#I also like Manchester United's and West Ham's

[adascore]

Hello! Not sure if you’re taking requests but would you consider doing an addition to TSS where young!arsenal reader was starting before Beth and Viv came back and has been benched majority of the time since (Kyra core☹️). Maybe during like the west ham game was one of the subs thrown on halfway through and after the loss made a snarky comment about “being thrown on to unfuck everything” type of thing to another teammate and Viv/beth overhear and think she’s talking about them (maybe they’re already a little insecure about losing such an “easy” game, self doubt post ACL) and things are super frosty and weird at home until one of them snaps and makes a comment about how they still wouldn’t have won even if R started. Hurt/comfort angst but with a happy ending!! Not sure if any of that strikes your fancy but I had the thought and you’re so talented:) no worries if not!!!

To Jump The Gun(ners)

pairings: arsenal x teen!reader / meadema x teen!reader / kyra cooney-cross x arsenal!reader

warnings: the west-ham match. swearing. angst. awkwardness.

author’s note: OMG LOVE THIS IDEA ! like this was right up my alley I felt like 😭 thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy the story!

masterlist

February 4, 2024 - Essex, England

It had become a routine, seeing her name and number on the bench. She took a glance at Kyra, a knowing look in her eyes.

The young Arsenal homegrown wondered where it all had gotten wrong. Well, she knew the answer, but it wasn't exactly something she could say out loud to anyone.

She was transported back to the 2022/23 season, where she would warm the bench until either Vivianne or Beth were too tired or they needed to be rested for the next match.

Their injuries had changed everything.

Y/N not only became a regular starter, but became a vital part of their game. Her absence would be noticed.

She scored the goals that got them to the semifinals of the Champions League, keeping them level with 2x champions Wolfsburg.

However, Beth and Vivianne were back now. Alessia's arrival also didn't help much, the former Manchester United player having cemented herself into the starting line-up.

It also didn't help that Jonas was not a fan of rotating. Only in specific Conti Cup matches or against what he deemed 'weaker' teams in the league would he make changes to the usual starting XI.

In other words, she was back to step 1.

That's why it was hard to watch her teammates falling 2-1 behind against West Ham, with no one seeming to find an answer or any will to turn the game around. It was a painful spectacle.

In the 63rd minute, Jonas decided to throw herself, Kyra and Cloé in the match, and take out Vivianne, Victoria and Beth. It was a desperate attempt, and the three Gunners found themselves on the pitch, tasked with the challenging mission of trying to fix everything that had gone wrong so far.

Y/N and Cloé quickly created some chances but the West Ham defense or the swift reflexes of Mackenzie Arnold saw them go in vain.

The teenager could see the expressions of her teammates on the bench, visibly frustrated with how the match had unfolded since Alessia's successful header.

Vivianne couldn't hide the discontent in her eyes as she sat with a subtle shake of her head. Her partner, sitting beside her, noticed and Beth patted her thigh, offering silent support as they continued to watch their team scramble for a late equalizer.

As the final whistle blew, the disappointment within the team was high. Y/N did her usual post-match routine, and congratulated all the West Ham players on their win, while giving and receiving solace from her own teammates.

The teen found Kyra again, someone who she had found a friendship in over the months the Australian had joined the Gunners.

''You alright?'' The midfielder asked her, a dejected tone in her voice.

Y/N nodded. ''Yeah, you?''

''Not too great, but there are worse things in life.'' Kyra responded, trying to put the loss in perspective.

''True,'' the striker agreed, ''I can't believe he keeps putting us in these positions.''

Kyra nodded. ''You think he would learn after Tottenham.'' She sighed.

''Apparently, we're not good enough to start, but when he needs us to unfuck everything that happened, then he knows who we are.'' Y/N said, her frustration evident. The unfair treatment of some players during the season lingered in the air, leaving a bitter taste after the defeat.

As the youngsters continued their conversation on their way to the locker room, Vivianne and Beth, unintentionally overhearing their discussion, exchanged puzzled glances.

''Did you hear that? 'Unfuck everything'?'' Beth repeated her housemate's words to her partner.

Vivianne's brow furrowed as she processed what was said. ''Yeah,'' the Dutchwoman breathed out, ''not very nice.'' A hint of sadness lingered in her voice. It stung that their efforts were being discussed in such terms, especially by the young girl they were living with.

They didn't say much else to one another as they strolled through the corridor.

The atmosphere in the locker room was subdued, void of any banter and entertaining chats. Most of the players were already there as the couple walked in.

Beth took a glimpse at Y/N and Kyra who still seemed in a discussion with one another, although they were whispering now.

''Girls, we're a lot better than this.'' Kim broke the ice, a neutral expression on her face.

Everyone nodded at the captain, the collective disappointment from the match was visible. ''Well, it's done, we can't change anything about it. So, everyone just do a reset, try to get some sleep or distract yourselves on the bus, and I expect everyone with fresh minds and legs at training.''

The team nodded and weakly applauded Kim's small speech.

As the team began to disperse, Y/N caught Beth's eye, offering a faint smile in greeting. However, the winger's response was noticeably strained, her usually warm demeanor replaced by a subtle tension.

"Everything okay?" The younger one ventured, her concern evident.

Beth's smile faltered slightly, her gaze flickering away before returning to meet Y/N's. "Yeah, everything's fine." She replied, though her words sounded hollow even to her own ears.

The striker's brow furrowed further, a flicker of uncertainty clouding her features. "Are you sure?" She pressed gently, not used to this awkwardness from her teammate.

"I... yeah, I'm sure." She retorted, her voice tinged with irritation.

"Okay..." Y/N trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. Sensing the dismissiveness between them, she offered a hesitant smile before turning back to where she had been talking with Lia.

As her housemate walked away, Beth's expression hardened, a pang of guilt gnawing at her conscience. She knew she shouldn't act like this towards her, but her words had really struck a nerve for some reason and it was hard to pretend it didn't.

The drive home on the bus wasn't that different, though the atmosphere was more subdued due to the loss. Y/N and Kyra were seated next to each other, Katie and Caitlin sitting on the other side of them.

''You alright, Y/N?'' Caitlin asked, noticing the youngster's quietness.

Y/N looked up, glancing away from her nails to the older Australian player. She hesitated answering, not knowing if it was appropriate to say anything about her interaction with Beth.

She sat up straight and motioned for the three of them to huddle together over the small table. They got her message and did just that.

''Did anything happen on the bench or something? Cause I had this weird exchange with Meado, and it's just stuck in my head.'' She explained, her voice hushed.

They all frowned at her words. ''No, she was just frustrated about the game, but so was everyone else.'' Caitlin responded.

''What happened?'' Katie chimed in, curious to know about this exchange.

''I don't know. She was looking at me in the locker room, and I smiled at her, but she, I don't know, just looked weird at me. I asked her if she was alright, but she was kinda distant with me? She responded a little irritated so I left her alone, but it was weird.'' Y/N gave a small summary of the interaction.

"That is strange." Kyra mused, breaking the silence that had settled over their huddle.

They nodded at her words, agreeing with the young Australian.

''I didn't notice anything.'' Caitlin said with a pout, feeling sorry she couldn't help her younger teammate out. ''Me neither, kiddo.'' Katie added, a similar expression on her face.

Y/N smiled sadly, disappointed she wasn't any wiser on Beth. Katie rubbed her arm once she noticed her dejected expression. ''Hey, I wouldn't worry about it. It's a tough loss.''

The youngster nodded at the Irishwoman's words. ''Yeah, you're right.''

Katie was not right.

As soon as she got in the car with the beloved couple it was clear that something had gone down for them to act in such a sour mood. Vivianne's knuckles were white against the steering wheel, while Beth stared out of the window, her expression unreadable.

Sensing the palpable tension, Y/N shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The youngster wanted to break the silence, but the words wouldn't come out. It felt like they were stuck in her throat.

The drive home felt like forever. Every minute made the atmosphere worse. Y/N tried to catch Vivianne or Beth's eye, hoping for some sign that things would get better, but there was nothing.

Car rides after losses were never filled with much conversation, but it had never been like this.

A wave of relief went through her as the car was parked in front of their apartment complex, longing for the comfort of her room where she could hide from whatever the situation was.

Y/N couldn't even come up with a guess on what had transpired. Did they have a fight? Did she do something? Did someone else do something?

She had absolutely no clue.

However, the tension seemed to follow them into their shared home. The silence had become even more deafening with each step they took.

Beth disappeared into her room without a word, while Vivianne headed straight for the kitchen, her movements stiff and mechanical. Y/N stood in the hallway, feeling like an outsider in her own home.

Their behaviors made her feel anxious, feeling that knot inside her stomach. What had happened during the game? What had caused them to retreat into themselves like this?

Unable to handle any of it longer, Y/N tentatively approached the Dutchwoman in the kitchen. "Um, Viv?" She began, her voice small.

