The Women's Rolling Football Thread season 2023-24

[DuncinToffee]

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

Let us know who you support

Daly is playing really well. Russo might have lost her place.

Good performance by both teams, actually. Scotland had some great attacking moves and probably should have had a penalty. Both sides started to look a bit tired towards the end, England more than Scotland. The Rep of Ireland v Northern Ireland game was good, too. Katie McCabe starred, natch. The match was not of the same standard, but it was very entertaining, especially considering the NI squad has a large proportion of amateurs. Just as in the WC, "smaller" teams are really stepping up and going toe-to-toe with bigger ones. Good to see.

I enjoyed the Netherlands v England and happy with the Dutch win.

WSL starting this weekend!

Yes, I feel sorry for the Villa players and their shirt issues.

Those shirts are very strange, watching the men's cup game last night and the Villa players looked like they were playing in pouring rain getting drenched.

Imagine playing in such clinging shirts just because of the design.

Opening fixtures this Sunday 1 Oct

Aston Villa v Manchester United (12.30pm, Villa Park, live on BBC2)
Everton v Brighton & Hove Albion (1pm, Walton Hall Park)
Arsenal v Liverpool (2pm, Emirates Stadium)
Bristol City v Leicester City (2pm, Ashton Gate)
West Ham United v Manchester City (3pm, Chigwell Construction Stadium)
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm, Stamford Bridge, live on Sky Sports)

Hi, can I join you? I'm a Chelsea Women supporter (not interested in the men as I have always followed non-league football - I do not care about the Premier League).

Can't wait for the WSL to start. I think Arsenal will be the team to watch, especially now that they are out of the Champions League. They have made some shrewd signings - people talk about Alessia Russo but I think Kyra Cooney-Cross is more exciting.

Is anyone playing Fantasy WSL?

I'd have thought they would have tested out the Villa shirts before finalising them but actually I am not that keen on the material for most football shirts.

Hello IronGwazi! Looking forward to the WSL chat too. Not tried fantasy league though.

Yes, you would think that wouldn't you.

Not good for a British brand. Very embarrassing.

Newcastle ended their sponsorship early because of the quality of the shirts.

Two more ACL injuries from the international matches, Emma Watson and Caroline Weir

Hi irongwazi
I'm an Arsenal supporter and fwiw I agree with you about the importance of the Cooney-Cross signing. Also thank you so much for the compliment about our team. It kills me to say it but Chelsea will still be the top team - however, I feel as if we have started to bridge the gap.

Our kit is lovely, too. Unlike poor Aston Villa's. Massive fail there but at least the manufacturers have been made aware that it Will Not Do. I agree with everyone, it's extraordinary that they seem to be finding out now about the unsuitability of the fabric.

I'd heard about Emma Watson, but not Caroline Weir. I feel bad for both of them but especially Emma who is only 17 and just breaking into the top flight and her national side. A player's whole future career trajectory can be changed by an injury like this.

And I confess I was also supporting the Neths in the England match. It's all about the club and players for me - the Neths team has several current and former Arsenal players. Even the retired goalkeeper honoured at the end was a Gunner for several seasons. Alessia Russo is Arsenal and scored a great goal but she hasn't played for us in the WSL yet, so...

Welcome @IronGwazi

Hope you are right about Arsenal, but Chelsea's (womens!) recruitment is brilliant.

You have so many excellent players.

Yes, it was very difficult not to support Palova when she was running rings around Rachel Daly. I kept having to remind myself to support England.

You know you've had a good game when the opposition manager feels the need to restructure her team to stop you!

Thanks for the welcome, everyone! Looking forward to going to Stamford Bridge this weekend to see Chelsea play Spurs. Is anyone else going to any games?

@BellaAmorosa I really like Arsenal’s kit. I also like that you’ve got that third kit that’s unique to the women as well. Aston Villa on the other hand …. that kit really is horrendous. I heard that they would be terminating the contract with the manufacturer.

Arsenal were so unlucky last season with injuries and when Mead, Miedema and Williamson are back they will be like new signings. Beth Mead can’t be too far off?

@MustTryHarderAndHarder thank you, I must say I’ve been really excited about the recruitment that Emma Hayes has done. I was at a pre-season friendly a few weeks ago and was especially impressed with Sjoeke Nüsken as a new signing. She just looked so composed on the ball. We hopefully also have Fran Kirby available again for the weekend. I think the Lionesses missed her at the World Cup because she is so creative.

@IronGwazi

Yes, I think that the title is Chelsea's to lose. You have such a strong team and with Fran back it will be even stronger.

I think Beth Mead is back in training and was on the bench for our CL qualifier but didn't play.

Do you like our yellow and black away shirt? I really like it.

https://arsenaldirect.arsenal.com/Womens/Kit/Arsenal-Womens-23-24-Away-Shirt/p/WHZ21048010-L?glCountry=GB&glCurrency=GBP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkKH5tvLRgQMVgcbtCh1OvAp9EAQYASABEgJca_D_BwE

I echo the sentiments of m'learned friend MustTryHarderandHarder.

I do like the lime/yellow and black kit but the one I was referring to is the bespoke Stella McCartney women's kit. It has been an instant hit with the players and the fans, I am told:
https://www.footyheadlines.com/2023/06/blog-post_14.html

That is a very nice kit

Yes, I like the bespoke kit too.

It does look very good. Arsenal nearly always have good kits but I wonder if one reason why this one looks so nice is because it was designed for women by a proper designer.

Took the words out of my mouth. Especially that designer - that's Stella McCartney's thing - eye-catching but wearable. She works with athletes a lot and always delivers something that meets the brief really specifically, looks great on the particular bodies she is designing for and has an original, flair element. I think she's amazing.

@MustTryHarderAndHarder I like the lime/yellow kit (and the home kit actually) but the Stella McCartney bespoke one is even better. I just love the lines.

Chelsea’s away kit this season is an odd one - very similar colours to the home kit, so if the home kit clashes then the away kit will as well. I quite like it (it reminds me of the movie Tron), but I don’t really understand the colour choice.

Morning everyone! Newbie here, I support Arsenal women, going to see them at the emirates today soo looking forward to it.

I was reading a thread yesterday, don't know if any of you guys saw it basically talking about how some support their men's premier league teams but don't enjoy/ cannot get into the women's game. If you don't enjoy something that's fair enough! It does surprise me though how some just almost gleefully love to put the women's game down, "it's not to the same standard as the men's game" etc etc. I think it's quite sad really, I think it's very inspiring what these ladies have achieved in recent years and if you don't like football fair enough but some were so negative about it full stop. As it happens I only got into it because of my son! Im a single mum so watch him every week, we got to go to some of the men's games through family and then we both started to watch the women's games and he loves it 😊

I saw that thread and eye rolled at the title, didn't bother reading it. The strange case of wearing not liking women's football as a badge of honour

Enjoy the football today!

Hi there @talawalawoo. Hope you have a great time at the match. I am only watching Villa v Man Utd on TV. There's just been a great shot from Geyse brilliantly saved by Van Domselaar. It's exciting seeing two new players to the WSL having an impact.