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Do It Jonas, I Dare You.
This is a perfect example as to why I say this blog is a very subjective look into AWFC. I am emotionally and physically incapable of not feeling confident when Jen, Steph and McCabe are fit and in the squad. I can’t not feel confident when Rafa is back there.
So…bring it, Chelsea. I don’t say this in a defiant way… it’s just literally what’s going to happen. Chelsea are going to bring it, full strength and it’s going to be a very interesting match. Realistically I’m hoping for at least a draw against a high flying team that are playing so, so, so well.
I can understand people’s negativity and it’s justified more so than ever before when Lia is out for the season. This is obviously not good news at all and this match can be, sadly, one of those that expose this reality: the lack of depth.
You know this, you know this better than I do. You’re smarter than me: we don’t have a replacement for Lia. We haven’t had one in a long time and we have to address it asap. Thankfully she is not leaving us and it’s not like when Vieira left when it took 20 years to finally address that gap… BUT we will need her to take days off.
Lia is a Rolls Royce and whomever we buy to cover for her, has to be someone comparable, but with Leah gone for who knows how long, we absolutely have to find the right fit.
Or do we?
Yeah, we do but… hear me out…
Play McCabe there.
She could, should and would crush it.
Against Chelsea? COME ON JONAS
DO IT
She has the fight, the vision, the technique.
This could be a genius move, not because I said it, but because why the hell not? she’s a genius player so let her play.
d ❤
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WHY I REFUSE TO SING OR CHANT
Chanting and singing is such a major part of being a fan, isn’t it? It’s almost like there are fans and then there are the fans that get to chant in the stadium, how lucky are they?! Those fans create the songs, they know the history of the club and know when to borrow which songs for which player etc. They are pillars to clubs everywhere. Truly special. I love them.
You also have the obvious fact that vocal fans help a lot. Players always want to hear their fans yell and scream. Their voices, their support, their energy… they love that and it can get them over tough moments in matches and all that stuff.
I, however refuse to participate in that. Granted, I’ve only seen AWFC play once but even then, at Wembley.. FA Cup Final…. vs Chelsea… I just couldn’t chant or sing. There are several reasons and I’m gonna share them just in case there’s people out there that feel the same way, so you know you aren’t alone.
Reason #1: I don’t love doing what a lot of people are doing at the same time, in most settings, both on a macro and a micro scale. I am peace with not belonging in many arenas in life and I have always stood against peer pressure and this, as silly as it sounds, is another example of it.
Reason #2: I don’t feel comfortable singing in front of people. It’s one of my biggest fears and as a musician, who is supposed to do this easily and do it well, it’s just not a real thing for me. I don’t like my singing voice too much and I certainly don’t want the person next to me to hear it. Beyond this, precisely because I’m a musician, I don’t wanna hear someone totally off pitch next to me and mess up my part. It’s petty but it’ what it is.
Reason #3: I hate yelling. I hate screaming. I hate raising my voice. It hurts my voice, really bad. I’ve never been a yeller and my body is just not used to it. I also can’t get over how annoyed the people in front of me must be with someone yelling in their ear.
So, if you are like me and have these same reasons or others, know that you are NOT less of a fan that the most vocal of fans out there. Sometimes vocal fans can be super annoying and look silly. I’ve seen videos of this, I’ve witnessed it in real life. Just be you and experience the experience however you need to experience it. There’s not perfect or correct way. I mean, don’t boo or insult the fans or leave the match, that just kinda sucks. The difference is for the latter examples you have to actively do something whereas not singing or chanting is literally withholding action. With that said, I wish I was at Meadow Park not chanting, a definitely not singing any given weekend.
If you see people quiet next to you, ask them if they are comfortable singing, maybe they need to be told it’s ok so they enjoy their time more. We don’t all want to hear: “ooh, its not about X its about X” Try to be understanding and patient and know football is art and we enjoy it our own way.
d ❤
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GIGS & TROPHIES
I’m very fortunate to say that my career in music has allowed me experience really cool things, and among those things are these two: 1. performing with artists I admire and respect 2. performing with/sharing a bill with childhood idols. These are similar and share many emotions. Sometimes the big names I’ve played with aren’t necessarily bands or people I grew up listening to yet the experience is still impossible to describe. Those shows can be on TV or at arenas and they are amazing. And then there’s the type of shows where you cannot believe that you are in the same place with people you have been idolizing for years upon years, regardless of the venue size, the situation, etc etc etc.