Vivianne glanced up, her expression guarded. "Yeah?” She replied, accent heavy.

The younger girl hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject. "I, uh, did, uh, something happen at the game?" She stammered, her words stumbling over each other in her haste to get everything out.

The striker's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about?” She asked, her face neutral.

Her response only added to the youngest one's confusion. It seemed as though they were both dancing around a subject neither wanted to address.

"I-I just... noticed things were a bit off between everyone after the match," Y/N explained, her voice barely above a whisper, "and, well, the car ride home was... a bit weird, you know.”

Vivianne's expression softened slightly, though her guard remained up. ''Don't worry about it. Just… frustration from the game.''

But Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than just frustration. She wanted to press further, but the fear of causing further conflict held her back.

Instead, she offered a hesitant nod. ''Okay, good.'' She murmured to the floor, retreating back to her room with a heavy heart.

The Arsenal homegrown player pulled her phone out of her pocket, searching up Kyra's contact. It only took a few rings for the Australian to pick up, she was probably already on her phone as she was called.

''Hey.'' Her accent momentarily bringing a smile to Y/N's face.

''Hey, you're home?''

''Yeah, just arrived. What's up?''

There was a brief pause before Y/N continued. ''Things have gotten a bit weirder since, uh, on the bus.''

''Shit. What happened?'' She asked, her voice filled with genuine worry.

''It's just... the tension at home is almost suffocating," she explained, ''it was completely silent the entire time we were driving home, and when we got home, Beth immediately went to her room. I tried to ask Viv about, but she told me it was just frustrations, but it clearly is not just that.''

There was a moment of silence as Kyra processed Y/N's words. "That doesn't sound good," she finally replied, ''you really have no idea what might have happened? Maybe they had a fight or something?''

Y/N shook her head, even though her teammate couldn't see it. "No, that's the thing. I'm completely lost." She admitted, frustration lacing her words.

''Same. I wish I knew what to say to help.'' Kyra said softly.

''It's alright, Ky. Thanks for letting me ramble.'' Y/N chuckled, appreciating the opportunity to unload her worries onto her friend.

''It's fine, honestly. It must not be fun to be in this situation,'' the Matilda replied, feeling for her friend, ''if anything else happens you can always let me know, okay? I'm gonna have some dinner now.''

Y/N smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Ky. I really appreciate it.”

''Anytime. Take care, I'll see you at training.''

''You too. Bye, bye.'' They bid each other goodbye before hanging up the phone.

Y/N prepared to leave her room again, wanting to check if Vivianne had started dinner yet or not.

Just as she stepped into the hallway, she nearly collided with Beth, who was coming out of her room with a tight-lipped expression. The sudden encounter caught them both off guard.

''Shit, sorry.'' The younger one apologized first, giving her housemate an awkward glance.

''It's alright,'' Beth brushed off, ''uh, were you on the phone just now?" She asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

Y/N nodded. ''Uh, yeah, with Kyra.''

Beth's expression shifted, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her features. "Oh, Kyra." She murmured, her voice tight.

The younger girl simply stared at the winger, not knowing what to say to her words. "Is everything okay?" Y/N ventured, her voice hesitant as she searched Beth's face for any sign of what might be bothering her.

Beth's lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, she seemed lost in thought. When she finally spoke, her words were tinged with a hint of irritation. ''Everything's alright.''

Y/N offered a small, uneasy smile and nodded. "Oh, okay." She said, though her words felt hollow even to her own ears.

With a nod of acknowledgment, Beth turned to walk away. As she watched Beth disappear around the corner, she wondered if it had been something she had done. However, she couldn't recall saying or doing anything that day that would have provoked this kind of demeanor from the couple.

The young striker walked into the living room, noticing Vivianne bustling about in the kitchen. But what caught Y/N's attention was the hushed whispers exchanged between the couple, Beth and Vivianne not being subtle about their gossiping.

A sense of discomfort washed over the youngster as she hesitated in the doorway, unsure whether to interrupt or retreat unnoticed. But before she could make a decision, the Dutchwoman glanced up and caught her eye, her expression inscrutable.

''Hey, dinner is almost ready. Just some leftover pasta from yesterday.'' She informed Y/N, her tone somewhat forced as she attempted to maintain a facade of normalcy.

Y/N forced a smile. ''Nice, thanks, Viv.'' She answered, trying to ignore the awkwardness that hung in the air.

She retreated to the couch, feeling as if she wasn't welcome in the small space. Something was off, and she couldn't help but feel like she was on the outside looking in.

She scrolled on her phone for a few minutes before Vivianne called her to the table as the food was ready. As they gathered around the dinner table, the atmosphere remained strained, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Vivianne served up the leftover pasta, her movements brisk as she avoided making eye contact with anyone. Beth sat across from Y/N, her expression unreadable as she picked at her food.

Y/N tried to focus on her food, but the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach made it difficult to swallow.

For a few moments, the only sound was the clinking of forks against plates, the silence punctuated only by the occasional awkward cough or clearing of throat.

Finally, unable to bear the tension any longer, Y/N opened her mouth. "So, um, what did you guys think about the match?'' She asked the pair, her voice coming out more high than she had intended.

As if on cue, Vivianne and Beth glanced up from their plates at the same time.

''It was tough, but it shouldn't have been tough. We lacked a clear tactic.'' The experienced striker answered, filling up the silence.

Y/N nodded, relieved at least one of them responded to her attempt at conversation. She took a peek at Beth, who did not seem amused in the slightest to talk about the surprising defeat earlier that day.

''It was just another match of us fucking everything up, and you kids having to unfuck it all.'' Beth said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

The youngest's eyes widened slightly at the cutting remark, not expecting those words to come out of the Brit's mouth.

Vivianne shifted uncomfortably in her seat, casting a quick glance at Y/N before fixing her gaze on her partner. "Beth, that's enough.'' Her voice was stern, warning Beth that this was not the way to go about this.

But Beth ignored her girlfriend, her eyes fixed on Y/N with an intensity that made her squirm. ''No, she needs to learn to not talk about teammates that way, especially the ones that have just gotten back from serious injuries, and need time to reintegrate into the group.''

Y/N felt a flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck, she cast a desperate look at Vivianne, silently pleading for her to intervene and diffuse the situation before it escalated any further.

''Beth, I wasn't-''

''You weren't what? You weren't talking shit to Kyra about us right after the match? You weren't talking shit about us to Kyra on the phone just now?'' The oldest continued in an accusing tone.

Vivianne let out a sigh, her frustration evident as she attempted to defuse the situation. ''Beth.'' She said firmly, her gaze shifting between the two other people at the table.

''I wasn't talking shit about you guys. I would never do that.'' Y/N managed to let out, offended at the mere idea of her not appreciating the two women who'd let her move in with them a 1,5 years ago.

''Y/N, we heard you. On the pitch after the match, with Kyra.'' Beth responded bluntly.

Y/N swallowed hard, slightly ashamed of being caught. ''We were just... we were just frustrated, okay? That comment wasn't directed at any of you guys, it was more at Jonas, to be fair.''

The couple grew silent at the admission, realizing they had greatly misunderstood the two young girls' conversation. ''About Jonas?'' Vivianne repeated, her voice carrying a note of embarrassment.

The young striker nodded. ''Yeah, me and Kyra have just been a bit upset with our game time, that's all. It felt like a repeat of the Tottenham game.''

Beth and Vivianne exchanged a glance, coming to a silent understanding. ''We're sorry for jumping the gun on that one, darling. We really thought we needed to teach you some manners.'' The Brit nervously apologized with a chuckle.

''It's alright, we probably should've been a bit more discreet.'' Y/N brushed her apology off with a hand gesture.

''No, you two are in your full right to complain.'' Vivianne retorted, agreeing on the playing time matter.

The teenager waited a few moments before elaborating. ''I don't mind sitting on the bench, it's great to get rest, you know? But it almost feels like he doesn't trust me to get the game starting or something. I like to think I did great last season, so this kind of sucks.'' She opened up, not having voiced these thoughts to anyone but Kyra.

''You did amazing last season, you stepped up when we needed someone and the team will never forget that.'' Beth smiled, squeezing the youngster' s hand.

''It seems that Jonas forgot.'' Y/N muttered bitterly, looking down at her empty plate.

The couple silenced themselves at her mumbled words, not knowing what the appropriate response would be to cheer her up about the situation. They were indirectly responsible for the young girl to not get as much game time anymore, so whatever they would tell her, she would most likely not feel much better afterwards.

''Just focus on what you're doing right now. Show up to training, recover well, maximize everything in the minutes you do get. Show him that he should trust you to start, and that you deserve to have that spot in the line-up.'' Vivianne chimed in, her voice soft but resolute.

Y/N nodded at the older woman's words, though her demeanor still seemed dejected. ''Yeah, I'll continue to do that.'' It came out somewhat passive aggressive.

''I know it doesn't fix the situation, but you're my personal star girl, regardless whether you play or not.'' Beth softly smiled at her.

