Women's Football Thread 2024/2025

[remember arthur mann]

Love this. Positive small steps

Sounds about right. Bring Steph in and take all the glory, get him fooked off.

 

[freshie]

That is a horrendous injury list

 

[cleavers]

That is a horrendous injury list

Yes horrendous, what's up with Yamashita, I did ask in the match thread earlier.

 

[Lee the Blue]

Granted the injury list is laughably bad, but City will now miss CL qualification for the 2nd time in the last 3 seasons. Over a season thats just not acceptable for a club with our resources. This will also be the third straight year we will have gone without winning a trophy as well, unless we pull the FA Cup out of the fire somehow - forget the CL as Barcelona are streets ahead of the rest and will win that.

Yes the injuries are a factor this year but our Womens Team has woefully underperformed for too long now and needs a huge rethink and new commitment after this season. In short and very sadly, in recent times we are currently just making the numbers up.

 

[Mr HJ]

Granted the injury list is laughably bad, but City will now miss CL qualification for the 2nd time in the last 3 seasons. Over a season thats just not acceptable for a club with our resources. This will also be the third straight year we will have gone without winning a trophy as well, unless we pull the FA Cup out of the fire somehow - forget the CL as Barcelona are streets ahead of the rest and will win that.

Yes the injuries are a factor this year but our Womens Team has woefully underperformed for too long now and needs a huge rethink and new commitment after this season. In short and very sadly, in recent times we are currently just making the numbers up.

Agree with this - I really think it shows how poor it was from the club to stick with Taylor for so long. The list of players we've had and lost is impressive and sad - all he did was alienate some of the best ones and try to coach any flair out of the regular choices with negative tactics.

I am quite impressed with Theresa so far as she didn't mess about and made the change as quickly as she could. You can see already several of the team are improving and with maybe a couple of astute changes in the summer and a new, progressive manager in place (If Cushing wants to go to a mens team) the squad will finally reach it's potential.

There will still be some big calls to make as players like Mary, Jill and Bunny enter the final year of their contracts. Biggest need for me is a top left back and a quality midfielder to help Yui. I've no idea how good Oyama will be but she hasn't been given a look in so far but maybe next year will be different. One thing for sure when the injuries clear up we will have a top forward line but I struggle to see how they can give everyone game time if we miss out on CL football. We really need to win every one of the remaining WSL games to have any chance of CL and that may still not be enough.

In short Taylor was a disaster and to extend his contract after blowing the league was a wasteful decision from Nils.

 

[Laertes]

The club have thrown the kitchen sink at the womens team

Might want to back that one up a bit mate! Plenty of questions raised on that issue over the last few years.

What if next season every mens ST holder is given 2 freebies for one WSL game of their choosing, and an optional guest ticket for say £10. Would www.mancityw.com ie a dedicated OS help to generate more interest and ticket sales. Should the club go all out for a super star on a one year mega deal ?. How about freebie tickets for a couple of schools per game. Could some of the men's squad always turn up at the Joie and support the womens team. Pre kick off song, If they don't want to adopt Blue Moon how about a new womens anthem to give them a unique identity. That can be icky if it's a naff song so maybe go for a new recording of Blue Moon. The new WTC looks like an awesome investment and should help to develop of our own talent as well attract the best players.

More seriously, I'd say these are the sort of things they've focused on for the last x number of years and have left things in this state.

The club have spent years marketing the Women's team at kids and young families, pushed freebies, offers, and low prices, and left us with the sort of atmosphere we had yesterday (and in the derby) where most of the crowd are at the game for a day out, but are paying such little attention to the match happening in front of them that there's no real atmosphere or even feelings of tension. It's not going to get better by doubling down on that. They need to be doing more to get people caring about the actual results and performances, not just buying a ticket, that's where Arsenal have really nailed it over the years.

You can go too far with tribalism etc, but we need more of that with the Women's team imo, not less.

 

[LeonardoDaVnci]

Might want to back that one up a bit mate! Plenty of questions raised on that issue over the last few years.


More seriously, I'd say these are the sort of things they've focused on for the last x number of years and have left things in this state.

The club have spent years marketing the Women's team at kids and young families, pushed freebies, offers, and low prices, and left us with the sort of atmosphere we had yesterday (and in the derby) where most of the crowd are at the game for a day out, but are paying such little attention to the match happening in front of them that there's no real atmosphere or even feelings of tension. It's not going to get better by doubling down on that. They need to be doing more to get people caring about the actual results and performances, not just buying a ticket, that's where Arsenal have really nailed it over the years.

You can go too far with tribalism etc, but we need more of that with the Women's team imo, not less.

