WSL Chelsea (A) - 16/11/24 - KO 17:30

kev20971 said:
Personally I've always wondered how much the club is committed to the women's team ?
Because wouldn't you be looking for the best management you ?
I sometimes think , the women's team is good PR exercise for the club
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I think a few years ago we definitely were neglectful of the women's side and Taylor's appointment is a throwback to that time, but I don't think that's the case so much now. I think behind the scenes they're getting a really professional operation together and they have shown ambition with the DoF appointments. The contract extensions they've secured, especially Lauren Hemp, were brilliant. The new training complex is exciting too.

Given how far we pushed things in the league last year, I can kind of see why they decided to give Taylor an extension but we still fluffed our lines in moments that were crucial to that season (losing at home to Arsenal, getting knocked out of the cup to Spurs). Whoever out next managerial appointment is will speak volumes about how serious we are. The days of just promoting a club man from within should be behind us now if we want to compete. The standard of the game is ahead of what it was in the past and you can't just use the women's team as a dumping ground for coaches who can't get a job in the men's game.
 
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Mon Autre said:
Aside from the Barcelona game (which was outstanding) I don't think our performances have been that great. It's all been quite solid and steady but we haven't been scoring enough goals or blowing teams away, and given how often these things come down to goal difference, you need to.

Beating Barcelona at home is all well and good but our failure to properly put the weaker teams to the sword will mean we still probs finish second in our group on goal difference.

It's Taylor's decision to drop Keating and I think we're missing her distribution. Hasegawa looks absolutely knackered and he hasn't given her a rest once this season. Still not convinced we're getting the best of Park by playing her as deep as we are. I know we have to fit her in somewhere but she was a right winger this time last year. I wonder if she would have been a better option than Fujino on the right. With Fowler pushed out of position on the left and Fujino never really taking people on/running with the ball, we had no real attacking threat or zip on the wings.

If we go another season without a major trophy (and I'm not counting the conti cup in that) then it is time to part ways and freshen things up. Our new DoF might have her own thoughts on the direction we take anyway.
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Hopefully .
 
kev20971 said:
Personally I've always wondered how much the club is committed to the women's team ?
Because wouldn't you be looking for the best management you ?
I sometimes think , the women's team is good PR exercise for the club
Click to expand...

That's part of it, I don't doubt. But honestly I think you could say that of an awful lot of clubs, both in England and Europe. Definitely the case for United, for example, probably the case for Real Madrid.
In Europe, and from quite early on, Olympique Lyonnais and Barcelona decided to take the women's game seriously, knowing that the women's game is coming worldwide on quite a big scale (although it will never be as big as the men's game, except in the United States, for historical reasons that are very specific to that country's sporting development). I personally know a lifelong City fan — a woman — who bluntly says to me she has no interest in City women's team, and says she can't really stand to watch the women's game. Ten years ago, I would have agreed with her, if I'm perfectly honest. I think the women's game has come on in leaps and bounds, since then. It is genuinely agreeable to watch, in its own terms. But the way ahead is going to be a long, slow one.
 
Tough to see Aoba taking things personally on IG - on one hand it's great that she cares and wants to work harder but on another, from what I saw yesterday, she wasn't to blame for the loss - Jess for instance - has played every game this year and has had a decent start to the season but her poor performance in the engine room (not giving much support to Yui etc) has been largely overlooked because she has scored a few worldies. I would not blame any young player for a particular result as long as they work hard and continue to want the ball. Yes Aoba gave the ball away too (Jess did for the goal) but she tried her hardest to get back and remedy any mistake. She's a kid playing overseas away from family and support so I for one think we as fans should support her fully - she has a lot of potential & shouldn't be so hard on herself.

A set back yesterday for sure but there is still so much to play for and our youngsters Aoba, Mary, Laura, Lily, Naomi & Jess will be a big part of any successes we can get this year.
 
Mr HJ said:
A set back yesterday for sure but there is still so much to play for and our youngsters Aoba, Mary, Laura, Lily, Naomi & Jess will be a big part of any successes we can get this year.
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I think we have a very talented squad, with some exceptional youngsters, and when all fit quite possibly the best starting 11 in the WSL.

My biggest gripe, and the women share this with virtually all the teams at City, is the lack of finishing, regularly we have a ratio of 1 in 8 to 1 in 10 between goals and shots, and I don't understand why we don't improve it, the difference between 1 in 6, and 1 in 10, is the difference between easy wins, and nervy results, and even results like yesterday in a tight game.

Obviously we are missing players at the moment, but we played more than well enough yesterday until we gave the ball away needlessly on 75 minutes, and the game was gone.

We didn't create enough really yesterday, and on balance deserved to lose on that measure alone, but chelsea weren't miles better than we were.

We have a much better, and together, team than we had 3 years ago, and we need to keep most of this squad together, if we do I think they'll win the WSL. However I don't think it's achievable this season now, unless chelsea have a bit of a poor run, we're more than 1/3 into the season, and effectively 5 points behind, so chelsea don't need to beat us at home, a point will suffice, and their new coach looks and sounds far too clever to allow us back into it. I'd put everything into the CL now, as I do think we have a chance in it.
 
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