The teen managed to crack a small smile back, appreciating the sentiment. ''Thanks, Beth.''

''You're mine too.'' Vivianne added.

''Hey, that's my compliment for her! Find another one if you want to be cute!'' Beth scolded her partner, dramatically feigning annoyance.

The Dutchwoman frowned. ''Everyone calls her ‘star girl'! You're not original either!'' She pouted back.

Y/N couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the banter between the couple, happily accepting the momentary distraction from her frustrations.

Beth playfully rolled her eyes. ''At least I'm complimenting her!''

''Sorry that I was just giving useful advice, Bethany.'' Vivianne retorted.

''Useful.'' The Brit repeated, her voice heavily tinged with sarcasm.

Vivianne's mouth gaped, pretending to be offended. ''It was useful! That's what I would have wanted to hear at 19 year-old.'' She defended herself.

''19 year-old's want to hear praise, Viv. They want to be called star girls, not receive a lecture.'' Beth quickly replied, with a smirk.

''Y/N, it was useful, right?'' The older striker turned towards the teenager.

''Yeah, Y/N, tell Miss Miedema how useful her advice was.'' Beth chorused her words, grinning from ear-to-ear.

The youngster simply glanced between the two of them, before picking up her empty plate and standing up from her seat. ''I'm taking this as my sign to leave.''

She ignored their pleas with a satisfied grin, making her way to the kitchen to dump her plate, and walking back to her room.

The couple watched her depart, sharing a knowing look, a hint of amusement dancing in their eyes. ''She's gonna call Kyra, isn't she?'' Vivianne chuckled.

''She so is.'' Beth agreed with a laugh.

requests are always welcome!

[jaegeraether]

Sunsets and footballers (Part 21)

Lucy Bronze x Reader (21)

Masterlist (other parts here)

(*Mentions of mental health, suicide and domestic abuse. Take care with this chapter please x *)

Much to Lucy’s amusement, YFN was driving her car for the first time. YFN had first suggested that she drive to Birmingham to get used to the car and roads in the UK, and because Lucy had done all of the driving thus far. The first 20 minutes had been stressful, but eased with Lucy’s amused support.

“It’s just a car, little one. I don’t care what happens to it as long as you’re okay..” She’d said. That and how calm she was explaining the differences in the roads made YFN feel much, much more at ease.

When she was comfortable enough, Lucy insisted they ran through some of the information that was emailed through by Lumos, Lucy testing her knowledge.

“I only briefly skipped through that email, Luce.. it was our third date.” She groaned.

“Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been doing research since the girls first told you about this job..”

YFN looked guilty. “I like to be prepared.”

Lucy chuckled. “I know. It’s one of the things I love about you.. and you might as well use me while I’m here, right? We’ll start slow.”

YFN groaned. “Okay, I’ll try my best.”

“Okay, talk to me about the different tiers of women’s football in England.”

“Starting off slow, hey?” She pouted. Lucy was challenging her. “Okay… okay. There’s the top tier, Tier 1, the Barclay’s FA WSL. It has 12 teams, bottom team gets relegated to Tier 2 which is the FA Women’s Championship. Also 12 teams, the winners going into the WSL for the next season, while the bottom-placed team are relegated Tier 3, the FA Women’s Nation’s League. Then it gets a bit complicated because there’s the northern teams against each other and the southern teams against each other with the top northern and southern team in the final FA WNL Championship Play-Off, the winner moving up to Tier 2, FA Champions League.”

She looked over at Lucy who was grinning at her proudly. “I knew you’d been researching.”

YFN blushed under her gaze. “It’s important to you.. so it’s important to me. Regardless of the job.”

“God, you’re so cute.” She kissed her on her little cheek dimple, her face reddening further. “Try name the 12 teams in the WSL for me..”

“Okay… okay I can do it by location, might be easier. Around Manchester you have 2 teams, Man United and Man City. Around Liverpool there’s Liverpool and Everton. Around Birmingham there’s Aston Villa. Close to them there’s Leicester, in Leicester.. then there’s Bristol City by itself, and around London are the other 5 teams, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, West Ham United, Arsenal, and… Tottenham.”

“You’re so sexy when you’re talking football..” Lucy commented as she fed YFN a Malteser.

“Why do I feel like I’m being rewarded like a dog?”

“Who’s a good girl,” Lucy cooed and patted her head. YFN rolled her eyes. “Who are the current WSL Champions?”

“Chelsea, they beat Man United.”

“Do any WSL teams play for other titles?”

“Uh.. there’s the Continental Cup? Conti Cup.. it’s the Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams together, so WSL and The Championship.”

“And the current Conti Cup Champions?”

“Arsenal.. they beat Chelsea.”

“Any other titles?”

“The UEFA Women’s Champions League.. it’s basically the WSL of Europe. It’s where all the fun happens and there’s a chance for a team like Arsenal to go up against a team like Barcelona.” She turned to Lucy. “Is it your favourite?”

“My favourite is definitely playing for England… but when playing with Barca then yeah, I love playing against the UK teams.”

“Is it hard playing against friends?”

She shrugged. “It was at first.. but then I found it’s much easier if you just go at players like opposition and don’t look at who they are. Just do your thing. I always want to win so it’s easier for me, but I know some of the girls struggle with it.”

YFN nodded and stole another Malteser. “Barcelona are the current Champions, obviously because they have the best right-back in history… and it was against Wolfsburg. Aaaand I believe that was your… fourth Championship title? 3 with Lyon, 1 with Barca?”

Lucy looked impressed. “You really have been doing your research, you sneak. I’m really proud of that too. Almost missed the one with Barca though.. I had surgery on my knee about 5 weeks before the final.” She trailed off, getting a little into her own head.

YFN put her hand on her knee, stroking it to console her. She knew there wasn’t much to say about it. “I can’t wait to see you play for Barca.”

That worked. Lucy smiled. “Tell me again why you can’t live in Spain, if you already have a team for you to work with? And once you get a good schedule going, they’ll be going to the games for you.. There’s…” she took YFN’s phone to read the email. “…Samantha, Bridget and Emily, Ethan, Daniel, Ruby…” She trailed off as she kept reading. “Okay so they’ve hired 4 videographers and 4 photographers, then there’s your IT guy Noel who is an all-rounder..”

“Yes, love, but I need to make sure they’re all comfortable editing because a lot don’t have the experience. We also need a specific style to create so it helps to build our brand and keep it all homogenous almost.. and then what if someone is sick and can’t cover a game?”

“It’s only 2 hours from Barca to London.” She offered.

YFN let herself look at Lucy for a second. She needed to get her scepticism across. It worked. Lucy was intelligent, she knew that YFN would be busy in the UK for the next 6 months at the very least.

YFN patted the steering wheel. “I think we’re going to be doing a lot of driving! I should name him… any ideas.”

“Miles?”

“Ohhh.. like Miles Morales?”

She could tell from Lucy’s expression that she had no idea who that was. “Who?”

“Spiderman… never mind, I’ll add it to our movie list. Eminem? After Miles Morales? No… no I like Miles. Let’s keep it simple.”

“We have a movie list?” Lucy looked excited and longing, almost. “Miles it is. Also, Spiderman is Peter Parker.”

“How dare you.”

Lucy wiggled her eyebrows. “Well I still think when you get more comfortable and all fall into a good rhythm covering games.. you can maybe work from Spain…” She gave those big eyes of hers as she sat sideways in the seat, admiring her girlfriend.

“Well I am mainly working on my laptop. But it’s such a small company right now, so they’ll expand quickly with all of the coverage if we do it right. Plus, they have so much money. What they’re offering pay-wise and then expense-wise is ridiculous.” She stopped herself, realising she was getting excited about the job again, and eased Lucy’s worries. “I’m sorry.. I’ll let us live in a little happy bubble for now, hm? We don’t know what could happen.”

Lucy sighed and reached out, her hand finding YFN’s pocket. “Who knows, maybe I’ll end up back in the WSL.”

“Or maybe I’ll be fired on my first day.”

Lucy scoffed. “Not a chance. They’re lucky to have you.”

YFN could tell Lucy was struggling with her emotions a little. She assumed the dread for their goodbye tomorrow was creeping up on the footballer also. She saw her fall into that little Lucy space and she left her there for a few minutes before she spoke. “Tell me what you’re thinking. Right… there.” The took her hand off the steering wheel to poke her in the middle of the forehead. “I can see it sitting there.”

Lucy came back with a little smile. “I was trying to decide if I was a bad person or not by thinking that I’m partially hoping Martin can’t get that working Visa for you..”

YFN laughed. “You know he will have it approved by the end of the night. And also… no, it’s not a bad thing. It melts my heart because it makes me feel wanted and needed by you. So, thank you for the honesty. And I..” She stopped herself, eyes widening at the fact that three words almost rolled off of her tongue. Before Lucy could question it, YFN’s phone rang.

