A very subjective look into AWFC

by Demian Arriaga

PODCAST

  • 200 for Bethany

    If you want Jonas out content all you have to do is listen to my podcast for the past few months or basically read any of my posts since like February. I am 100000% Jonas out and have been for a long time, but today is not about that.

    Today I wanna chat briefly about the fact that Bethany Jane Mead has made 200 appearances for Arsenal. That is insane. She’s been such an important player who has given her all and has never, ever phoned in a performance neither has she given anything less than 100% for our club. We are so very fortunate to have her in our squad.

    Beyond her ability on the pitch, we can all see what positive person she is and how her attitude is infectious in the best of ways and she makes everyone around her not just laugh, but smile.

    The match today should’ve been a symbolic winning performance for her, if nothing else but alas it wasn’t to be. This was by far the worst game of football I’ve ever seen under the current manager and that is saying a LOT.

    This is a very frustrating time my friends. We all know that and we all feel that. Saying “I told you so” isn’t even appropriate because YOU told yourself so for months. This was bound to happen and its going to continue happening because even if the girls beat Bayern and Chelsea it would be because of the players and not the manager.

    Our season could be extremely uphill by this time next week and it’s criminal that we have been put in this situation as a club and as a fanbase by the current manager and whomever thinks he is the right person. And I’m looking not just at the board but all the podcasters and bloggers that never dared to say one negative thing about him because they wanted access to the club or be seen in a favorable light.

    Thankfully I am not the only person speaking up, and you can see HUNDREDS of people way more unhappy than me on all the instagram posts and comment section. Pretty wild and this is just not normal. The current manager is just not liked, to put it mildly and its clearly and unequivocally a large majority of the fan base.

    Something needs to change or we will change fundamentally as a club, and that is not acceptable.

    d ❤

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  • So very lucky – podcast

    Hey friends,

    I just uploaded a new episode of That Arsenal Women Podcast

    d ❤

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  • Isn’t it ironic?

    If there has ever been a need for one single player to help us break down Hacken or convert chances against City, that player would be and is in fact Vivianne Miedema. It couldn’t be any more clear and obvious. Arsenal Women made a massive mistake in letting her go and this could be something that haunt us for many years to come.

    More that letting her go, because players do leave, it’s the fact that she left when she still was an incredible player and ever worse, the club decided to side with the current manager and his “project” over her.

    All of those people on Twitter and other content platforms stick by the manager and side with the club and implying that Viv was on decline will never be absurd. Moreover. I guarantee zero of them talked about how insanely good Viv was because they cannot come to terms with being wrong. Very similar to what the current manager does.

    He doesn’t actually apologize, he doesn’t actually take accountability, because he plays to all sides and also deflects. He’s a very, very intelligent person when it comes to the media because we can look back at a lot of comments and realize that he in fact said nothing. It’s pretty brilliant actually.

    But overall, I’m just glad it’s over. I’m happy this anxiety inducing match was the first of the season and now we can all breathe and move on to the next crunch match in the form of Hacken again for the CL… and goodness me, if we don’t beat them there will be no way in hell that the current manager remains the current manager.

    Ok so about the match itself, I honestly thought there were lots of positives. I thought that aside from that play that Viv that made her look like a toddler playing football for the first time, I thought LWM was fantastic specially with the little to no playing time she’s had recently. I thought she was very solid and alongside Laia, managed to keep Bunny Shaw as quiet as I think I’ve ever seen her.

    I also thought Katie was outstanding and by a country mile she was our best player on the day. Emily was pretty good too and all in all, the defense was good, which sadly cannot be said about the attacking on the day. It was not sharp and Stina and especially Russo should’ve scored, but they are the first ones to admit that and there’s no need to keep fixating on that on my end. Bottom line is we should’ve won.

    But the overarching thing to me is how everyone knows that the current manager cannot handle low blocking teams. Well, he definitely cannot handle Viv either, and she wasn’t playing in a low blocking side.