You are more informed than myself. I just think the '7K test' (ie sell out the Joie) is such a clear cut indicator the womens team are failing spectacularly to pass. No doubt AFCs data on attendees at womens games is confidential, but I would love to know what % of 60K crowds at the Emirates also attend mens games. It may have to be a long term generational solution. A successful winning team would be wonderful but I feel there is something deeper, some cultural reasons stiffling the growth in the Joie attendances. Perversely the increase in TV coverage may have arrived a bit too soon in the growth of the womens game, ie blocking curiosity about the womens game. The only other thing that may help would be a solid core of 6/7 home grown players who make into a successful first team, that could give the crowds a step increase. Anyway I hope they win on Thursday and go on to become euro champions, if only Hemp, Shaw, Greenwood etc were available...

 

[LeonardoDaVnci]

Might want to back that one up a bit mate! Plenty of questions raised on that issue over the last few years.


More seriously, I'd say these are the sort of things they've focused on for the last x number of years and have left things in this state.

The club have spent years marketing the Women's team at kids and young families, pushed freebies, offers, and low prices, and left us with the sort of atmosphere we had yesterday (and in the derby) where most of the crowd are at the game for a day out, but are paying such little attention to the match happening in front of them that there's no real atmosphere or even feelings of tension. It's not going to get better by doubling down on that. They need to be doing more to get people caring about the actual results and performances, not just buying a ticket, that's where Arsenal have really nailed it over the years.

You can go too far with tribalism etc, but we need more of that with the Women's team imo, not less.

You are far more informed than myself. I just think the '7K test' (ie sell out the Joie) is such a clear cut indicator the womens team are failing spectacularly to pass. No doubt AFCs data on attendees at womens games is confidential, but I would love to know what % of 60K crowds at the Emirates also attend mens games. It may have to be a long term generational solution. A successful winning team would be wonderful but I feel there is something deeper, some cultural reasons stiffling the growth in the Joie attendances. Perversely the increase in TV coverage may have arrived a bit too soon in the growth of the womens game, ie blocking curiosity. The only other thing that may help would be a solid core of 6/7 home grown players who make into a successful first team, that could give the crowds a step increase. Anyway I hope they win on Thursday and become euro champions, if only Hemp, Shaw, Greenwood etc were available...

 

[Laertes]

You are more informed than myself. I just think the '7K test' (ie sell out the Joie) is such a clear cut indicator the womens team are failing spectacularly to pass. No doubt AFCs data on attendees at womens games is confidential, but I would love to know what % of 60K crowds at the Emirates also attend mens games. It may have to be a long term generational solution. A successful winning team would be wonderful but I feel there is something deeper, some cultural reasons stiffling the growth in the Joie attendances. Perversely the increase in TV coverage may have arrived a bit too soon in the growth of the womens game, ie blocking curiosity about the womens game. The only other thing that may help would be a solid core of 6/7 home grown players who make into a successful first team, that could give the crowds a step increase. Anyway I hope they win on Thursday and go on to become euro champions, if only Hemp, Shaw, Greenwood etc were available...

To be clear, don't mean to disagree with your point about them falling short or anything like that - you're absolutely right imo! More quibbling with the solutions

 

[cleavers]

Granted the injury list is laughably bad, but City will now miss CL qualification for the 2nd time in the last 3 seasons. Over a season thats just not acceptable for a club with our resources.

"Resources" include the players available, and that list above is ridiculous, and out of that list 5 are relatively new recruits.

I've said this all season, and I'll stick by it, if everyone was fit we'd have one of the strongest squads in the country.

 

[Lee the Blue]

"Resources" include the players available, and that list above is ridiculous, and out of that list 5 are relatively new recruits.

I've said this all season, and I'll stick by it, if everyone was fit we'd have one of the strongest squads in the country.

They never are all fit though, thats a problem all teams must deal with; Roord blowing out her ACL last year along with Shaw also missed the business end of last season too.

Chelsea have gone a year without Kerr in their team but havent missed a beat. Everyone gets injuries - we seem to lead the WSL in hard luck stories - but can we really have just been "unlucky" for 3 seasons in a row? Maybe the manager and playing staff havent been good enough, and/or the clubs commitment to success for the Womens team hasnt been either.

 

[JRockBlues]

They never are all fit though, thats a problem all teams must deal with; Roord blowing out her ACL last year alomng with Shaw also missed the business end of last season too.

Chelsea have gone a year without Kerr in their team but havent missed a beat. Everyone gets injuries - we seem to lead the WSL in hard luck stories - but we can we really have just been "unlucky" for 3 seasons in a row? Maybe the manager and playing staff havent been good enough, and/or the clubs commitment to success for the Womens team hasnt been either.

