saying that.
Gio is a player whose situation frustrates me because I’m not sure she has been given a fair shot and also hasn’t really impressed me whenever she has come in, but I think there’s something there. I have no idea about who she is as a player, what her best position is and what her future at our club will be. I would bet that she will not be in the squad and will be sold, not sent on loan, but sold to a club that fits her better. I see a lot of potential in her but by the time she comes back and is ready we should have Lauren Hemp or someone of that level.
The GK situation obviously is dependent one person and one person only, that being Mary Earps and if she chooses to come to Arsenal next month. My assumption is that she will be our #1, Manu #2, we keep Naomi as #3 and Sabrina will be sold, with Kayla still on loan and part of the club. I am not ready to say Naomi will leave, even if I have never seen her play, but her being English might have more weight.
I think we would be INSANE to let go of Noelle or Laura… unless we would be getting Ellie Carpenter which is not happening. I have written about the amazing tandem that Noelle and Laura are and this is a hill I’m willing to die on. They are fantastic options on the right and I’m not loving this idea of Katie on the right to be honest. Nothing against KT, more “against” JE.
Rumors drive me insane and I try to not read anything let alone read into anything that’s out there. It’s fun but it also drives my anxiety through the roof.
How about you? What do you feel during these transfer windows? Drop a line in the comments!
-
Transfer Window Guilt
One thing I learned really quickly when I became a women’s football fan, espclifically a WSL fan, is that the transfer market can be absolutely brutal, they can make zero sense at all, and it challenges us in terms of supporting a player, team loyalties and more.
If you are anything like me, you spend an embarrassingly large amount of time thinking about potential transfers this season. I have no shame in admitting that it’s constantly on my mind and it sometimes feels very strangle because it implies that, by wanting players to come to the club, others will have to leave.
So more than talking about the inevitability of players coming in and others leaving, I just wanted to point out this particular dynamic that I go through which I assume some of you go through as well and how I deal with it because even though I don’t think I’ve figured it out, I believe that maybe talking about it or in your case reading about it, might help put things in perspective.
From time to time I compare football squads to bands. We all have bands we like and follow and love their lineup. For some of us, that lineup is massive to enjoying the band, or not. So, band member changes usually mean a whole new beginning in a way, or a period of adaptation as a fan, let alone if you’re in the actual band.
Even if the band stays the same and you add ONE musician to the mix, the whole thing changes to a degree and some people might like it more, some might like it less. And one of the potential things that can happen is that the band fundamentally changes depending on the influence and impact that one member has.
When we talk about members fundamentally changing state of a band it can make sense if you think of how small a band is compared to a football squad. But as we have seen in the past, ONE player can change the whole team, if not change it’s DNA, at least impact it.
I really can’t come up with an example in the women’s game at the moment, so blame it on my ignorance, but look at RVP when he left us to join United. He won them that league.
But one player coming in isn’t the only way a team changes, of course. I believe we haven’t been the same since DVD left. There are many examples of this for sure and I don’t need to give any more, you get the picture.
So what will happen at Arsenal? Which player will help change us for the better? Who will leave that we will look back and feel it hurt us?
Hate to say it but only time will tell. And in the words of one of my favorite bands, who changed drummers and I have felt they are not the same (Blind Guardian):
“Time, what is time?”
-
HIghlight of 2023???
I was thinking about doing some sort of countdown and being all clever and keeping people in suspense and then I was overcome with anxiety to get the right moments in a proper order and almost had a heart attack, so I’m just gonna go with the first thing that popped into my mind… and it’s not an AWFC moment.
When I look back, the thing that pops out to me the most was the magnitude of the World Cup. I truly believe this was a before/after moment in the women’s sport. The viewers, attendance, quality, drama, results, etc etc etc.
Seeing our Steph Catley and Katie McCabe captain their respective nations was one of the most impactful moments I have ever experienced as a football fan, and I’m 41 now and have been following this sport my entire life.
The amount of pride, admiration and respect for them is simply impossible to express and of course the same goes for Louise Quinn, Foord and anyone adjacent to Arsenal. I definitely cried.
I just was overwhelmed by the thoughts and emotions of what that moment must have meant for them and the reality is that it’s absolutely impossible forma to even come close to understanding 1/100th of what they were experiencing.
Don’t get me wrong, of course seeing Beth assist Alessia for THAT goal against Aston Villa in person was absolutely epic and there were lots of other things that were important to ME, but when I think of the most important moments for the players I just think of this image.