    If you wanna hear more about what Albert and I had to say about this match, please watch the show we did post match for The Highbury Squad

    d ❤

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  • New Arsenal Women Show

    Hi friends!

    Just wanted to share some news and that is that I’m gonna be co-hosting a new show on The Highbury Squad aka an incredible YouTube show / podcast with my dear friend Albert Umoh.

    We’ll try to do shows shortly after the girls play and in today’s case it’ll be at 8:15pm UK time.

    Here’s the link:

    d ❤

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  • He’s either blind or he’s lying

    You might’ve read the current manager’s comment essentially regarding Alessia Russo being “the best finisher” he’s ever worked with. This comment bothers me for many reasons and I had mentioned a couple of days ago how I would like to chat a little more about it, and I’m in that mood, if you can call it that.

    When I originally brought it up I realized that I was making it very Viv centric and that was not my intention, and I’ll get into this in a bit, but it really bothers me as it relates to Alessia. Because, since I don’t think he actually believes it, he is using her for some PR stunt which he can always claim he is doing it to build the player’s confidence or something like that and I’m just not having any of it. I don’t believe he is genuine about it, and about any of it actually.

    I had said that I thought he was either lying or he was blind, one or the other and I stand by it. The first point, the blind one, relates to how he wasn’t able to literally, and I mean literally, see how good Viv is/was. Viv being one of the best finishers in the history of the WSL and women’s football as a whole. Yeah she was injured but he had plenty of time to see her in matches and countless times in training and there is just not a better finisher out there. And please don’t make the assumption that I don’t think that Alessia is good, I think she’s great, but I’m sorry… nobody is Viv.

    Among the reasons why this is extremely alarming is that it proves that the current manager does not have the ability to recognize true talent, transcending talent, historic talent in front of him. That should worry every single fan. Like even if he’s trying to be cute and send messages via press conferences it’s not working.

    The second point was that if he isn’t blind, then he is lying. Lying is not good. Lying sucks. So, what he is lying about is quite obvious and it becomes a dig at Viv all the while also lying to Alessia or whoever he could’ve said. He could’ve picked anyone and nobody would prove to be better than Viv. It’s just not up to debate. Also I know very well that saying that something isn’t up to debate doesn’t make it true, so as usual please take my comment with a grain of salt.

    Again, it seems like I’m pissed because I took it as an attack towards Viv but I just don’t feel like it’s cool towards Alessia and that kinda grinds my gears. You can build her up and, not that she needs building up, she’s a fucking star, but there are ways to build someone up without a dig at someone else.

    d ❤

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  • Fixture pileup is already insane!

    In case you haven’t seen it laid out in this way, please take a look at the amount of matches played in September alone: 6 total matches in one month and 4 of those in 11 days. From those 4 in 11 are 2 Cl qualifiers bookending the season opener vs City. WTF…

    Just for perspective, this is what is you will most likely see:

    09/04 – Home vs Rangers (CL Qualifier)

    09/07 Home vs Rosenborg (CL Qualifier)

    09/18 Away vs Hacken (CL Qualifier)

    09/22 Home vs Man City (WSL)

    09/25 Home vs Hacken (CL Qualifier)

    09/29 Away vs City (WSL)

    But when I see the very few days in between it just raises a lot of concerns for me and this hasn’t changed and won’t change, not just because the fixtures themselves but because of the lack of signings by the club and to me it’s becoming pretty negligent. It honestly makes very little sense that we haven’t brought more players in but maybe its only because of the lack of purchases and I’m totally forgetting the academy players coming up.

    And yeah, now that I read that again it might be a situation where it’s actually “better” than it really is and we have a decent enough squad in terms of numbers but I don’t know about you guys but it definitely feels top heavy and not enough cover in the middle of the pitch.

    Also, there’s something to keep in mind. Just because we have someone to cover for X player is not enough. For instance, say Emily Fox gets injured, then we have Laura to cover, but what happens when Laura gets also injured or when she gets suspended let’s say? We’re FUCKED is basically what I’m getting at.

