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No News Means No News
Typically we hear that “no news means good news” and partially I think that applies to us as a fan base because of the trauma of injuries, but in this case I much rather have actual news. Honestly though, I was very much looking forward to some sort of announcement by the club this morning only to be met with the proverbial tumbleweed.
To be fair I am having a super busy last few days and I haven’t been able to find news about Steph and Lia, two out of the threw players that I’m looking forward to seeing the most at the World Cup. Katie being #1. BTW it’s not that I don’t care about other players but for instance, England minus Beth & Leah is literally that, so I’m not that invested. Also, I’m talking about Arsenal players. As you know by now I’m obsessed with the Dutch so seeing ex Arsenal players DVD, Dom & Jill is a priority, now and forever.
I’m pretty sure there are news but I just haven’t found them or done proper research but I hope they are both back to their best or at least at a level where they feel they will be ready when the actual WC comes around. And I’m sure that a lot of the news are kept from the public from a strategic point of view but come oonnnnnnnn.
I will write more about this soon as far as predictions go, the only one I’m sorta willing to put out there is that I don’t think the USWNT are going to dominate how people here expect. I just think teams all over the world are catching up and are no longer scared. In a way, the USWNT winning means a lot to the USA where as England winning the Euros means a lot to the sport because of all the attention in got.
Not sure that makes any sense and trust me, I’m not downplaying the ability or history of the USA. They are incredible and I also think the gap is closing, if not already closed.
d ❤
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Football Is Hard
This is nothing you don’t know. This is a very difficult sport and precisely because I know how hard it is is why I admire all the people that play this at a high level and yes, I respect women infinitely more, for infinite reasons.
Last night I had my first match in months. I hadn’t kicked a ball, I didn’t practice, I didn’t even stretch. I parked at 3:50, rushed to the sidelines, put my shinguards on, got my gk gloves, my trusty water bottle and headed to the net. Did I tell you I hadn’t kicked a ball? I also hand’t caught a ball. Nothing. And guess what? It showed! Clown city, population me.
The first goal kick I basically kicked it to their best player, I was caught out of position and he calmly slotted past me. It was terrible, lame, pathetic, funny and also great and cool and fun because it’s a zero stakes situation. My league barely keeps score and there is not even a table. It’s just for fun.However, my ego was bruised for a minute or 20 and I just don’t like not doing well at things. I choose to be a GK because all things considered I don’t actually care that much and I don’t mind being the person responsible for mistakes like the one.
Days like these make me appreciate footballers even more but beyond their ability I’m talking about the mental aspect. Being able to forget so quickly and remain confident and exercise that elite mentality. It’s absolutely incredible.
To a degree that’s what you have to do as a professional musician after a mistake or missed note, etc but the difference is that I’ve worked on this, It’s my livelihood so I don’t think about it but whenever I have to do something similar in another field such as sport it’s very, very tricky.
Of course I thought of Manu recovering after a goal scored against her, or how LWM comes back that much stronger after a set back she’s had on the pitch, or how Stina just keeps going and going and going. I hold these attitudes very close to me. The years when I was actively inspired by male footballers is long gone. At least not when I’m playing.
It’s a different thing.
d ❤
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I Might Quit YouTube
To be completely honest, the last thing I’ve wanted to be is a YouTuber and I don’t consider myself one. It’s a role that I respect a lot and I understand the amount of work that in entails and there were are a lot of reasons why the thought of that title gave me lots of apprehension before I started. On one hand you have the amount of work that goes into it and only having done 4 videos I can tell you there’s a lot of time spent there.
However, that’s not really what is making me doubt if I should continue making videos. The real reason is not something I can share at the moment but the close second reason is the fact that it makes it all about ME aka the YouTuber and not the topic, in this case, Arsenal Women.
Once you start a channel the idea is automatically to make it grow which means numbers which also means promotion and doing whatever is tried and tested and effective. I am not really interested in that and growing just to grow is silly and the complete opposite of what my idea is and has always been which focuses on narrowcasting.
Not saying I’m going to quit, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did and I felt like this today and wanted to share just out of respect and consideration. Also, a lot of the content that I might put out or topic I might discuss has to do with there not being any football played and who knows what I would even do during the World Cup.
But hey, this is what a blog is. A place to share thoughts and ideas and as you can imagine this particular topic and post is not the most suited for an actual podcast or video haha.
d ❤
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2 Must Watch Videos
As a music teacher I have been tasked with helping people face many challenges along the way. Some of those challenges are purely musical such as learning a difficult song for a performance… maybe working for a few months preparing for a big college audition and so on. Among the other things I’ve done a lot of is helping people who haven’t played their instrument in a while. Now, this might be because of being busy or just not having music as their priority and some times I’ve had to deal with people who have been injured or are recovering from say a cosmetic surgery or something like that.
For some, the toughest part about this time off is the physical aspect… the speed just isn’t there, or the power has lowered in some cases, etc. For others, the mental aspect is what’s the most challenging, and I know you’ve heard people talk about how that’s true when it comes to injuries for footballers as well.
