Parris to London – WSL/women's football 2021/22

[Jobi1]

The WSL and Championship fixtures are out today, so as good a team as any to start a new season thread I thought. The Fixture Computer isn't messing about either, serving up Arsenal v Chelsea on the first weekend.

Will be interesting to see if Arsenal, with Nikita Parris and a new manager on board, can get properly back among Chelsea and Manchester City. Manchester United's ongoing travails and the loss of Lauren James won't do them a lot of good, you'd have thought.

[jefe]

Manchester United's new manager is Orlando Pride's old one.

[Jobi1]

Some ferocious beating handed out by Chelsea to United live on the Beeb this aft, United seemingly on a mission to prove the daftness of persistently playing out from the back in the face of a high press that keeps catching you out.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Yes, it was a bit of thumping.

Pernille Harder's goal was an absolutely beautiful combination of strength, pace and, the end, delicate skill.

[Jobi1]

...and another surprisingly resounding win for Arsenal against Man City. Bit early but hard to see the title heading outside of the M25 this season.

[Janik]

That later result was really eye-catching, in the way Chelsea humping Manchester United wasn't. The Manchester side have clearly gone backwards from last season - and that applies equally to United or City. But it is more of a shock regarding City, who were in the Champions League Semi-Finals last season and were one spectacular Ann-Katrin Berger save away from being domestic champions. So not even making the groups of the CL this time around, and losing two of their opening three league games which basically eliminates them from the title race already is really bad form.

[Sunderporinostesta]

Sunderland 0 Durham 2. Two second half goals at The Bob Paisley End seal a comfortable win.
The Wear-Wear derby won by a Durham team featuring five ex Sunderland lasses in their starting line up who left when the FAs determination to hand the wimmens game over to the big six meant our last but one owner pulled the plug on financial support. With Staveley announcing that lot want a top top ladies team to aid their sportswashing efforts it looks like our days of attracting the best players in the NE before they move on to richer things are well and truly over.

My idea of a combined NE pro team named along the lines of the ancient kingdom of Northumbria with us, Boro, Newcastle, Hartlepool and a few others taking minor shareholding’s while donating their grounds for games all over the NE won’t be going any further than friends of friends mentioning it to people behind the scenes up there.

[delicatemoth]

Leicester were 8 minutes away from getting their first point at Chelsea. Ended 2-0 to the home side but hopefully holding out for that long will give them some confidence.

[Janik]

Georgia Stanway’s ‘challenge’ against Leah Galton in the Manchester Derby, for which she deservedly saw a straight red card... Eep!!!

[Jobi1]

Hard not to feel a bit sorry for Jonathan Morgan, losing his job at Leicester after so long. Seems the women's game is becoming more cut-throat these days, although not enough to see Gareth Taylor staring down the barrel at Man City despite their less than impressive start to the season.

[Sunderporinostesta]

I’m back home this weekend. My attendance at the England game will be largely governed by the weather. Considering I trailed around Germany and France for the last two Europe held WCs is an indication of my general pissed offness with football at the moment.
oops wrong thread

[Levin]

Ooh, they have a fancy pattern in the grass. I thought that was forbidden nowadays.

[E10 Rifle]

Strikingly one-sided final, this. Arsenal haven't turned up at all

[lambers]

Yep, Arsenal were very poor, which Chelsea definitely took advantage of. The BBC are raving about Kerr's final goal, but I thought the middle goal was the more impressive finish, real eye of the needle stuff.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

Please can we ban Jonathan Pearce from commentating on women's football. Does anyone enjoy his weak banter with his co-commentator or that weird tone of voice he only ever uses when a female footballer misses a chance.

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

As for the game, thought Sophie Ingle was excellent - snuffing out Arsenal's midfield threat (i.e. Kim Little) and setting Chelsea away on the counter every time an Arsenal move broke down.

[Nocturnal Submission]

For anyone who hasn't seen Sam Kerr's exquisite second goal: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/59541194

[Uncle Ethan]

Delighted for Sam Kerr. Class always tells.

[Janik]

Have we done the PSG player assault story anywhere? If we haven’t, have a read of this, whilst keeping in mind this is not a reject script from ‘Engrenages’ (Spiral) but real life... where is Laure Berthaud when you need her?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/s...e=articleShare

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

I feel very frivolous mentioning this after Janik's post about that serious assault episode, but I'm surprised nobody has posted yet (on this thread at least) about Sam Kerr's magnificent shoulder barge attack on a pitch invader last night - take your pick from internet sites with free video footage of it. You can take the woman out of Australia.....

[ursus arctos]

I was surprised that Kerr didn't put a nut on the invader, given her essential Aussieness.

On the PSG debacle, French criminal procedure can be very confusing/difficult to understand, especially for those living in "common law" jurisdictions (including virtually all of the Anglosphere apart from Louisiana).

I could bore everyone for days about legalistic elements of the differences, but one that is worth mentioning in this context is that those investigating high profile French criminal cases constantly use the French media to present various theories of the case in a way that even the most cartoonish corrupt US sheriff would find déclassé. They are also able to take people into custody on little more than hunches in a way that would cause a US criminal defense lawyer to have a heart attack.

Thus the perception (especially in Anglophone media that isn't deeply familiar with French criminal procedure) that Diallo was "obviously guilty" and then that Abidal's wife was "obviously guilty".

One of those theories may prove to be true, but I am quite certain sufficient evidence to prove either is nowhere near to have been assembled so far.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I feel very frivolous mentioning this after Janik's post about that serious assault episode, but I'm surprised nobody has posted yet (on this thread at least) about Sam Kerr's magnificent shoulder barge attack on a pitch invader last night - take your pick from internet sites with free video footage of it. You can take the woman out of Australia.....

She got a yellow card as a consequence, which was a bit of a shame.

[Jobi1]

She got a yellow card as a consequence, which was a bit of a shame.

I'd like to think she is aware of the rules and hence why she went for the (fantasitcally brutal) shoulder barge rather than sticking the nut on the guy, which would (correctly, by the rules) have resulted in a red card. Hope the guy's at least got a touch of whiplash today anyway.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I'd like to think she is aware of the rules and hence why she went for the (fantasitcally brutal) shoulder barge rather than sticking the nut on the guy, which would (correctly, by the rules) have resulted in a red card. Hope the guy's at least got a touch of whiplash today anyway.

I always think that a delicate trip that leaves the transgressor sprawling on the turf or a good old kick up the jacksy as they head for the safety of the touchline is the most satisfying punishment, but I have to say that a hefty shoulder barge while the disrespectful sod was taking a selfie was equally as gratifying in this instance.

[Uncle Ethan]

Headbutting is not a particularly Australian manner of assault. The hip and shoulder is a very Australian Rules approach. Indeed, as sokkah twitter here on Oz predicted, several AFL entities soon jumped on the bandwagon because Kerr played Aussie Rules as a kid.