    We have NO cover for Lia. Nobody comes close to doing what she does so it is baffling that we haven’t gone for someone like her, which I know is not possible, but Keira Walsh is there… just sayin. Oh and by “there” I mean like she’s alive haha, there’s apparently no way she’s coming.

    Insert heart break emoji.

    d ❤

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  • BK Hacken it is

    Oh my god this is so embarrassing. I clearly had no idea that we are in fact NOT yet qualified for the Champions League as we have another round of qualifiers and this time the opponents will be Hacken, but you knew that and clearly I just found out early this morning.

    This is one of the things that I miss out when taking time off twitter and what I mean by that is the constant bombardment of news, all day long, so normally I would have known this but I was under the complete ignorant belief that the girls had made it and I even posted something about it on instagram and probably wrote on here with so much confidence.

    Hacken should be a much tougher opponent than what the girls have faced so far. If they play like they played against Rangers we’ll be good, but I don’t see how we can play back to back performances like the one against Rosenborg and come out with a win. I truly don’t see that happening but maybe Hacken aren’t as good as Rosenborg? I have no idea.

    I went from being super relieved and upbeat and optimistic to saying “oh shit….” And it’s not that I don’t think we can beat them… of course we can, and we probably will. But the shock realization is kinda jolting, not to be redundant, and I am suddenly overcome with doubt, if I’m being perfectly honest. What it boils down to is my lack of faith, support and empathy for the current manager but you know how I feel.

    With that said, my faith in the players is unwavering and I cannot be convinced by anyone that we can’t beat any team on paper, specially with Lia getting more minutes and also Laia growing in confidence and feeling like she “finally arrived” and I’m paraphrasing but she now feels more comfortable with how her life is at Arsenal. This is a no brainer of a partnership along Leah… truly a no brainer. Euro cup winning Captain and World Cup winner, a twice CL winner and to this last point, this is someone that knows what it takes to win so the more we play her and Caldentey the better.

    Speaking of Caldentey, an incredible player, I cannot fathom how incredible her and Viv together should have been. No, I’m not over Viv and I will never be over her leaving, FOR FREE TO A DIRECT RIVAL!!!!!!! Hahaha that is just never not insane and every time I think about it I write it.

    Caldentey is incredible and so is Kafaji and of course theres a narrative about her facing her previous club, duh. But I’m excited about them getting more and more minutes together.

    Lastly, we will not do a thing without Beth Mead. She needs to be playing if she is fit. I don’t care is Foord scores 89 goals in 3 matches. Beth is the right choice, always.

    d ❤

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  • It was bound to happen

    A few days ago we learned that Chelsea are essentially no longer allowing fans to take pictures with fans nor wait for them after the match, this is due to security reasons as the game has grown exponentially and the players are basically being put at risk. Of course this implies abusive fans, entitled people, and worse… stalkers and basically obsessive fanatics that should never ever be allowed near them.

    We all knew this was going to happen and it should’ve happened before. Let’s be honest… people think that they are owed time, energy and effort just because they support a team or a player. Sorry, but that’s not the case. The players have never ever owed you anything other than playing their best and representing the club to the best of their abilities but that doesn’t mean that you are owed a picture or their boots because you want your toddler to have this moment, which they most likely will never remember.

    I also understand that it will be an adjustment for fans. Obviously most fans are not mean or entitled, I’d like to think, but if I were to play devil’s advocate, I totally get why this new situation is not ideal for them. Part of the whole aura of women’s football is how reachable they are, figuratively and literally. Although Arsenal haven’t formally announced a similar measure, from what I know, it’s only a matter of time.

    Another thing that was bound to happen was the qualification to the group stages of the CL. They did it. It was extremely nervy and nowhere near as convincing as it should’ve been. It was quite alarming actually.