“It’s Ridley.” Lucy said, shaking the phone for her to see. Before YFN could say anything, Lucy answered on loudspeaker.

“Hey baby Blue, I miss you.” Ridley drawled, flirty as usual.

YFN looked over at Lucy, expecting her to be jealous and she wasn’t disappointed. She’d spoken to Lucy about Ridley before, but only the bare minimum, like she had with Jordan. Ridley was an enigma, and one of her favourite people on the planet. She knew it wouldn’t take long for Lucy to pick up her personality and understand.

“Hey Riddles, I miss you too. What’s happening?”

“Sitting in an airport, wishing it were a beach. Waiting for a man, as usual. I swear, you let men into your life, and you get this. Constant irritation. Must be so hard to drag your little dick around that you end up late for everything.”

Lucy chuckled beside her at that.

“I can guarantee you’re 15 minutes early. And by the sound of your irritation.. waiting for your coffee I’m assuming?”

“It tames my demons. And you are, as usual, correct on both counts.” She began speaking to who YFN assumed was the barista. “Thanks baby, I’ll definitely call you.”

YFN felt like she could hear the wink from across the phone. Lucy raised her eyebrows in question and YFN shrugged. This was normal.

“Okay I’m back. Fuuuck, that’s a good coffee.”

“Are you going to call her or were you just being polite again?”

“Did the ‘definitely’ give me away again?” She asked sheepishly. “She’s cute but very much the relationship type. You know I don’t do that.”

“Mmnhmn. Lucy’s here by the way, we’re just driving to Birmingham.”

“Ah, Lucia Roberta, we finally meet. Kind of. Hold up…” She switched to Facetime as she walked through the airport, coffee in hand. Ridley was drop-dead stunning. She was the only person who had more confidence than Lucy, and it was obvious with the way she spoke and carried herself. She liked to keep herself fit and tidy, besides the alcohol she always slammed when she was at a festival or picking up. Her jawline was godly, her hair was the perfect dark, dark brown shaggy bob, and she had a noticeable scar on her face that started on her cheek and rose to the bottom of her left eye. Typically, it made her even more attractive.

“Hey there, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Lucy said, trying to control her jealously that rose as she saw how fucking stunning she was.

“If any of it is good, then she was lying. She does that to be nice.” She chuckled and got a little closer to the camera. “But she wasn’t lying when she told me about you though. Fuck, you’re sexy.”

Lucy was caught off guard and looked at YFN. Yep, she understood now. Ridley was just… Ridley. Lucy grinned at the compliment and turned back to the camera, her cockiness coming out.

“What can I say… I’m built different.” Lucy quoted and Ridley got the reference, the two sharing a laugh and flexing biceps. YFN rolled her eyes. Of course they’d get along. She could only imagine what they’d be like in person together, egging each other on to do things.

“Little dick appears to be here and… lost.” She brought her fingers to her mouth, whistling loudly.

“Don’t scare the boys, Riddles.”

She grinned at her friend. “My therapist says I should do what makes me happy. Besides, I’ve already had two men tell me I’m intimidating today.. three for the hat-trick, right Bronze?”

Lucy chuckled. “I believe in you.”

“Anyways, I called to see when you’re coming to Spain.. I miss you.”

“I miss you more, and I’ll be there in 13 days. The day before Lucy’s Liga F match if that helps.”

Ridley liked specifics. “It does. Okay, Blue, I’ll see you then. Bronze, don’t be a stranger. Adiós!”

The call ended and there was silence for several seconds. YFN tried to hide her smile and looked at Lucy who was already looking at her.

“Well?”

“She seems fun. And…”

“…an aquired taste.”

“I like her. You weren’t lying about the flirting.”

“No, love. Luckily I’m already pretty obsessed with a woman anyways.”

“Did you two ever..?”

YFN knew it was coming. “No. Never. That was never us, our relationship is more like… shared trauma. I think she’s the best person, but we’ve both been through quite a bit.”

Lucy was silent and so she continued. “We were neighbours growing up. Her family was even more dysfunctional than mine, but instead of not having a mum, she didn’t have a dad. She grew up fast and took it upon herself to look after her mum, a bipolar, and her brother who was autistic who was always getting bullied… really badly. She took my brother and I under her wing also.” She choked, getting a little emotional, knowing what was coming. “One night after school her brother was… beaten to death. To be more specific, beaten and left for dead. He was supposed to be picked up by their mum who was ‘trying to get better’. She got drunk and forgot about him. Ridley found him and held him until the cops arrived. She begged them not to tell her mum, because she was so erratic when she wasn’t well, and especially worse when alcohol was mixed. They didn’t listen because she was only young, and they called her anyways. She’d killed herself by the time Ridley was dropped home. She’d expected it to be honest. I… Ridley and I used to sneak into each other’s rooms at night to hang out, play games, read books, talk. I snuck into her room and she wasn’t there. I found her in the bathroom with her mum.” YFN couldn’t help the tears streaming down her face as she remembered. “There was so much blood, Luce. And Riddles… it was almost like she didn’t feel the grief at all. She was so prepared for it. She was forced to grow up too young.”

She looked at Lucy who was also crying, eyes closed and shaking her head. She continued. “That scar on her face? From my dad. After what happened, her Aunt moved in and started taking care of her. They stayed in that house because they couldn’t afford to sell it with the debt they were left. She’d stay in my room as much as possible to avoid the memories in her own house. She’d usually already be in my room by the time I came up there. I told you my dad was abusive..”

“He didn’t… touch you, did he?” Her voice shook, nervous for the response.

“Not in the way you think. He hit us. He’d have good days and bad days. On one of his worst days, Ridley heard it from my room and came down. He was going at my brother with a knife and I was trying to stop him. Ridley saw red and jumped in to save us. We were only young and my dad was a lot stronger, so he’d managed to still cut her face as she fought him. She got it off of him eventually and knocked him on his ass. He left the next day and never came back. Nan looked after us from then on. She.. she probably saved our lives. He wanted to kill us. I could see it on his face.” She sniffed, wiping the tears away with the cuff of her shirt. “I remember holding her hand when she got her stitches.. so you see, she’s one of the most important people in my life, and she always will be. We grew into such different people after all of that. Both of us really haven’t dated much. Riddles has dated one person I think? And she sabotaged it. I let myself date a few but none of them have understood me or what I need.” She took a deep breath in. Might as well tell her everything, right? “One of the biggest changes we noticed as we grew up was sex. Riddles doesn’t have sex for love, she does it to hold some form of control. If she can control herself and somebody else, and especially their orgasm, then it satisfies her. She doesn’t let anyone close except me because I was there. We’ve had long conversations about this. Whereas me… I was so much of a passenger in my life, always scared of my dad that I just want to be loved. And protected. Supported. I want that unconditional fucking hopeless romantic, Heath Ledger love. And when it comes to sex… my body craves someone that I can put my absolute trust in. Someone who I can give all of my control, my thoughts, my opinions to. Someone who will literally hold me down and fuck me for both of our benefits. I don’t want a choice.” She was so far in, that her admission scared even her. “I’ve never had that before. Saying it out loud like that… scares me. I’ve never been so honest about it and I’ve definitely never let myself give up any of my trust until I met you.” She looked at Lucy who looked in awe. She reached a hand out as if to strangle her. “You, and your pretty fucking face. You, and your inability to pronounce ‘th’ in a sentence. You, and that fucking grin that lights up a room.”

Lucy pointed outside. “Pull over. Right there.”

YFN sighed as did as she was told, knowing that whatever came of her confession she’d accept. She pulled over and took her time, putting the car into park, handbrake on.

Lucy unclipped her seatbelt and leaned over the centre console, her hand finding YFN’s face as she pulled her towards her. Their lips met passionately. Then needily. Then desperately. Gasps for air and desperate breaths filling the air.

“Luce..” she whimpered against her lips in between the barrage of kisses she was receiving. Lucy took a little while to respond, distracting herself. “You’re mine. I will always keep you safe and make sure you’re loved. Do you understand?” She pulled YFN’s head to her collarbone and held her tight. Of course, the tears started up again. She can’t believe she’d told Lucy.

Lucy held her tightly, her hand stroking her hair, whispering sweet nothings, and reassuring her. Giving her everything she needed.

The emotions settled down eventually and YFN mumbled into Lucy’s shirt. “You know, I’m still really embarrassed about how forward I was when we started texting..”

Lucy vibrated under her, laughing softly. “Oh, I definitely encouraged that. It was perfect.”

YFN leaned back so she could see Lucy. She assumed her face reflected her girlfriends. Puffy red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She cheekily tapped her cheek and Lucy took the hint, leaning in and kissing it with lingering lips. She kissed it a few more times and sat back in her seat. And then, they were off again.

They arrived at Jordan’s after dark, the little blonde bouncing up and down in the driveway as they pulled up. Jordan jumped on the closest person, Lucy, her legs wrapping around her waist. Lucy wrapped her in a tight hug.