Not a day goes by when I don’t think about the players dealing with ACL injuries. Not only because I care about them and their feelings, but because I also often think about how difficult it must be dealing with the mental side of it.
I was thinking about the whole “we need more research” tweets and all of that and I remembered that I had recently watched 2 fantastic videos which I wanted to share and I encourage you all to watch them in full if you haven’t done so already.
The first one is hosted by the incredible Caroline Barker as part of her Three Players & A Podcast show which you can watch HERE (ideally you should see the video right underneath this paragraph but for some reason the embedding is not working)
The other video is hosted by the one and only Shenahn Aherne and features a very in depth conversation about women’s bodies and more.
Both of these were fascinating and I’m really curious to know your thoughts.
d ❤
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They’re Actually Doing It!
As far as this summer went, the one thing I kept going on and on about was that whatever the transfer was, we needed to get it done as soon as possible. And just to be completely transparent, I am fully aware that I’m not in the minority. Everyone thinks the club should do this and I’m not implying that this is MY idea.
I am the first one to admit that I over simplify things that are extremely complicated such as saying: “we need to sign X player before X date” It’s not that easy and I am under no delusion that I actually know what I’m talking about. It’s more of an opinion than a realistic ask.
I’m extremely happy with the contract renewals for Frida, Steph and now Caitlin. Moreover, I’m beyond happy that these were done so soon, and I truly hope it’s a sign of things to come. The speed of which these have happened is definitely not an overnight thing and most likely these things have been secured months and months in advance. I do think the timing of these announcements and the PR around them is a good thing at the moment. Specially before the World Cup where players already have a lot in their minds and the last thing the need is the speculation regarding their future at the club or if they are going to move on, etc.
I was surprised by Steph signing because I didn’t know she hadn’t signed, but Caitlin signing is also a surprise and not something I expected because I actually assumed she would move on. So much so that I was thinking about whom I’d like to see in her place but to be honest I’m very glad she’s staying, specially with the injuries we have. She knows the club, she is loved by the fans, she’s a great player, a fighter and also has a lovely partnership with Steph on the wing.
Obviously we have to wait and see what happens but these 3 contract renewals fill me with optimism.
d ❤
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Laura, GKs & More
When I posted about my summer transfer wishlist I should’ve and could’ve addressed a couple of things in a much responsible and researched way, but alas, I didn’t. Those “things” are actual positions and they are a backup GK and also the long absence of Laura. I’ll start with the latter.
At one point of the season, the competition between Laure and Noelle was nothing short of elite. They were both getting playing time… when one was going through a dip in performance, the other would come in and play great. I remember when Laura started more matches I was saying to myself that she was my first choice right back. Then, when Noelle started playing more I said the same thing.
This dynamic is exactly what we need, in every possible position. OK maybe not all positions, but ideally every position has this type of pressure. It’s what I have been saying regarding our bench. In my opinion, when all players are healthy, there’s no scenario in which Vic pushes Beth, Katie, Caitlin, Frida, Kim etc. Same goes for Hurtig, LWM, Gio, or Kaylan pushing the regular starters. Not from what I’ve seen, but remember, I know nothing. I do actually think Teyah Goldie and Kuhl have very bright futures ahead at the club and I would put them ahead of LWM and Pelova respectively in the pecking order.
Now, as far as the GKs go I would like to see Manu being pushed more. Maybe she is currently being challenged and I just don’t see it or appreciate it. In the matches I’ve seen her benched for whatever reason, I am not fully overwhelmed with confidence. It’s not that I don’t rate Sabrina or Kaylan. It’s that I don’t see Manu being actually challenged by them day in and day out. And to be fair, Manu is among the best in the world.
Let’s hope for more news soon.
d ❤
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Joyful Ignorance
Wow wow wow. This bit of news took be completely by surprise. Steph Catley singing a new contract shocks me. Does it shock me because I didn’t think she would? No. Does it shock me because I was afraid of her joining another club? Absolutely not. Does it shock me because I thought she had signed another contract last year already? You bet! 😂
See? this is why I keep telling you guys that I have no idea what I’m talking about. But honestly, I am so very happy that I didn’t even contemplate her leaving under the false assumption that a contract had been signed. To have experienced the last few months of the season, with all those injuries, including her, was hard enough and to think I could’ve added Steph leaving would’ve shot my anxiety through the roof and I would’ve not liked that.
This means a huge deal though. There might be a scenario where we move Steph as a CB. I’m not a fan of 3 at the back with the current squad, but a Steph + Jen partnership I can handle and I like it as a back up option. Or maybe a back up of a back up.
Steph has been an outstanding player and clearly beloved by the squad… The video she put out was a tear jerker and I’m just over the moon. She’s a crucial player, a versatile player and one of the best in the world at her position.
Hope this bit of news energizes her even more (I doubt she aka an elite player needs to be energized for a World Cup) and just adds on top of good news after good news for her.