    I only watched the first half and to only be up a single goal, against a team that had basically no fire to be worried about, and said goal came from their keeper’s HOWLER, and it was just not good enough but who cares? the point is that they achieved the goal. If we make the quarter finals nobody will care how “tough” this match was.

    But as it relates to City… I don’t think we can survive in the WSL with 30 attempts on goal and a single goal. Like what? The current manager needs to get his act together and honestly when is he ever going to learn about playing vs low blocks? It was just like any match last season frankly.

    Also, and I’ll write more about this because I can’t get it out of my head. The current manager wants you to believe that Russo, no offense, is the best finisher he’s ever worked with. Well, that is a big fucking problem. Either he is LYING to you and he knows Viv is the best finisher he’s ever worked with, or he is absolutely BLIND and can’t see the best finisher ever basically when she was right in front of him. It’s laughable honestly. But what’s new?

    d ❤

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  • Changing things up

    As the game is literally starting in 1 minute I don’t want to take up too much of your time, but I do want to let you now about some changes in my Arsenal blog output. Simply stated, I cannot commit to writing every single day because I’m a bit exhausted and I feel I’m way too involved. Thankfully, I’m pretty busy with my career and the next couple of months will be kinda nuts for me so there’s no way I can be of any use to you if I’m not fully present.

    I didn’t just start this blog to chat about Arsenal Women. I did it do chat about Arsenal Women every single day. Having managed to do so for over 520 days is something I’m really proud of but its honestly becoming a chore and I will never ever allow anything related to something that I love so much become “work.”

    So basically just expect to hear less from me. I’m not going away forever and I might still write every day or most days or maybe not.

    We should’ve played Codina and KCC much more than we played LWM and Pelova btw.

    Have a great weekend!

    d ❤

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  • What if???

    I was thinking about what the consequences of not winning tomorrow would be. Now, this seems like a terribly dark and negative outlook but it’s actually not. I am posing the question because it could be a positive thing as it relates to a very simple fact: it is what it is, and we gotta deal with it.

    So what do I mean by that? Well it’s very much a reality thing. In life good things and bad things happen and we just gotta keep going. We gotta learn, we gotta expand, we gotta grow, we gotta adapt and we have to adopt a new behavior or set of habits so that things either change, or we learn from them etc.

    My mom always says that “sometimes you win, other times you learn” and I absolutely agree with this. So, as it applies to Arsenal Women tomorrow, of course I’d love for them to win and I’m hoping that happens, and actually I’m positive they will win, BUT what will we do as a club if the current manager lets us down again? Whatever happens, because of him or missed chances or whatever, we just simply have to keep going and adapt, grow, learn, etc because that is what winners do and we have a squad full of them and they will never, ever willfully let us down.

    Two seasons in a row without CL is unthinkable, truly unthinkable but also not the worst thing ever nor would it be unacceptable to a degree, but to not get this squad, with world class players, World Cup winners, Euro Winners, Champion’s League winners, etc etc etc, would be into the next stage would have to be the final nail in the coffin for the current manager. That, is just the least he should be able to achieve.

    If you have read up until this point and get a vibe of me writing a lot but not saying anything, you’re not far off. I know this all sounds repetitive and redundant and repetitive (lol). But sometimes I read things on blogs that make me feel that some people live life in a way that I cannot comprehend, which is filled with entitlement and judgment and that’s not something I strive for yet I’m constantly saying how the current manager has to go and that I would line them up differently, etc.

    And to that point, just to make it all very, very clear: not for ONE second do I actually think that I know more about football that he does. I have never thought that about any manager ever, and he is not an exception. I just have strong thoughts and opinions just like you or anyone that is a fan of the sport.

    Tomorrow will be interesting for me because I can only watch the first half and I’m gonna be checking my FotMob at like crazy but I know I shouldn’t are actually won’t be able to because I’ll be driving, but if all goes well, the girls will be up 3-0 by halftime and I can at least assume it’ll be all smooth sailing and we’ll all be able to breathe a sigh of relief before the anxiety of Man City at home aka Viv’s return.

    d ❤

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