“Alright, Jords?”

“I missed you two!”

“We missed you more, mate.” YFN said as she rounded the car. Jordan dropped off of Lucy and tried to do the same to YFN, though they were both a similar height and weight and ended up sprawled on the ground laughing.

The house was a cute little stand alone and inside was modern and fresh. It was a wide open space with its kitchen, dining and living area all sharing the same room which led out to the patio. It was a 2 by 2, with a bedroom either side of the large entertainment area. YFN found her bedroom, it was much larger than she imagined and had an ensuite. She turned and glared at Jordan. “You didn’t.”

“You have Lucy.. and my bathroom is perfect.” Just as she saw YFN about to argue she continued. “I originally picked that room, I promise! It doesn’t get the morning light, and I like being on that side.”

YFN pouted, wanting to argue but knowing it would be useless.

“Yay, shower sex.” Lucy said as she opened YFN’s suitcase on the bed. It was the most unhinged thing she’d ever heard Lucy say and her mouth dropped open. This was obviously the same for Jordan who was caught off guard. “Joking.. but not really. Go and have your little chat, I’ll unpack.” She insisted as she pushed them both out the door.

“I can’t believe she never said that to me…” Jordan whined. She was getting teary eyed as she looked at YFN. “Why didn’t she tell me?”

“I think she was scared... and torn… and trying to justify the unjustifiable. She knows she messed up.” She hugged Jordan a little tighter.

“She’s coming tonight.”

“What?!”

“I think tonight has gotten just a little bit out of hand..”

“How out of hand are we talking about?”

“Um.. I don’t know the exact number but I know the restaurant had to order more chairs.”

YFN’s eyed widened. “Wait… what?” Lucy walked out of the bedroom then and she directed her next question at her. “What am I walking into?”

Lucy tilted her head with an innocent look and shrugged. “The girls love a catch up, and as far as I know, no one has organised anything like this before so I think word spread around pretty quickly. I think between me, Jords, Katie and Caitlin, we managed to get quite a few different nationalities interested… we have no idea how many are coming though. Katie was organising that.”

“Oh, they’ll be here soon actually. We should get ready.” Jordan said, wiping her eyes.

“What are you going to do about Leah tonight..?” YFN asked gently.

Jordan shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, this doesn’t change anything. She still hasn’t spoken to me. I need some time to process and maybe I’ll let her say what she needs to. I don’t want to talk to her tonight, though.”

"You know the safe word.."

[scoatneyhall]

Once again thinking about Richmond in the Champions League... God I wish we could have seen them qualify.

Because 3.11 mentions two games remaining of the season, meaning the away game at the Etihad against City in 3.11 is definitely Match Week 37 of 38, and then the 3.12 home game at Nelson Road against West Ham is Match Week 38 - the last game of the 21/22 season. Given the 4-point difference the show references between City and Richmond, in that City could have secured the title in Week 37 if they'd won the "Mom City" game, but come out of it only 1 point ahead of Richmond because they lose it, and given there's no mention in 3.12 of any other contenders who may be in the running for the title - it's ONLY going to be City or Richmond who can win it on the final day, whoever was 3rd or 4th was far enough behind - that means that the points gap on the league table must have been large enough that Richmond secured themselves their Champions League place BEFORE the "Mom City" game, in an unseen match sometime between the late March international break episode and the final two episodes of the season, set in May.

They were obviously already talking about being qualified for the UCL at the start of 3.12, and there was no mention about the idea of the win over City securing their UCL place in 3.11, just that it was a step closer to the league title, which means the UCL qualification must have happened a few weeks before that match and was "old news" by then.

And FUCK I would have loved to see Roy, in particular, getting to respond to that achievement. You'd hope by now that Ted understood the structure of of the UCL and knows it's an additional competition, not a promotion, but you know, I wouldn't be all that surprised if the show made him dumb about it in order to give the audience a proper explainer. And MAN I wish we got to see Roy and Beard - and maybe also Jamie, as the only current squad member who played in the UCL recently - all talking over each other in order to explain to him. I also just would have liked to see it purely for the victory moment - they celebrated their win in the finale but they didn't know they'd lost the league title, but the UCL qualification would have been an earlier and I think a purer victory in its own right, something that wouldn't have been doused in its glory with the news they didn't quite get the thing being held up as The Big Win. I would have just LOVED seeing them celebrate the win that secured that top 4 spot and put them into Europe for the next season, especially with maybe an aftermath of Roy and Jamie trading stories or making all these grand plans about how they were going to smash various opponents and stuff. Just one of many moments I feel robbed of not seeing, because it's definitely, retrospectively, Richmond's biggest achievement on the pitch - bigger than "beating West Ham," who by that point were not even title contenders.

How would I want it to go... we saw them play Newcastle at home on screen, when Zava left, so I might like to imagine they got their UCL qualification sometime in April or May beating Newcastle away, just as a little treat for Roy in particular. Though it's always better when big victories happen at home, so maybe it can be a total walloping of Manchester United at Nelson Road, just for Jamie.

[grapefruit-personified]

So this is in no way meant to be some kind of saviorism post, but after yesterday when people were talking about diversity in women's Hockey I got thinking, and then I saw the photo posted of Arsenal's roster. I was honestly a little shocked I hadn't ever really thought too deeply about the diversity of a team but that is most definitely due to me being white and not having to think of that. So I looked deeper ( I also want to say now that my numbers may not be a hundred percent correct, you can't always know someone's ethnicity or racial identity but I have done my best to look and be as sure as I can). Arsenal while not the worst at diversity is second to the bottom with Everton having as far as I can tell ZERO players of color. I understand the argument of well they are in England. But when other teams like Manchester City are able to diversify their rosters it doesn't really feel fair to use that excuse when it comes to teams like Arsenal, especially as they have similar financial standings. I just was super caught off by this, I would personally think a team would benefit from looking as broadly around the world as they can but it seems some teams don't see a necessity in individuals who have lived varying lives, and I guess it's up to you to figure out how you feel about that. I am happy to look at NWSL teams, I'm not oblivious to the fact that the team I follow is itself super white.

So below will be the list in order from lowest to highest percentage. I should have been doing homework but I've done this instead.

Everton - 0 percent

Arsenal - 8 percent

Leicester City - 9 percent

Bristol City - 11 percent

Liverpool - 13 percent

Aston Villa - 15 percent

Brighton and Hove Albion - 18 percent

Manchester United - 21 percent

West Ham United - 23 percent

Tottenham Hotspur - 25 percent 

Chelsea - 27 percent

Manchester City - 30 percent

[unitedbydevils]

Match Review: Manchester United 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion

Well fuck. There goes the home game record.

Following the Arsenal defeat, matches against Brighton and Bayern Munich weren't exactly upcoming points of optimism for United fans. We're in an injury crisis off the back of a busy (perhaps too busy) pre-season and looking laggy and disjointed.

Contrast that with Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton sitting high up in the league, with only a shock counter-attack defeat to West Ham besmirching their name. Today, 5 starters were missing from the first XI and they sold MacAllister and Caicedo in the summer. Surely United could capitalise, right?

The first half started well for United, with a good opening 15 minutes where the Reds could have put themselves ahead. Hojlund looked promising, Rashford was finding space out left, and the midfield was compact and holding possession well, with a generally strong pressing game high up the field.

De Zerbi understood Ten Hag's pressing approach though, and started to drop Pascal Groß deeper and let Veltman push up at RB. This worked and let Brighton break through United for an easy Danny Welbeck goal to make things 1-0. Notably poor marking and tracking from both Casemiro and McTominay on this goal.

United were unlucky not to equalise, with Hojlund slotting home from a Rashford pass, but the assist was judged by VAR to have crossed the goal line and was ultimately ruled out. HT 0-1.

If the first half was an unfortunate scoreline, the second half was not.

Brighton came out the more positive in the second half and United failed to regain control of the possession, and looked timid on the counter. The lack of a proper RW (not that I miss Antony) meant United saw heavy pressure on Rashford and Hojlund which ultimately stifled their chances.

Rashford perhaps could have done more, and there were a few occasions where fans deemed him greedy rather than servicing his striker, but the lack of a trusted CF will take time to unlearn for Marcus. That relationship with Rasmus will come good.

Unfortunately, it's not good yet, unlike Pascal Groß who decided to send all of our defenders to the shops with a great feint on the edge of the box before burying a 2nd goal for Brighton.

From here the game felt all Brighton, and this is where I put blame on the manager. Hannibal came on for the lacklustre Casemiro, which was a solid move, but Eriksen was left on (for the full match) despite being a slow, heart risk 31 year old, and so too was Scott "I don't like to play possession football" McTominay. This is a big part of why I personally wanted McSauce sold in the summer - he does not suit Ten Hag Ball and it's a big issue. He is a talented player, and shining for Scotland, but like Maguire he needs to move to a club that plays a system which suits his skill set and style.