Look at their smiles!!!
ps: if you thought I wasn’t going to mention DVD playing unreal football vs the USWNT you don’t know me. She was magnificent as usual.
-
Emo December
We all know how incredible and also sad holidays can be. Without getting way into the details as to why this time of the year can be tough for a lot of people, I wanted to focus on just one aspect that I think lots of footballers deal with and that is home sickness.
At AWFC we have so many players that aren’t from England. Off the top of my head only Lotte, Teyah, Leah, Russo, Beth and Naomi are English, and by that I also mean that they have the ability to see their family very often. Even if we add Scottish and Irish players there’s still a majority of players that, to put it in perspective, don’t have their parents or relatives very close.
I can certainly relate to the investment of time, of energy and money that you have to make to pursue your dreams. And one of these investments, that people often see as sacrifice, is leaving your home aka not spending massively important dates with your loved ones. Not just Xmas and NYE but weddings, births of family members, etc etc etc. I’ve written about this before, I know, and I apologize for being redundant.
I think the difference between what us musicians have had to go through vs what these trailblazing women of through (among an infinity of things!!!!) is that there’s technically no “losing” in the arts or music specifically, so when we would need a hug, support, words of encouragement, they might need that more? Not here to compare but say after a huge defeat at a final or something, being with family seems much more of a sustenance provider than anything I can imagine.
I really don’t know where I’m going with this. Just trying to be empathetic. If nothing else I think sometimes us fans can easily forget all the things that these players go through that some people take for granted, or the same people minimize some sort of suffering or complaint the players might have just because they make money from it or because “they’re famous” or “they signed up for it!”
Hope you have a great week!
-
Your gift
As I stumbled down to the bed where I’m sleeping here at my sister’s house, having just eaten much more than I should have, I wanted to drop a quick line of gratitude because it’s basically the least I can do.
I want to thank YOU, yes YOU. For reading every day, once a week, once a month or once since I started this blog. I truly want to thank you for your presence, your energy, your time, your feedback and for being part of this blog and podcast that have brought me so much joy.
Even during tough times or after difficult losses, being involved with AWFC with the pod and the blog has been some of the most rewarding things ever because it has allowed me to see/feel things from a slightly different perspective.
I’m watching matches differently because of this, I’m experiencing what it’s like being a fan in a different way. I have, maybe without realizing at first, put on some pressure on myself as it relates to what I say, how I say it, and whom I say it about that has actually allowed me to censor myself and think a few times about what I say, and this is something that I really value and can always be better at.
I always encourage people to add their own content to the AWFC/Women’s Football ecosystem and I tell you from experience, it’s been incredible. I would recommend it but also will encourage you to know what you’re getting yourself into.
I struggle some days where I just stare at my laptop and I’m terrified of writing something that isn’t good at all or that I think people won’t like etc. But I write it anyway because there might be ONE person that finds it interesting and if I can help distract or make someone laugh, just one person then my job is done.
Merry Xmas!!!!
-
Head scratcher…
On my latest podcast I had mentioned to you that I would be writing as normal even during the next couple of days. It was my intention, I promise you. But a couple of things have come up and I came to visit my sister, her husband and her kids, so my usual writing routine will be interrupted, in the very best of ways.
That means that I will spare you today and tomorrow of anything deep or a long read, not that you would stop by during the holidays, BUT, if you, not only am I here to say thanks but I will do my best do continue to continue.
This morning for instance, one thing that crossed my mind was WTF are we going to do with Noelle. I say KEEP HER.
Another thing that crossed my mind was how during the NLD we had Katie play right back, I guess this is related to my previous point, but when other players weren’t making passes or taking absurd shots, the one player you need doing that is her, and I just don’t get this thing of having her play so far back.
Some situations make me scratch my head and others make me want to bang my head into a wall because the concussion will somehow help me make sense as to what the hell is going on.
This dynamic, albeit fascinating, it’s terrible and also fantastic and its one of the reasons we all love football so much, because much like love itself, its weird, unexplainable, logical and also irrational.
This last thing not only applies to football but all sports, family dynamic, holidays and so much more…
I will stop now and got to bed haha.
Merry Xmas!
-
If you only read one thing today
Guardian columnist Mariana Hyde wrote this incredible piece titled: So, what is it about the brilliant, victorious sportswoman Mary Earps that bovine men just can’t abide?
This of course isn’t directly related to AWFC but if you’re new here (thanks btw) please know that sometimes I post things that are related to women’s football and transcend a team, and this article is the perfect example.
One of her paragraphs is better than anything I could ever write, ever so please read below.
A very subjective look into AWFC 