I do think that Taylor has to shoulder some of the blame. He was ineffective at utulising the squad at his disposal. Pretty much stuck to the regulars for most games so the "backup" players weren't up to speed when they were required. It also had a negative aspect to the recovery of the players who were constantly playing and that will catch up to them eventually.

 

[cleavers]

They never are all fit though

Of course not, but that current injury list is ridiculous, and would beat most other WSL teams on it's own.

You mentioned "resources", by which I assume you mean money, but MCWFC are not MCFC, because they have their own (limited) financial resources.

The biggest "resource" in womens football are the players and coaches, and whilst I'm sure we pay them quite well compared to other teams, if they're injured and sat in the stands, they are actually just a drain on financial resources.

Should we have performed better in the previous 3 seasons, of course we should (should have won the WSL last year), but this year we had a great start until the injuries started mounting up, and have subsequently and unsurprisingly fallen away, though I think the 3 recent performances against chelsea should have still seen us win 2/3 games. I think the recruitment recently has been excellent, and the current squad is up there with theirs imho, more fit players, and better coaching, and I suspect we'd have given them a run for their money, and blown the rest away.

Shows the folly of keeping Taylor on for so long too, but lets not try and make out that the biggest reason for this seasons failure is not that list above.

 

[better dead than red]

Of course not, but that current injury list is ridiculous, and would beat most other WSL teams on it's own.

You mentioned "resources", by which I assume you mean money, but MCWFC are not MCFC, because they have their own (limited) financial resources.

The biggest "resource" in womens football are the players and coaches, and whilst I'm sure we pay them quite well compared to other teams, if they're injured and sat in the stands, they are actually just a drain on financial resources.

Should we have performed better in the previous 3 seasons, of course we should (should have won the WSL last year), but this year we had a great start until the injuries started mounting up, and have subsequently and unsurprisingly fallen away, though I think the 3 recent performances against chelsea should have still seen us win 2/3 games. I think the recruitment recently has been excellent, and the current squad is up there with theirs imho, more fit players, and better coaching, and I suspect we'd have given them a run for their money, and blown the rest away.

Shows the folly of keeping Taylor on for so long too, but lets not try and make out that the biggest reason for this seasons failure is not that list above.

Yes and no. Their training facilities and football ground are provided by MCFC not MCWFC.

There are teams, from my understanding, that have terrible training facilities. Moreover, some don't have proper changing rooms, they have "temporary facilities,"and no showers for after training and matches.

The women's team have certainly benefited from the revenue brought in by the men and from our owners. This said, I do often think beyond the facilities, the team is treated like a "necessary evil." Eg, letting Taylor be in charge of the team for as long as he was.

 

[cleavers]

The women's team have certainly benefited from the revenue brought in by the men and from our owners. This said, I do often think beyond the facilities, the team is treated like a "necessary evil." Eg, letting Taylor be in charge of the team for as long as he was.

I understand about how much our facilities are better than other clubs facilities, not our problem though, the whole CFG provide that for all our clubs.

The team is definitely not treated like a "necessary evil" though, we've brought in some of the best players available anywhere in recent years, this squad pisses all over the squad that won the league cup in 2022 in my opinion, sadly too many aren't available due to injury at the moment.

 

[jimharri]

Real Madrid shitting the bed at the Emirates tonight. 2 up from the first leg, they've let in 3 goals in the first 14 minutes of the second half.

 

[better dead than red]

I understand about how much our facilities are better than other clubs facilities, not our problem though, the whole CFG provide that for all our clubs.

The team is definitely not treated like a "necessary evil" though, we've brought in some of the best players available anywhere in recent years, this squad pisses all over the squad that won the league cup in 2022 in my opinion, sadly too many aren't available due to injury at the moment.

Yes. CFG you said MCWFC depends on it's own resources. I see you so concede the facilities we're paid for by CFG, which if we are honest, focuses much more on the men’s team. Without their success, the money would not be as free flowing I'd imagine.

As for the "necessary evil" disagreement, is it not wonderful living in a free country where we can have differing opinions?

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Anybody else thinking to themselves that maybe Taylor's freezing out of Chloe Kelly was his last parting poisoned gift to MCFC Women?

 

[better dead than red]

Anybody else thinking to themselves that maybe Taylor's freezing out of Chloe Kelly was his last parting poisoned gift to MCFC Women?

It's possible, I suppose. We talk here all the time about players out of form needing to play to get back in to form, both men and women. Chloe had been not playing as well as previously. Players need minutes to get better. Training isn't the same.

 

[cleavers]

Anybody else thinking to themselves that maybe Taylor's freezing out of Chloe Kelly was his last parting poisoned gift to MCFC Women?

No, she'd been playing shit for 18 months, and that was why she was replaced with a better player.