Unfortunately Brighton's subs also paid off and saw João Pedro score a 3rd and Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati almost bag a 4th. Confidence at 0-2 amongst defenders was not high, and it felt like United missed Aaron Wan Bissaka at RB today vs Mitoma and Lamptey.

Props to Hannibal Mejbri who, bar a clumsy yellow card, had a very solid performance and scored United's consolation goal, but it's a game where it's very difficult to find players to praise.

Ten Hag's late substitutions of Pellistri and Garnacho for McTominay and Reguilon felt like too little, too late. They also meant that for the last 5 minutes (+ 6 stoppage too) Bruno Fernandes had moved from RW to CB. Madness.

I won't blame ETH for resting Hojlund, despite the crowd's protestations and boos, because ultimately the lad's returning from an injury and trying to find match fitness. Steady as it goes on that front, and especially with so much promise and the Bayern game coming up. It's just a shame, because Martial as his replacement was pretty useless - as per usual.

Had United capitalised on the early pressure, maybe the game is different. If Ten Hag responded to De Zerbi's tactical tweaks, maybe the game is different. If Ten Hag made the winger substitutions earlier, maybe the game is different. If Mount/Amrabat/Mainoo were fit then the game is definitely different. This is the problem though: there's so many ifs, buts and maybes, but the cold hard fact is that United were outplayed and deservedly beaten at home.

Next up: Bayern Munich away. We can only pray that their draw with Leverkusen in the Bundesliga has hit morale a bit and that United turn up eager to make amends / prove a point against a fellow big club. Defeat isn't awful, but we have to show improvement, desire, and cohesion. Today looked like 11 individuals thrown together, and our best player was a loanee LB from Spurs, closely followed by the youngest player on the pitch. Hardly awe-inspiring stuff.

[cookies-sports]

Matches from the week of September 16th (2/2)

Continued from this post, some thoughts below the cut on:

Manchester United vs West Ham

Montpellier vs PSG

Manchester United 3 - 0 West Ham United

There is a part of me that always wants West Ham to do better than they do. I think a lot of it is because of how much bullshit the players over the years have put up with from a club that does not care about its women's team.

There have been so many things over the years (being kicked out of their training ground, having to raise money for their own kit, the chairman of the women's team lodged a complaint about the club in 2016 due to the team's mistreatment) and there's a line of thinking (including voiced by players from other teams) that West Ham only have a women's team because they think the bad PR from not having one would be worse. Yet so many of the players really do give it their all, despite that, and I guess I like to see the players get something good for all the stuff they have put up with.

Alas, this was not the match for them to put out a surprise win.

However, they were against Manchester United, another team of players who have put up with a lot from their club, including being closed down in 2005, then reopening again in 2018, and not exactly having a stellar ride since then. So, there's a similar sentiment there of wanting the players to do well.

You can see sparks of quality and intention from West Ham, but they just are so chaotic and unable to implement what they want that Manchester United over-ran them. Szemik had a really nervy game, though I was pleased she got two good saves at the end to end the game on something good. West Ham got better during the second half, though, and I think if they'd played like that all game, it might have been a more even match. I still think Manchester United would have pipped them to the win, but maybe it would have been a 2-1 loss they had instead. Not quite as disheartening in some ways.

With United, despite the scoreline being much in their favour, they were also suffering with the sort of uneasy 'new season' playing that most teams have had. I think it's just how these opening games go. They kept up good pressure and broke away past the defense a lot, especially during the first half. Geyse, Toone, Clinton, Terland, Galton...they all gave the West Ham defenders trouble; Millie Turner was so involved in the attacking play at one point she was called offside and not for a set piece. Le Tissier had positive forward play and long balls, and had a solid first game as Captain. Tullis-Joyce looked comfortable, for the most part, in goal and made some decent saves to deny the West Ham attackers in the second half but she wasn't hugely tested in her new role as United's first string goalkeeper. I suspect that test might come in Week 3, when they face Chelsea.

Good start for Manchester United, not so much for West Ham. Let's see what next week holds for them both.

Montpellier 1 - 3 PSG

After a rough outing for the Champion's League qualifiers, PSG had a better time in the league.

This was very different to the game versus Juventus, where PSG got overrun and outpaced on the wings, then punished in the box for slow closing down and attempting to dribble/pass out of their own 18-yard box rather than just whacking the ball down the pitch for some breathing space (I understand the need for controlled play out the back sometimes, but at other times...you just need to boot it outta there).

It looks like they played a 4-3-3 both times, but with a narrower formation set-up vs Juventus and, notably, with a lot of different players. PSG controlled the majority of the game, with a lot of time spent building up into the Montpellier half. They had a lot of chances and Justine Lerond was another goalkeeper this week who kept her team's scoreline much more respectable than it could have been. PSG were much better at clearing their own half, though there were moments where the same things that cost them in the Juventus game nearly caught them out again. I was pleased to see Naolia Traoré, who played so well for the France U-19s team during the Euros recently getting good game time with the senior team. She struggled with the more physical play and, I think, just the pace of the senior players, but that's something younger players just have to get used to, so it's good experience.

What was most interesting about this game was that you could hear the goalkeepers very clearly. There was no commentary for technical reasons (which were never resolved) and wherever the microphones were positioned, you could hear the goalkeepers and the coaches throughout. This gave me even more insight into just how much the goalkeepers do off the ball that doesn't necessarily get seen often on TV. I knew goalkeepers did a lot of off-ball action that often got missed in discussions, but hearing it in this game fascinated me.

From setting up defence during throw-ins, corner kicks, and free kicks; to telling them that they were ahead of the attacker they were racing to reach the ball first; telling defenders to clear down field or clear for a throw-in, there was so much going on. I suspect Earps will have an easier time communicating with her back-line when she speaks more French, though. I did laugh when you could even hear her yelling well done to Romée Leuchter for her attempts on goal.

With the coaches, there was a lot of shouting of 'allez' from the touchline, which...I mean I question the value of yelling "go, go, go"' or "'come on, come on, come on" over and over but I'm not a coach, so maybe it works?

I think PSG supporters might still be very, very nervous for the reverse leg against Juventus, though. There's...some edginess and uncertainty to the team that is still there, even with their win in this game.

A few other things...

Michelle Agyemang got her first minutes for Brighton and Hove Albion, with the additional time she was on the pitch for 8 minutes. Hopefully she'll get a bit more time later in the season as well.

Unfortunately, in the same match, Everton's Auroro Galli went down with what looked like a knee injury similar to many ligament injuries we've seen before. The coach afterwards confirmed that it seemed to be a severe injury and Galli was on crutches at the end of the match. Massive blow for Everton, following a rough opening game, if it is indeed her ACL or another ligament she's torn.

[sportsoutsider]

Other Week One WSL Games

I wouldn't call myself a busy person, but I'm definitely not someone in the position to watch every game played. Especially depending on where the games are being broadcasted, as well as what times. (I am currently writing one for Chelsea v Aston Villa, I just need to finish watching the second half).

All the information below is based off of the commentary and statistics I could find, as well as my limited knowledge on the teams playing.

Manchester United v West Ham (12:00pm KO)

Man United seem to consistently face issues off of the pitch with both support from their officials and their manager, but despite this, they have produced good scorelines. Being the current FA winners, facing a team that were constantly battling relegation last season, there was an expected winner. Based on the stats shown on FotMob, the first half seemed more United leaning, with the second having West Ham put up more of a fight. Most season predictions I have seen, place them either in another relegation battle, or being relegated, and I guess they are more willing than people think to prove everyone wrong.

When it comes to a team like West Ham, I do think it is worth mentioning that the last time these teams faced each other, it was a draw, and they also had some unexpected final scores against other teams also. There is still a whole season left to play, so while this game is defining, it is not definitive.

Brighton v Everton (12:30pm KO)

Brighton is a team, that from all the signings in pre-season, I knew was a team worth keeping their eye on, and this game has proven why. I'm annoyed to have been at work and missed it. A hat-trick on debut (the first ever in history) for Kiko Seike, as well as a banging penalty for Kirby who seems to have settled in nicely. Also, a 9.8 rating for Seike on FotMob, very excited to see her continue.

Everton looked as if to put up a good fight both halves, but couldn't match what Brighton were giving to them. Historically, they've played in the middle of the table, and I can't recall seeing any major signings which is a little sad. Maybe they'll be able to turn it around as the season progresses.

Liverpool v Leicester City (14:00pm KO)

Liverpool started last season with a win, then seemed to blend in a bit as it continued. Though this was most likely not the result they were hoping for, through stats, it shows that they definitely tried to push the game further into their favour. Past games have shown that when these two sides come for a game against one another, it really is anyones guess as to who will win. This was in fact the first time it ended in a draw between the two as far back as 2021.

Having not watched the game (why must I need money to live), there isn't much else I can say, but where possible, I do look forward to watching more games with these teams involved.

Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace (14:00pm KO)

With most teams coming up from the Championship, it is rare to see them perform well right out of the gate, but a 4-0 loss to Tottenham was not what I was expecting. Whilst throughout the first half, Palace had the upper hand with possession, they just never seemed to be able to take their chances, and as they entered the second, it seemed to go downhill, ending with a player getting sent off with a red. (If anyone knows why, please let me know, I can't find the reasoning anywhere online).

I don't know much about the Championship teams, though have begun to try and catch some games when they're being livestreamed as to broaden what I do know, but I do hope this is not the level they play at. I want competition, and not a constant repeat of promotion and relegation. I would love to see Crystal Palace turn this around, and have all faith that they can. Their next game is against Chelsea, lets see how it turns out before placing too harsh of a judgement.

[hayaahasbullah070411]

foden x self-insert me. (FANGIRLING ERAA😋😋)

(•) warnings ; ?

The referee blow its whistle on the final minute of the match. And Manchester City has won their yet, 4th title, again. The “Etihad” stadium roars in celebration, whilst the other part, West Ham United fans are left unamused. It’s normal to say that their team is not the worst, or the best. Almost no one had never known their 1st title in any league. All the City players now walked off to the changing rooms. Celebrating with loud music, blasting “Wonderwall” by Oasis. Jack Grealish leads the song to continue, and alcohol bottle’s caps are popped out, some of them pouring it to each other’s head. Meanwhile, the alleyway by far from the changing rooms is surprisingly quiet, but a bit of faint noises is still heard from the blasted music from the City’s changing room. A girl casually walks by, aware of the faint music. She observes the walls like it’s a museum, but she really is just in a football stadium, with almost no one left except for the players. A player from the changing rooms walked out, his familiar face displayed. She stops her walking to squint her eyes, making sure she isn’t just seeing things. And it turns out it was a certain man, a man that had just scored 2 goals for Manchester City in their final match, ever. And that player was none other than, Phil Foden. He seemed to stand outside for fresh air, and she’s just standing there, speechless. Despite being a MU supporter, she felt a strong attraction to him. A part of her is convincing to just walk up to him and ask for a picture or an autopgraph, but she didn’t want to sound creepy, or stalker-ish. And she does as follows, her phone already in her grip. She takes a deep breath, and gently taps on his shoulder to get his attention. Phil turns around to face the stranger. She felt like her heart could burst any second just by looking at her somewhat, favourite player actually in front of her. She seemed to had forgotten the whole United and City rivalry, and decides to speak up. Clearing her throat. “Hi, could I get a photo, please? I’m. . A fan.” Phil thinks for a moment. Accepting politely. “Of course, I’m happy to oblige.” He said with a charming smile, and she felt like she could just melt at any moment, but she manages to find her composure, now taking the picture. She turns to face him again, her cheeks already red from the overwhelming excitement soaring across her body at a rapid pace. Phil chuckles upon the sight, offering her a handshake. Her gaze never left his, ever. She shook his hand gently, the simple touch of his palm is already making her lose. “Kinda strange to see a lone girl like you, wandering around the stadium, during this time.” He raises his eyebrow. “Oh, uhm. I was just taking a tour, for. . Boredom. I also got the pass, as well. Had to force the security guard.” She managed to elicit a chuckle escaping his lips, and she felt so.. recognised, almost like she already stepped out of her comfort zone just meeting this guy. She had make sure to not tell this to her father, she’d be dead. “Uhm. Yeah. Heheh.” She forces out laughter, not sounding the way she wanted it to be. “I’m. . Hayaa.” **Hayaa.** He repeated her name under his breath, liking how it sounds simple and fitting. “Hayaa, huh? Sounds nice. I’m pretty sure you know me, of course.” He remarks, his hands now on his hips. “Oh, yeah, uhm. Foden.? Right?” Hayaa asks, tilting her head slightly to make sure she doesn’t mispronounce his name wrongly. Phil nods. “The one and only.” He smirks. The sight of his visible expression now making Hayaa really overwhelmed. Her heartbeat racing at a really high speed, and she felt like it could be bursted out her chest if she wanted it to. “Congrats, by the way. On your so-far fourth title, in a row.” She states. Phil scoffs. “Nah, it’s nothing. I knew we’d win anyway.” He says confidently. Deciding to change the subject, he asks, “So. Which club do you support.?” A really big lump in her throat is making her not spill out what she’s about to say, but she somehow manages to let it out. “Manchester United.”

SORRY IF THIS IS CRINGE BC IM KINDA OUTTA MY MIND. 😣 kinda planning on pt. 2 so be sure to read it. 😁😁🫶

[mariachastain]

What a fabulous weekend of football!

And I can't believe there is still one more match to go! The capstone match at that! A possible title decider! Manchester City vs. Arsenal. I am hoping for a draw so Liverpool can further solidify their spot as numero uno. They barely beat out Brighton today, but thanks to King Salah, they squeaked out their win (because let me tell you, it was NOT a convincing first half on their part).

As for other highlights of the weekend, Newcastle vs. West Ham will go down as a classic comeback game. West Ham looked to have the game sealed when they were leading 3-1, and especially since the poor Newcastle players continue to drop like flies due to injury. But what the comeback from them yesterday. Harvey Barnes probably had boots kissed by every one of his mates yesterday after the match.

Chelsea vs. Burnley was an all-round embarrassment. Burnley went down to ten men early on due to red card that should never have been a red card and then their coach, Vincent Kompany, also got sent off and I admire him for it because he was truly speaking out against that red card that was a sham.

Chelsea have really only survived this season due to Cole Palmer. Or rather, "Cold Palmer." Check out his cheeky little penalty from yesterday. He also had a nice goal, mostly due to a brilliant little flick on from Raheem Sterling, who hasn't done all that much this season, but that assist somewhat makes up for his lackluster year. But Chelsea being Chelsea, still only managed to get a draw against a ten-man Burnley, which is just downright pathetic.

The other fun game from yesterday was Man United vs. Brentford. The game was all Brentford. Man United were absolutely abysmal. Yet bring on Mason Mount, who has barely touched a ball all season due to injury, and he scores what we all thought was going to be the late winner. Haha not so! said Brentford with Kristoffer Ajer scoring in the 99th minute.

Anyway, the big game is starting now and I must give it all my attention!

[hardynwa]

West Ham sign Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City

England midfielder Kalvin Phillips said he wants to "add the quality I know I'm capable of" to West Ham after joining them on loan from Manchester City for the rest of the season. There is no option to buy included in the 28-year-old's switch. Phillips signed a six-year contract when he joined City from Leeds United in a £45m deal in July 2022. "There's so much to look forward to in the second half of the season. I can't wait to be part of it," he said. "There's an unbelievable group here and if I can come in and add the quality that I know I'm capable of, I'm sure we can give the West Ham fans plenty to be excited about between now and the end of the season." Phillips made just two starts and 16 total Premier League appearances in his 18 months at City as he struggled for game time under manager Pep Guardiola. A number of other clubs, including Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Juventus, had also expressed an interest in him. The loan signing will come as a boost to Hammers boss David Moyes, who has been eager to strengthen a squad weakened by a succession of injuries. Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio are both out for an extended period, while Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez missed the FA Cup defeat at Championship side Bristol City with a calf problem. West Ham are sixth in the Premier League and have reached the Europa League knockout rounds which get under way in March. "We are really pleased to bring a player of Kalvin's quality to West Ham United," said Moyes. "We've been big admirers of him for a long time and we believe that he will add strength and competition to our squad. "Kalvin is an England international midfielder, with proven Premier League experience. We're excited to welcome him into the group and look forward to working with him." Phillips, who has 31 England caps and remains a member of Gareth Southgate's squad, is likely to view the move as an opportunity to get regular playing time and boost his chances of playing at this summer's European Championship in Germany. He leaves City having scored just one goal - against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League. Phillips made 21 appearances in all competitions last season as City won the Premier League, FA Cup and their first Champions League title to complete a historic Treble. Read the full article

[soccerdailyuk]