BTW here’s the latest podcast
d ❤
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WORLD CUPS & WORLD TOURS
We have all heard players talk about how magical it is to get that phone call from the National Team coach to let them know that they have been picked for the World Cup or a major tournament. They often say how they remember exactly where they were, how they felt and how they reacted.
There is something similar that happens to musicians. The feeling we get when we receive that email or phone call from either a Music Director or an Artist’s Manager to let us know we are confirmed for a big tour or a major TV performance is absolutely incredible.
Yet, there’s another side to this… The phone call the players get can very well be to let them know that they will indeed NOT be picked for the squad. Someone has to break the bad news to them and there are also instances when people find these major news out via twitter or other outlets and it cannot be a nice experience.
Conversely, in music, we also get something similar… you get told that X world tour has fallen through or that they decided to go with another musician. It has happened to me a few times and it’s been brutal at the moment… it doesn’t feel good.
In my experience, even though missing on some of these huge tours or big events can be something uncool and hurtful, something better suited for me has been around the corner. Now, it might very well be that I convince myself that this new thing is better than what could’ve been, but that’s another story. I always focus on the present, I focus on what is and I try to focus on what I can control, and look inward.
I see football in a similar way. I don’t dwell on the past or what could’ve been or mistakes, lost matches, etc and this is a perfect example of why I admire footballers so much. The can’t afford to dwell on the past or a mistake because they have to be present and focused and concentrate. If they don’t get picked for a major tournament they become fueled by it and we often see the very best out of them. It’s selfish in a way because we get to enjoy this glory period after a time of suffering for them.
I’m proud of players that get called up and I’m even more proud of how those that don’t get picked, react and come back stronger and we all know that Viv, Beth and Leah will come back stronger than ever.
d ❤
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Is The Future Really Bright?
There is one clear and obvious answer to this click bait question. Whenever you have Kim, Lia, Beth, Viv, Katie, Steph, Manu, Leah then YES. A resounding yes. But we know that a few of them are injured and I’m less concerned about the future as I am about the present.
Like I’ve said before, Jonas and them have to be extremely aggressive during this window and I don’t think it will be sustainable, in terms of achieve success, staying with some of the players that have come in to help us during our stars’s injuries.
Look at Barcelona… Putellas gone yet they invested and the furthermore the players already in the squad are so incredible that they were able to win the lot, without the best player in the world. With that said I also think we could’ve done that if only ONE of our players had gotten injured and sadly that wasn’t the case. My point is that the we need to close the gap between the talent/ability/experience between out first choices and our bench, with the bench being players that not just show up when called upon but that challenge the first team.
We need to have these players in as soon as possible ideally but I wouldn’t be mad if I had to wait til after the WC or until the very last minute to get several players in if they are world class players. We are AWFC after all, a historic club and we deserve and clearly need more world class players.
Now, even if we don’t get a single player in, and we get all of our players back, we will be ok. But I don’t wanna be ok. I want the players to win the titles they deserve and because the injuries have robbed us, it is the club’s responsibility to see that this is a clear situation and we need to be smart and invest.
It’s time…
And if we don’t do it we will be left behind.
d ❤
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Trophygate
I’m well aware that Alessia Russo is not an Arsenal player and she might never be one, but she was recently, sadly and against her will, involved in a rather embarrassing situation that bothered me so much I had to write about it here.
For those of you that know what I’m talking about you can skip this paragraph, but if you don’t here’s the short version: At a Manchester United ceremony, were she was about to be given a trophy for Goal Of The Season, a certain John Shields (Chief Executive of the Man Utd Foundation) made a comment about how he didn’t want to give her the trophy because it was too heavy.
You can watch the incident HERE
He has apologized about it and mentioned he would’ve done the same thing to a male player, which of course can be true and it can be absolute bullsh*t at the same time. I’m leaning towards the latter to be honest. There are many things wrong with that comment and it’s hard to pick just one thing. It was cringe worthy and I felt really bad for her.
I’d like to think that things like that wouldn’t happen at Arsenal but I don’t have a lot of faith these days in the steps that have been taken overall. Might be just because this is fresh in my memory at the moment. It certainly feels like a “two steps back, one step forward” type of situation… and alongside the conflicting kickoff times PLUS the WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TV RIGHTS NOT BEING SECURE IN MANY COUNTRIES it’s truly shocking.
These are the “little” comments that prove that we still have such a long way to go. If these comments are coming from a super high up in one of the most famous sporting empires the world has ever seen, imagine the kind of things that they say away from the public eye.
Could this be something that makes Alessia want totally out of Man Utd? I mean, I’d like to see her at Arsenal but not if it means weird stuff like this happens to her, where she is clearly not enjoying herself, specially at a moment when its supposed to be all about her.
Oh, and he also called her “Alexia” which is wrong in many ways… How does he not know her name? His team’s best player? A historic Eurocup winner? The person who scored THAT back heel goal? Or… does he actually think Alexia Putellas, aka Alexia is… Alessia?! Oh my days.
We gotta keep fighting for all players, regardless of their team.
d ❤
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A very subjective look into AWFC 