The Women's Rolling Football Thread season 2023-24

[DuncinToffee]

Calling all football fans to discuss all things related to the beautiful game

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It was, both teams looked exhausted at the end.

Millie Bright played better, but is still the weak link. Do we have anyone apart from Lottie WM who can play in that position?

Esme Morgan was pretty good earlier in the year. A lot of people rate Maya Le Tissier. I feel so sorry for LWM because I have no doubt that had she been fit she would either have kept Millie Bright out of the starting lineup or at least taken her place while she is returning to fitness. Sarina loves partnerships and she will not change an established pairing if she can possibly help it. England have got through the toughest match in this qualification - on paper, at least - with Millie Bright and Leah Williamson both at less than 100% so that is it now until after next year's Euros! Greenwood might get in at LB, if Carter's 1v1 defending skills are not crucial for a match, but this is SW's starting 11.
Much better performance from England - central pair still making too many mistakes but the attacking play and link-up play was a different level to the other night.

I thought we had moved on from this happening

That is unbelievable except it isn't

FFS

fgs

If you didn't get to see it on its limited release, the rather good documentary about the 1971 women's (unofficial) world cup is on iPlayer.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0020541

I saw some of the interviews for that, thanks for the link.

I went to the cinema to see it but it was quite hard to track down. Thanks for the link.

Palova has got an ACL injury!

I saw that a few days ago, happened early on in the Finland v Netherlands match

It's so sad. And just as she had become such an important player for both Arsenal and the Netherlands. Absolutely gutting for her and for us.

Worrying news about Reading FC. My son used to play against some of their academy teams

The possibility of Reading dropping out of the Women's Championship is being discussed, while Reading’s girls academy may no longer be able to operate next term. Staff wait agonisingly for news on a possible takeover.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/18/reading-may-not-be-able-to-compete-in-womens-championship-next-season

Really

Manchester United’s women’s team will be moved into portable buildings at the club’s Carrington training complex this season to allow the men’s squad to use the women’s building while the men’s building is being revamped

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/25/manchester-united-women-moved-out-of-training-building-to-accommodate-men-carrington

Yeah it's shocking but not surprising. I've been a Man United fan since 1990 and I was so disgusted with how slow they were to embrace the women's game that I boycotted the women's team when they first started up. I've got into it for the last two seasons and been to lots of the games but it's evident that they don't see the women as fully part of the club and what's going on at the moment is really disappointing.

Mary Earps is going to PSG when she quite clearly put the ball in the court of the club and would have stayed if they'd shown the right ambition.

It's not a good time to support the club right now but never really has been as far as the women are concerned tbh.

Very clearly showing the women where they sit in the hierarchy of importance there! I feel for you, IdisagreeMrHochhauser, but I think all clubs are the same to some extent, if that's any comfort... Look what happened at Thornaby FC, although thankfully the women's and girls' teams have been restored. Women's football isn't a proper sport to so many - at worst, it's a category of soft p*rn and at best it's an equality and diversity initiative. Not like real football. So of course it's the first thing to go when times are hard.

And in a segue worthy of BBC Sport's much-loved and venerable football showcase Match Of The Day, is Michele Kang perhaps showing us the future of women's football in owning clubs entirely independent of men's clubs? Plus Kosovare and Jocelyn Precheur lured to a Championship side? Now that is what I call ambition.

Sad news for Reading Women

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/jun/28/reading-women-set-to-drop-out-of-championship-takeover-falls-through

Oh, no!

Hours earlier there had been hope at the club. It is understood a consortium of UK-based and American investors had been ready to save the women’s arm of the club and fund them to carry on playing second-tier football, but the deal fell through at the final hurdle. According to sources with knowledge of the discussions, another separate, unnamed set of prospective investors, who are proposing to buy the wider football club from Dai Yongge, refused to agree to the women’s team being taken over. That is said to have infuriated staff.
🤐

The owner has destroyed the club and the women and girls are the biggest victims.

Fifth tier is best case but whole set-up could be closed

Reading have confirmed they have ‘reluctantly withdrawn’ from the Women’s Championship for the 2024/25 season, and will instead operate in Tier 5

Independent ownership is the way forward. A men's club is never going to attach the same value to its female arm as to the men's/boys' side. And I say this as an Arsenal Women fan - even though Arsenal are one of the best clubs for women. I really hope there is a friendly, football-mad multi-millionaire looking at this. Different name, start from scratch. Walk away from Reading FC.

Mary Earps has signed for PSG

Good for her. I hope she has a great time.
Dominique Janssen is going to Man U, is the rumour. I am very envious!

Same story, different club, sigh

EXCL: Blackburn are planning to pay their women’s team players just £9,000-a-year for the upcoming season.

MailSport understands their player budget is £100k. Players will operate on 16-hour contracts and receive minimum wage.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13592121/Blackburn-Rovers-set-pay-womens-players-just-9-000-year-salaries-season-amid-clubs-precarious-financial-position-owners-Venkys-investigation-India-tax-dispute.html