These experiences are always lovely and I was able to experience one last night. I got to play percussion with Orianthi, a majestic, unbelievably talented guitar player/singer/songwriter and we shared the bill with a band called The Winery Dogs, comprised of 3 guys I grew up listening to and idolizing. Their singer, is a dear friend of mine and someone I actually did many tours with. But the whole time I was actually thinking about Lia Wälti and her injury.
As I was setting up my stuff I tried to shift my mind and see how my experience at the time could be similar to anything AWFC players could feel and a thought that often comes to mind, visited me again right then and there and its how some of these young players have been on the pitch and have had some of their idols as their teammates. Training with their heroes, eating with them, sharing a locker room with them, learning from them day in and day out. What a fantastic feeling that must be.
But I see a major difference between the music & football experiences. Music is art, it’s subjective and as much are there are some awards, there’s really no winning or losing. In sport there is, obviously. So the added dimension of the trials and tribulations of winning and losing, of trophies and relegation and any other comparison you can imagine, brings to the table an extremely deep and personal set of emotions and situations that elevate the stakes of their experiences.
Imagine not only training with Kim Little, Jen Beattie and Jordan Nobbs but also winning trophies with them.
Mind blowing
d ❤
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Everton “preview”
I’m the last person to consider themselves an expert in the WSL. As if you need any proof that I’m still a newbie, I can tell you that I wouldn’t even know how to preview this match. I know so very little about Everton it’s almost funny. All I know is that they are doing pretty well this year (6th, trust me I looked) and they have Katja Snoeijs, who is dutch so of course I follow her. Sorta.
I love not knowing anything. I understand how to some on the outside it might look like I know a lot. But I know very little compared to what I know about men’s football in general. And I also don’t think I’m an expert, duh. I quite enjoy that even to this day, when I’ve been watching Chelsea for years, it seems like they field players I’ve never seen before and I honestly wouldn’t know exactly how they line up. I’m still learning.
Now, there are just 3 matches to go and based on absolutely nothing but “vibes” I will say that today’s match against Everton has all the potential of being a tricky one, I’m afraid. Beyond that, they are playing at home it just feels NOT like the easiest of matches.
My expectation/prediction however, is that we will win a tight match and I can see Arsenal beating Everton 3-1. I wouldn’t be shocked if Manu was on the bench or if Foord started over Taylor.
BTW I haven’t heard any news on Gio, who I expect to go out on loan next year too.
BTW #2 here’s the latest podcast on YOUTUBE
d ❤
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I also don’t know what i’m doing
I’m still trying to figure out the output of AWFC content I’m creating. Some days it feels like I have 20 things I could write about, and then are days where I have no idea what to say. Some days I feel like I have to write something different that what I would say on the podcast, yet other times I think a topic is very strong and needs to be addressed again. There’s this blog, the podcast and now that podcast via YouTube.
I can see a potential writer’s block coming during the summer break and at the same time there is the WC coming up which definitely has some AWFC and AWFC related players/people/coaches and I’m very excited to kinda/sorta cover this, in my own way.
All of this makes me grateful because I start thinking about actual professional writers and journalists that have to deal with very deep topics and things that affects us to the core (in a different way) such as politics, social issues, racism, transphobia and much more.
When I lack inspiration in the music arena, I always know what to do. I know how to get over the creative block and I have learned through the years that we can actually do things to override those feelings of “I am not creative enough.” One of those things that I do is that I listen to a lot of music instead of worrying about creating. I just surrender to other’s artistry and allow things to flow. Sometimes it takes longer than others.
Now, the way I apply this to actual writing is that I like to read other people’s work. Currently I have been absolutely obsessed with Suzy Wrack’s “The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of Women’s Football” (USA amazon link HERE)
I will absolutely dedicate a post to this book once I’m done reading it but OMG is it good. Everyone should read it, honestly. Suzy is a stellar writer and I rate her super highly so to me, it’s normal to look to her for inspiration, the same way I draw fire from the musicians I listen to.
d ❤
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My run in prediction
Me and accurate predictions are definitely not synonymous. I might get a thing right once here and there I never actually think that what I predict actually has a chance of happening, but since this is pretty fun to do, I’m gonna give it a shot. Please be warned that I’m terrible at stats and things of that nature. Try to follow along.
THE TABLE… As it stands Man Utd have 50 pts, Chelsea 49 and Arsenal with 44. United have played 1 match more.
