WSL 21/22 | Spurs v United | Sun 7 Nov 12:15 - live on BBC2

[Maestro14]

Kick off is half an hour away, and it's a big game for us. With City's form being so poor and already looking like they're out of the title race, this year is perhaps our best chance yet of getting into CL football next season. This year though, there's a lot of competition for that 3rd position, including Spurs who are in excellent form and are above us in the league. A win puts us above them and into 3rd.

Groenen is out injured, so Ladd takes her place in the starting line up. The rest is as expected.

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

This is available to watch on BBC2 for those in the UK.

 

[jojojo]

This is available to watch on BBC2 for those in the UK.

And free (in most countries) on FA Player - you do need to register but it's free.
https://faplayer.thefa.com/
Or on the FA Player app.

 

[jojojo]

Bit of a flat start from us so far. Most of the action is in midfield and it feels like most of the play is in Spurs hands. The fans are ours though

 

[Damien]

This is available to watch on BBC2 for those in the UK.

Thanks. Crazy to see City doing so badly.

 

[Maestro14]

Russoooo!! Brilliant from her and gets the opener before HT.

 

[jojojo]

Largely against the run of play across the half (though we've looked better in the last 5 minutes) but Russo scores a lovely individual goal and we're 1-0 up just coming up to halftime.

 

[Maestro14]

We started the second half well but Spurs are now seeing more of the ball. Staniforth and Thomas have come on for Toone and Hanson who have both had a quiet game.

 

[jojojo]

We started the second half well but Spurs are now seeing more of the ball. Staniforth and Thomas have come on for Toone and Hanson who have both had a quiet game.

Yep. Not quite sure why we look so flat. Though I will say that I've said that a couple of times this season.

Some of the new connections that on the face of it should work really well this season - like Blundell with Galton - still aren't really delivering.

 

[jojojo]

Freaky goal from a setpiece and Spurs get a draw in the 90 + 4 minute.

 

[jojojo]

Russo nearly scores from Galton cross with seconds to play but it ends 1-1

 

[Maestro14]

fecking hell, so unlucky. I don't even know what the free kick was given for, as it looked like a foul on the United player.

 

[buchansleftleg]

Has any club ever sacked it's Men's and Women's team manager on the same weekend? #askingforafriend

 

[Lightbringer]

fecking hell, so unlucky. I don't even know what the free kick was given for, as it looked like a foul on the United player.

I knew it was going to be a goal against us as soon as the ref gave that bollocks free kick. If she hits that free kick again 100 000 times it will not bounce in the top corner once again. We are fecking cursed. And then Russos header is put on net in the only place the goaltender would stop it. I am absolutely fuming, this totally ruined my day and probably our season as well.

 

[jojojo]

United's opener:

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

That closing seconds attempt from Russo.

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[kundalini]

fecking hell, so unlucky. I don't even know what the free kick was given for, as it looked like a foul on the United player.

Nothing wrong with Russo's challenge. I rewatched it several times to see what she had done. Turned out just cleared the ball.

Clearly the wind made it very difficult for both teams, players struggled to control the ball, passes stopped or accelerated away from players due to the wind. Slow start from us but after that I thought we did reasonably well. Mary Earps had a good game, saving that spectacular long distance shot and catching several corners. Our full-backs didn't influence the game in the attacking third for a change.

Hayley Ladd performed well. Alessia brilliant goal and showed her strength on occasion. Poor first half from Ella but did better in the 2nd. Zelem's free-kicks were rubbish, the 2nd one hit Hanson.

 

[Lightbringer]

Nothing wrong with Russo's challenge. I rewatched it several times to see what she had done. Turned out just cleared the ball.

That confirms it. The refereeing standard of the womens league, good lord. Still required an insane amount of luck to score the way they did, but it should not have happened. How the feck did the ball have so much power to reach the top corner btw?

 

[jojojo]

Has any club ever sacked it's Men's and Women's team manager on the same weekend? #askingforafriend

We knew this was going to be a tough season. Certainly we didn't get the kind of reinforcements that would make it seem like we were going after a top three spot - particularly given who were losing. But we aren't playing well. We're erratic, we look tired or lost for long periods in some games.

It's hard to think of anything we're getting better at. That said - Blundell and Batlle are strong, Russo and Toone are starting to look like the players we hoped they'd be. The team as a whole though? It just doesn't fit right.

 

[jojojo]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Grande]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

I liked that.

It’s obviously going to take a while to get the play going, if it will. It was deeply frustrating to miss Casey Stoney at this point, someone’s head should probably roll for that.

With that said, there are still promising players in this team. Batlle, Thorisdottir, Turner, Groenen, Zelem, Ladd, Rise, Galton, Russo and of course Ella Toone, there is potential for good play in there.

 

[kundalini]

That confirms it. The refereeing standard of the womens league, good lord. Still required an insane amount of luck to score the way they did, but it should not have happened. How the feck did the ball have so much power to reach the top corner btw?

I think I have finally figured it out, having watched it a few more times on the FA Player. Alessia didn't commit a foul, which was obvious from watching. However, if you look closely at where the ball was placed for the free-kick relative to the pitch side advertising, it wasn't given against Alessia as she was closer to United's goal, it was for Hayley Ladd trying to foul a Spurs player but mostly missing her. So it was a reasonable decision from the referee.