The Friday Ramble: A bit of an update
Getting things back on track and a bit of an insight into what's to come at WFC over the coming weeks.
And we’re back!
I appreciate for a period it was a bit quiet on here as I dealt with life writing for Sheffield United, but the last few weeks I’ve been able to get back to writing regularly and hope as ever you’ve enjoyed the content I’ve been creating for the site - there’s many plans for what’s to come too!
What a few weeks, hey?! Emma Hayes to the USA! I’ll be honest, I never saw that one coming, even if it feels like a match made in heaven. But, as I wrote last week, it almost feels too good to be true, and there will still be questions about how Hayes adapts to national team management and a completely different environment and culture, but I’m excited to see how it goes.
Relevant Read: USA and Emma Hayes, the most intriguing match up
I won’t get to see the Manchester derby this weekend, but think it will be a hugely intriguing game. The hosts in United seem to be clicking a bit now, while City have gone backwards despite a largely positive performance at Arsenal which deserved more. A third defeat in a row in such a condensed league would be likely terminal for any title chance again this season.
There’s an interesting dynamic building in the WSL in that we may have a big managerial merry-go-round next summer. Chelsea, of course, are confirmed to need a new head coach for the first time since 2012, but both United and City’s coaches have contracts only until the end of the season too, and this weekend is big in terms of keeping at least one of them in a title race with Chelsea already threatening to run away with things as others stutter.
Then, it’s international break (again), but one I’m actually looking forward to this time. The UEFA Nations League has delivered and I’m really intrigued to see who gets out of the League A groups and remains in Olympic contention, as well as who gets relegated and promoted between leagues. There’s almost something resting on every game, which is exactly what we want, and of course here all eyes will be on England.
I do still feel England will win their group. Wembley brings something out of them under Sarina Wiegman and with Scotland a few key players down, I do back them for six points if they get everything right, but it’s also two tough games which if they don’t, could prove terminal for any Team GB hopes next summer.
But not just that, Germany and Sweden’s hopes are more than hanging by a thread too, particularly the latter, who were a penalty away from gold in Tokyo. This new format is brutal, but rewards excellency.
In League B, I’m keeping an eye on Bosnia-Herzegovina who sit a point above Czech Republic with two games to go. A few years ago, they were a team who regularly got beat badly, but they’ve become a really solid unit in recent years and have taken that into the UEFA Nations League. Promotion to League A would be incredible for them.
As for WFC, I really enjoyed speaking to Sweden head coach Peter Gerhardsson for the interview I published this week, he was fascinating to speak to about all things football and so passionate about what he does.
Relevant Read: The Big Interview with Peter Gerhardsson
There’s plenty more to come too. I was out and about from 7am to 10pm yesterday, firstly to meet Kyle Quigley who leaves near me in Barnsley and ended up coaching alongside Randy Waldrum for Nigeria at the World Cup in the summer. It’s a great story, and will be out next week for paid subscribers!
Then I headed over to Liverpool to spend the evening with Tier 3 side Liverpool Feds. They’re doing things very differently to almost any other Tier 3 side now and their model is a world away from the Newcastles and Nottingham Forests, and it was interesting to hear their stories, but also enlightening because it was almost a throwback to what women’s football used to be, a very family/community feel.
Below, I answer the questions you sent in for me yesterday, and below is an extended sneak peek at what’s coming up in the next few weeks!
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Answering your Questions
Grumpy Dad - Away from WSL, the Championship is really hotting up. Birmingham starting to hit full stride and Charlton, whilst not as impressive, are grinding results out in a way that title winners do.
Who do you see winning the league, and are Lewes doomed?
Working in it directly, it’s such a strange yet brilliant league. I didn’t even know Charlton were top now until earlier this week, they’d sort of appeared from nowhere, yet have lost at Watford and drew with us when they were sub-par on the opening day! It’s so unpredictable, I do think Birmingham still have a great chance, their squad is the best on paper and they’re starting to hit their stride now as you say.
I think over the year either Birmingham or Palace will win it, and I do think it will be tough for Lewes. The 3-2 loss to Palace will offer some hope, because defensively so far they’ve been ok to be fair, but have really struggled for goals.
Adam Bateman - Hi Rich,
Away from the big Emma news (and just who on earth will be her replacement- not entirely sure about Stoney, as all she has done is build from the very start with her management career so far at SD and Manchester United, she hasn't worked with other managers players yet), I would like to talk about England if I may.
Just what more does Millie Turner have to do to get a place in the squad, she scored the Goal of The Season v West Ham, and has been playing very well for a while now, yet other players who have not been playing anywhere near as well as she has done (Greenwood for example, 1 red card v Millie's 0) get call ups... just where is the consistency with her call ups....
I’ll try to answer this in various parts because we’ve had this conversation several times before. As I’ve always said, national team squads are NEVER selected solely on current form. A national team manager, just like a club manager, wants a settled, consistent squad, not to change it every month depending on who is and isn’t in form, then there’s the question of connections and who plays well together and has experience playing with each other.
Of course, players can break into that and we see it regularly, but there’s no guarantee Turner’s form for United transitions into England, where she’s playing with completely different players. Her form has been good of late, but Greenwood was still England’s outstanding player at the World Cup. For Turner, now at 27, maybe she’s missed the boat also because generally new players coming in will be younger ones for the future, as we’ve seen with Keating and Clinton.
Also, I don’t think Wiegman picks her centre-backs on goals scored!
Then you have Roebuck and Hampton getting call ups over Baggers and Laws, two goalkeepers who play on a regular basis...
Parris and Rachel Williams also deserve to be mentioned as equally odd non call ups, so just why do some players get call ups after either not playing, or playing very poorly, whilst others who do play well, get ignored??
Should Sarina not be asked what her criteria is for selection, as if playing isn't the very bare minimum, just what what on earth is???
Same as above regarding all of these. Roebuck and Hampton are still regarded as England’s future for the next 10-15 years, the others simply aren’t. Rachael Laws is 33 and in reality bringing her in doesn’t serve any purpose for Wiegman either short-term where Earps would still be number one and doesn’t serve a purpose long-term either.
Parris, maybe, because she’s been around the set up under Wiegman, but file Williams in the Laws category.
Also, as an aside....what will Spurs do when Beth England comes back, will they play her up front with Martha Thomas (if so, who drops out to accommodate this happening??), or will they put Thomas (the current WSL Top scorer no less!) on the bench??
Rob has had it easy so far with Beth England being out, but when she is back, that is when the tough decisions will have to be made.
This will be interesting, but what a nice problem to have?! I think they will find a way to make it work, good players and coaches always do. Maybe Thomas could play from the left as a narrow winger coming in on her right foot, and that will move Clinton back into the middle. I think it can only be a positive for Tottenham though.
What’s coming up?
While things have been quiet until the last week or two, I’ve got some great bits coming up over the next few weeks which paid subscribers can get full access to…
Emma Hayes: The Stateside Story. Former coaches who worked with Hayes in the USA offer an in-depth insight into her early coaching years.
The Big Interview with Kyle Quigley. The Barnsley man who went to the World Cup with Nigeria.
Road to 2027: Croatia. An in-depth look, speaking to people within the federation, looking at why Croatia has failed to get anywhere near the success of its men’s team.
Liverpool Feds. I spent an evening with the Tier 3 side this week speaking to players and staff about how their unique model is still allowing them to thrive rather than just survive
ACLs, concussions and more. I spoke to all three doctors on UEFA’s new Female Health Expert panel about the work going on to prevent key injuries in the women’s game.
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