There are 3 matches left for us. Everton (A), Chelsea (A) and Aston Villa (H). Let’s say we beat Everton and Villa and we tie against Chelsea. That would give us 7 points aka 51 pts total.
Chelsea have us, West Ham and Reading, so safe to say at least 7 points aka 57 pts.
United have the Manchester Derby and Liverpool, so let’s say they get 6 points out of those. That would give them a total of 56 pts.
So, even though this is all out of whack and my order doesn’t make any sense, the reality is that most likely Chelsea will be champions, BUT we can still prevent that from happening if we beat them. This is hard with all of our starters, let alone a depleted squad.
My prediction is, sadly, that Chelsea do the double. I don’t love this but I do a lot of their players but don’t even get me started on geo-politics and what I actually think about any person that signed for that club, in any capacity while Abramovich was the owner.
d ❤
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Aggressive transfer policy please…
Ah… the life of a football fan. Week after week of joy, suffering, thrills, tears and everything in between. This season has had everything, not only for us at AWFC but the league as a whole. Its gonna be a fascinating last few weeks and I’m really excited to see what happens.
I’m also at a point, like I mentioned a couple of days ago, when I just want the season to end, and there’s a very specific, personal reason. I want to know what the squad will be looking like next season AS SOON AS POSSIBLE because I need to prepare myself for what could be.
I need to know, ASAP, that our regular starters are coming back. I need to know ASAP that if they don’t, we buy the right players for the right systems and the right moments. The league is more competitive than ever and in my opinion we need a lot of changes in the squad. Some players, for me, just aren’t good enough for the club, even if they’ve played out of their skin in recent times.I also would like to see more players of color at the club.This last point can be a topic for a whole different series of blogs and podcasts but I won’t get into that today, I just know that overall I would like to see more diversity.
My point is that I think this off season we need to be super aggressive and get star players in and quite honestly I don’t really worry if Pelova, LWM and a couple of other’s growth suffers from that. I’m totally cool with ready made players coming in.
I TOTALLY LOVE THE ACADEMY AND BRINGING IN PLAYERS THROUGH THE SYSTEM, don’t get me wrong. Just making sure I express that.
I mean, let’s look at LWM for example. She has proven me wrong time and time again this season. She has gotten so much better and the way she is off the pitch is nothing short of inspiring. I think there’s something special about her that exceeds football and my only criticism of her is less about HER as much as it is that I would really like to see her play farther up the pitch. I think she would be a very good DM actually, but without Leah, we need her at the back. Would I trade anything she did for the club thus far? Absolutely not. Did she deserve to play? Of course she did. Did she deserve to be the unfortunate person to make a mistake vs Wolfsburg? Hell no. She only deserves great things. Nothing but.
So if Leah is a 10, and LWM isn’t, I would rather have someone close to Leah, it’s not that I don’t think LWM isn’t “good enough” for our club. Of course she is and as with all women players, they are bigger than a club, they’re all historic, trailblazers.
However, I much rather have someone like LWM than basically anyone in football because of her social consciousness and all that incredible added value that inspires communities, more than an average “better player” would.
I don’t have to make the choices, nor do I have a preference per se. I just want whatever happens to happen soon so I know what to expect because I’m impatient and childish.
New YOUTUBE episode will be recorded and uploaded tomorrow btw, so thanks for watching!!
d ❤
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There are other great clubs, you know?!
I don’t understand how some people want former AWFC players to fail in their new clubs. I truly don’t. It’s so unthinkable to me and I’ve tried to justify it but I can’t. I’m sure the people that do, can. I’m not one of those people.
This phenomenon popped into my mind today with my favorite player ever and Arsenal legend aka DVD, won yet another title with Lyon. I have lost count of how much she’s won since she left us. Same goes for Jill Roord and Dom Janssen, among others.
A lot of people have their football club as such a big part of their identity that it’s almost like someone dumping them… they cannot possibly understand why they did it. But it’s not about us is it? it never has been and it never will. Some people question other’s loyalty and they are doing so from their living room, in pajamas, watching The Office, while these professional, trail blazing women are trying to make great decisions for themselves, their families and their friends.
Why are people absolutely certain that AWFC is the best place for everyone? I certainly don’t think so and I know for a fact that some former players are happier today than they’ve ever been. So if we are their true fans and want what’s best for them, why would we wish them nothing but?
