The Women's Rolling Football Thread season 2024-25

[DuncinToffee]

All ready for a brand new season ⚽💪

Previous thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/sports/4879827-the-womens-rolling-football-thread-season-2023-24

Dearie me. What happened there?!
Great goal by Agyemang, though.

Yes, just shows how much we need Russo, James, Hemp and Kelly.

i missed that game but have just seen that Agyemang goal, a beauty

Some key dates have been announced for the 2025-26 season:

6-7 Sept: Opening weekend for the WSL & Women's Champ.
22 Dec until 10-11 January: Winter break.
14-15 March: League Cup final.
2-3 May: Final weekend of Championship campaign.
16-17 May: Final weekend of WSL campaign.

Thanks, Duncin.

Earlier start than last season despite there being an international competition that finishes at the end of July! UWCL 3rd qualifying round for Arsenal/Man United/Man City starts on 11th Sep, as well. When are the players supposed to get their 4 weeks off?

WSL clubs' spending on agents fees between Feb 2024 & Feb 2025:

Chelsea £623k
Man City £289k
Arsenal 221k
Man Utd £205k
Aston Villa £160k
Tottenham £129k
Everton £123k
Leicester £110k
West Ham £110k
Brighton £71k
Liverpool £70k
Crystal Palace £60k

#BarclaysWSL

(Tom Garry on bsky)

The gap is massive. I am surprised how little Liverpool have invested in their team.

Everything going the way of the men's game. So depressing. Probably inevitable, but still...

Great news from the Supreme Court regarding the meaning of "woman" in the Equality Act - ie Woman = biological female. I wonder if this will affect the FA's transgender and DSD policy and if they will be forced to change it to keep women's football for women at all levels? Someone needs to take them to court. They are discriminating against women.

Regarding Arsenal Women vs Leicester City Women yesterday, lovely game - attendance small but perfectly formed and very vocal. Leicester are a good side with a couple of really exciting looking young players - and they always looked dangerous going forward. 2 attempts on goal, both on target, one goal is very efficient!
Nonetheless it felt like a training game for us - very enjoyable, too. The squad is so deep!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c367k5n2kplo

This is so sad. Really great player, absolutely bossing it. Wishing her a speedy recovery.

So glad to see all the support across the board that Ian Wright is getting re his involvement with the woman's game.

He has been an incredible voice and support and it seems mad that Eni Aluko goes after him-possibly the biggest advocate of women's football.

Ian is also paying £1700 a month for a Stoke woman's player's rehab after she did her ACL.

He has set up an initiative that aims to increase the number of female coaches at grass root level-funding over 650 to complete Level 1 training.

My DIL, amongst others posted a story that said "we just want everyone to treat women's football like Ian Wright does"

Just wanted to give him a little love on this thread!

Agreed!

I thought Aluko had a point about the opportunities available to women pundits/commentators compared to men but she shouldn't have picked out an individual and if she did, Ian Wright is the last man she should have picked.

To add to what MrsMitford said about IW's good works (in women's football, not just for Arsenal), Arsenal fans in particular adore him and they are by a distance the most numerous online. So massive fail all round for Eni Aluko!

She didn't "have a go", though - it's a bit unfair to portray it like that as some are doing, but an apology should be offered and would be graciously accepted, I'm sure.

And all the England fans appreciate how patriotic he is, too. Seriously, the worst choice by Aluko.

I also agree with your daughter in law, Mrs M. What I love about IW is that he takes women's football on its own terms and loves it for what it is.

Apparently she had already apologised but he's not accepting it although says he just wants to move on.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cewg77x09ezo
I must admit I do think he should accept the apology, just to stop the whole thing in its tracks but I can understand that it feels very personal.

The trouble with situations like this is if social media types get involved supporting you, they subsequently think they own you, and you owe them something.

I have seen his post re the "apology" He says he is disappointed-that she knows how much he (and his management company) has both behind the scenes and publicly helped her and of conversations he and his management have had with her and he has seen her apology on social media but can't accept it.

I think he is saying they talk a lot-he has always supported her and the apology-not to him personally but posted-is performative and to save face but she didn't pick up the phone and ring him privately to apologise.

He says he is so grateful for the support but that he just wants to move on now.

Ah, I skimmed the article and didn't realise she hadn't apologised to him personally. That's very poor. In that case I think his attitude is fair enough. It must feel like a kick in the teeth!

I feel generally a bit sorry for Aluko dating back to the business with racism and the England manager when everyone said she was lying (including teammates who should have stayed out of it) but a parliamentary inquiry vindicated her version of events. And a male ex-player pundit (not Joey Barton) made a point of being really nasty and patronising to her on air while they were both in the studio, so I suspect she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder.

I reiterate, I do think she has a valid point about opportunities but she absolutely should not have picked on "Uncle Ian". It's the BBC/ITV who choose the pundits, not IW. He's a lovely, supportive guy and his presence probably actively helps get more people to take a serious look at women's football.

She is not particularly likeable anyway so I would imagine her best bet now is to forget the punditry and concentrate on business - buying up independent women's football clubs and developing them.

Yes I think it felt very performative and insincere. Especially because they have a personal relationship.
I also agree she is not particularly likeable or indeed a very good pundit but feel for her as people (and I use the word loosely) like Joey Barton take some very cheap shots.
I do think this whole episode reflects so poorly on her and she does seem to play the victim here but it has def come back to bite her.
There are some very good woman's commentators working in the mens game as well as the woman's-Alex Scott, Gabby Logan, Laura Woods and my fav Kate Abdo.
I don't think men should commentate exclusively on men's football, nor do i think woman should exclusively comment on the woman's game.
Totally agree that she should forget the punditry and put her head down and get on with her business-which sounds like a great idea!

I enjoyed our match until that injury time goal.

Crystal Palace have been relegated.

Chelsea well beaten by Barcelona, come on Arsenal!

Wow!!! Brilliant game Arsenal!!!! Superb performance.

The bitter me is hoping Jonas sobbing into his beer somewhere...

It's not just you hoping that!

Incredible result. I am so so so happy. 4-1 on the night is incredible.

Sorry about the last-minute loss, but I'm thrilled about Michelle Agyemang scoring again.

Yes, certainly wasn't expecting that result. So happy.

Let's hope we can play like that against Barca.

Yes, I just checked and she started this game and Liverpool game and scored in both.

As a Chelsea fan I can honestly say arsenal are amazing this season, if they can beat Barca would be great. Renee has done a fantastic job, I mean anyone is better than jonas, couldn’t stand that guy. We just cant beat them, they our white whale as I say. We’ve beaten all of the big European teams over the years but just cannot for the life of us beat them. Luckily we are still unbeaten in the wsl, hanging on to that by a thread. Let’s hope Lyon and Barca get each other at some point next season as to help everyone else out a bit…

Thanks for the good wishes and praise for Renée Slegers, very handsome of you.
Commiserations on your result.