Ajax send transfer fee warning to Chelsea and Arsenal over Mohammed Kudus deal

Ajax send transfer fee warning to Chelsea and Arsenal over Mohammed Kudus deal Ajax's sporting director, Sven Mislintat, has acknowledged that there is interest from Chelsea and Arsenal in Mohammed Kudus and conceded that he might depart the club.  However, he cautioned that his value is likely to increase in the upcoming weeks.  Arsenal have expressed their interest in acquiring the 22-year-old player. However, recent reports suggest that Chelsea is prepared to disrupt that potential transfer and is nearing an agreement on personal terms to secure the player for Stamford Bridge.  As of now, Chelsea has not made a formal offer, but there have been preliminary discussions.  Apart from Chelsea and Arsenal, Brighton has also shown interest in signing the talented Ghanaian international.  Additionally, over the past year, there have been strong speculations linking him to a reunion with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. In a conversation with Ajax Life, Mislintat confirmed that the club has received inquiries from interested parties regarding Kudus. However, as of now, they are yet to receive a definite and formal offer for the player. "There are clubs that have informally enquired about him. I don’t expect an offer very soon, although you know that things can be different in the football world," Mislintat told Ajax Life. "Perhaps the interest in not as serious as everyone thinks." Ajax has already experienced the departure of Jurrien Timber to Arsenal earlier in the summer. Now, besides Mohammed Kudus, they are also facing the challenge of retaining midfielder Edson Alvarez, as West Ham is interested in acquiring him as a potential replacement for Declan Rice. Mislintat has acknowledged that the possibility of both players leaving exists. However, he cautions that the longer other clubs delay in making their move, the higher the asking price for these players is likely to become. In other words, if interested clubs wait too long to make an offer, Ajax might increase the transfer fees for Kudus and Alvarez. "There is no fixed deadline, but there are agreements we must have to get replacements if we have not already done so proactively" he told Aglemeen Dagblad. Their stay or sale also depends on what we will do next. "The best thing for is if Kudus and Alvarez stay, then we keep two top players. But it is also possible that one goes, or both. "It is important for us that the relationship with the players remains good. This can be done by being transparent and applying good principles. As we get closer to the deadline, the transfer fee, for example, goes up." As of now, Mohammed Kudus is dealing with a minor ankle injury. This injury might be affecting his availability for matches or training sessions until he recovers fully. Clubs interested in signing him would likely take this injury into consideration when assessing his current fitness level and potential transfer. Ajax send transfer fee warning to Chelsea and Arsenal over Mohammed Kudus deal Read the full article

[stillunusual]

Leeds United: Meslier, Ayling, Firpo, Koch, Cooper, Roca, Bamford, Harrison, Rodrigo (Aaronson 68), Sinisterra (Summerville 32), McKennie.

Subs not used: Robles, Forshaw, Struijk, Rutter, Kristensen, Gnonto, Greenwood. Watching Leeds United now is like being back in the pre-Bielsa era - the board have fucked things up, the manager's doing his best but is out of his depth, most of the players are out of form or just not good enough, the football's turned to shit and there seems to be no hope.... If we had lost this game there'd definitely be no way back, but even though we managed to get a point it's almost certainly not enough to save our season. Luis Sinisterra's goal was a rare moment of quality, but we were pretty dire for the rest of the game. There was a pivotal moment right at the end when Patrick Bamford missed an absolute sitter from close range that most people in the crowd could have scored with their eyes closed. So even though we didn't deserve to win, that miss cost us two vital points. The fans stuck with the team until the final whistle, after which there were a few "Orta out" and "sack the board" chants.... There are five games to go and Leeds are in 16th place, with Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Everton and Southampton below us, but it's so tight at the bottom that any of those teams can still potentially get out of trouble. Our last five games are against Bournemouth, Manchester City, Newcastle, West Ham and Spurs, and based on recent performances I doubt if we'll get more than a couple of points out of them. I also can't believe that the teams below us will do worse than Leeds between now and the end of the season, because they've all got at least a couple of players who have more quality than any of ours. Jamie Vardy may be past it but he's still a better striker than Bamford or Rodrigo will ever be....

[adamburt1984]

My Likes and Dislikes of Football (Soccer)

Dislikes: - Teams I hate (Manchester United: Liverpool, Manchester City, Bareclona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, any German teams, Galatasaray, Bolton, West Ham, Celtic, any teams in Brazil & Argentina, whoeve beat us and think it best thing ever (same with England), England: Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Turkey, Colombla (way they played against England in 2018)) Who does dislike their rivals? - Manchester United haters, (Anyone But United) it has people who not into football, don't know about football, but join making fun of Manchester United and it's fan, and bother on why support Manchester United, why do they care, it they not into football. Even just hating Manchester United is sad and pathetic, there even a tweeter acount of it. - What been happen, like what happen to Manchester United,it happen before like back in 2004-06, and people say United not what they used to be. But United got back to glory in 2006 then after SIr Alex rerited then things change. I know it won't be same but what been happen is frusrated. Spceially now Liverpool and Manchester City taken over, specially Liverpool winnning Champions League, then European Super Cup and Club World Cup. Guess had what Liverpool fans and Man United haters feel when Manchester United won treble and become First English team to become World Champions in 2008 (along being champions of Europe and England). -Tell, who and not to support or fan of, who in right mind tell me who or not to support and become fan of. -Label Glory supporter, plastic fan, not true fan do they even know me? Just because I used to glory days and hope they return to it. I don't even myself true supporter/fan or even the best, how can you be it? - My School days, pick last, blame for lost, mistreated, played badly, when trackling people think it's foul, it made feel bad about football. - FIFA and UEFA - Paul Scholes, even Manchester United fans, you be some players you hate in your team even they are good. Also Beckham and Roy Keane and Paul Podga, Evra, personal reason not on their pros. Have mix feeling

- Zinedine Zidane

- Cristiano Ronaldo

- Lionel Messi

- Leonardo Bonucci, Gerard Piqué, Rustu Recber, Ronaldinho, Carlos Roberto, Mario Balotelli and Vincent Kompany, most players I dislike - Some fellow Manchester United fans, even we support same team we had disagreement, like supportting England. A fellow United fan say he don't see United fan support England like do they even know every United Fans. There also these so called rule of going to United game, do not wear England shirt and do wear United shirt along with (Argentina Shirt), ******. Also other things we may disagree. - Tournament with my team or when they knockout like World Cup or Champions League, Watching a tournament without my team or when they're knockout is depressing. - Banting, when it comes to it I'm bad at banting when it comes to Liverpool, Manchester City, Leeds and Barcelona fans or Manchester United haters. - European Super Cup, Manchester United stuggle to win in last three times. - Leeds United fans - Agents - Hand of God - Players overpaid and buying players too much - Signing under 15 years and it big news - WAGs

- Kids mascots

- World Cups and European Championships, When time England in it, it always failure and wanted another World Cup or Euro right now. It like end of the World or someone I know die. Thinking about past World Cups and Euros depress me. Got critics or question when say England on winning the World Cup or Euros. When will get the cup? Seeing pictures or videos/cilps of other teams with the trophy, celebrate or lifting it, make me sick.

- England Dounters, They pissed me off, they believe England not going to win the World Cup or Euros, worse they always right. Believe they hate England and think England always s****.

- Hoolligans.

- Racism and Wokeness.

- Too much use of foreign players in English games, no problem with foreign players but in English league so many foreign players, why so many, cos better than English players? You mean Africans?, Irani?, Iraqi? American Samo? Maybe reason why National Team didn’t do well in World Cup or Euro. Some don’t care about it, why should they? they’re a******.

- Foreign Owners, I know it helps but why? Likes: - Manchester United - England National Team - My Football idols - Trophies- World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Premier League trophy, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA European Champions, Club World Cup and Community Shield. Prefer to see them win by my teams.

- British Home Championship trophy.

- Yorkshire Football Team and Cornwall Football Team, They exist they are in CONIFA.

[treblewinners]

Nice fans seem to very outspoken against ratcliffe the whole time he has been there, that's why i was confused why united fans seemed happy about him buying united

part 1 of the ask: Second richest guy in the uk and founder/owner of Ineos a chemical company that been in a bunch of scandals (one of them being in Manchester itself when they were releasing chemicals into the shipping canal), stated during brexit time that he was eurosceptic not for legit reasons but because he had to close a manufacturing plant as it was breaking eu environmental pollution laws and he feels the eu legislation like that is "hurting economies", owns two super yachts and moved to his tax residence in monaco which saves him about 4 billion in taxes, also in terms of the club itself he seems to just want a Premier league club as he bid for Chelsea and was involved for both Liverpool and West Ham, he currently owns Nice to give an idea what he is liked as a club owner

i think mostly because of frustrations on how the glazers managed the club and making it more like their cash cow, and from what i've gathered from my moots is he's a football fan first so he probably won't mess up as much as the glazers. again i feel like i'm not knowledgable enough to answer this djfhdjdj you can read the replies and reblogs from the previous ask i answered or you can ask my moots if you want more insights 😅

[childish-zambino]

Bowen missed several hammer chances.

West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen has apologized for his side's many chances in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United.

"It's disappointing. If it was another day we would have gained something from this game. David de Gea made a great save. We also have many opportunities.”

"Sometimes when luck isn't on your side. The ball didn't go into the goal. In the second half we showed who we are. And we can play better than anyone. And no one argues that we deserve the เว็บบาคาร่า  goal.”

Sometimes it happens in this league. with very high quality And one chance must be taken Although I can touch the ball well in shooting. And sometimes it gets past defenders, but Harry (Maguire) blocks well, it's like a bitter pill that's hard to swallow.

“We need to maintain a high level of momentum. and continue to show the form Every play since the national team break has been improved. And I think that these gaps will soon end with our greatness.”