I remember when Lyon lost to Chelsea there were so many tweets about how DVD had left Arsenal to win a CL and “look at her now, losing to Chelsea” …. How absurd is this??
Did you hibernate while Dean won the Champion’s League last year??
That is just laughable to me.
I say this but watch me cry myself to sleep if any player I like signs for Chelsea ever. I would want Chelsea to lose, but not the player though, if that would even be possible.
So much emotion. I need a nap.
d ❤
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time is weird
I had written down the wrong date on my calendar and I thought the match Vs Everton was on Saturday but it’s actually on the 17th and I just breathed an audible sigh of relief. I normally can’t wait for the next match. I usually know the exact date or the number of days til the girls get on the pitch again. It’s just how I operate… the second the match ends I am desperate to see AWFC play again. That’s why the off season and extended breaks are absurdly brutal for me and my egotistical way of thinking.
During this latter part of the season, the total opposite has applied for me. I want the most amount of days in between matches to go by. Obviously it’s because of the injuries and the prevention of them too. Moreover, I just feel like they have all worked so damn hard in the last few weeks that it also would seem that those weeks alone could feel like a whole damn season to most humans.
At the same time, I am absolutely desperate for the season itself to end because I can’t wait to lose my sh*t during the World Cup (which I will try to cover as much as possible on here and vice the podcast).
So you see, my friends, I want time go by both quickly and slowly. I’m just a damn mess.
I’m also really struggling because for the first time since I’ve been following AWFC I find myself not being a massive fan of EVERY player. It’s a feeling that’s alien to me and I still don’t have the words to express exactly what I feel.
There’s this dissonance I feel when average players are overhyped and I find myself judging people’s opinion and its a lame, unproductive rabbit hole and I am trying to have self control and remind myself that my opinion is truly irrelevant.
Can/Can’t wait for next season.
Also, a kind reminder that THAT ARSENAL WOMEN PODCAST is now on YOUTUBE
You can subscribe, like and do all that YouTube stuff.
thank you
d ❤
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the audience (aka lia) is listening
One of the things I have learned along the way in my career as a professional musician is that you should always respect the audience, wether they are there for you directly or the artist you are playing for.
This respect if for the art itself, for the audience as a whole and for ourselves as artists and people. There are countless examples of your favorite musicians or actors saying how after x performance someone important sought them out, or asked them to be a part of their band… There is also an infinity of examples as to how phoning it in, being irresponsible, disconnected and unprepared has prevented people from getting work.
Ok Demian but what does this have to do with Arsenal? Well, it has a lot to do with it.
Us fans sometimes forget our reach. We sometimes forget how players can read our comments, watch our content and listen to our podcasts. I struggle with that too because sometimes I want to say something and then I remember some of the people who follow me and I stop myself.
An important question we need to ask ourselves is: why does my opinion matter? The irony of me typing that in a blog post when NOBODY asked me to, is just chef’s kiss. My point is that this is why I do my absolute best to be positive and optimistic. I’ve gone on and on and on and on about this since I started talking about AWFC in 2019.
I’m a champion of this not because it is what I do and I think you should do it as well, but I know first hand how social media can affect people, their craft, their insecurities and so on, so why not build them up, point out their strengths and how they inspire us?
I go back to empathy all the time. We need more of it and this is a reminder to myself. I haven’t been the kindest to Pelova or LWM for instance and I need to curb that and focus on the positives, and I’ll tell you when I find them. (just kidding, they’re doing great…. kinda… maybe? ok sure… seriously though LWM is playing fantastic and I’m very proud of her and her growth).
Your words have power and so do your videos. You have power. Our mislead youth has power too.. power to say stupid things and we forget how technology has amplified our message to places we could never imagine.
The art spin to this is that it doesn’t matter if they read it or not… the connection with the universe and art itself is the process of creating it and sending it out there when it stops belonging to us fully.. it’s out there, it belongs to others too. So the tweets, the Tumblr blogs about their personal lives, the memes, the gossiping, the insults… you are part of that. You ARE them. You ARE the tweets you send from your accounts.
The same way that Lia is Lia under @wally131313 or whatever. That’s her. She meant what she tweeted. It was true.
People always say “at the end of the day ______” but I always felt that’s easy… hard convo at the end of the day? you can just go to sleep and boom… new day. I rather say: at the start of the day, with all those hours ahead of us to think and feel, we need to realize we are humans that type and there are humans who read.
d ❤
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A very subjective look into AWFC 