Arsenal Ladies – season update

A damaging home defeat to Chelsea in the FAWSL in August all but ended Arsenal Ladies’ hopes of winning the title for the first time since 2012. The game demonstrated the chasm in professionalism that is beginning to yawn during the second half of a very draining season. Since the World Cup in Canada, Manchester City Women, whose set up is the most professionalised in the country, have won 7 and drawn 1 of their 8 games. Even clubs with good set ups such as Arsenal and Liverpool have struggled with fatigue and injuries following the international break, whilst Chelsea and Manchester City’s superior training regimes have separated them from the chaff.

City, a team still finding cohesion after its formation under 2 years ago, began the season in very ordinary form, but have ominously found their feet to form a two horse race for the league title. Chelsea and Arsenal fought out a very closely contested 0-0 draw at Staines Town in June, but come August, the West Londoners dismantled Arsenal on their own turf, the 2-0 score line flattering a beleaguered Gunners side. Arsenal currently sit 5 points behind Chelsea with two games remaining and three points behind Manchester City in the final Champions League spot.

Pedro Losa’s side have struggled to impose themselves at home this season, having now fallen behind in each of their last four home games in the FAWSL. Yet their away form is notably better, in early September they comfortably defeated Liverpool 2-0 in Widnes, even allowing themselves the luxury of a missed penalty. Arsenal are unbeaten away from home in all competitions this season. Pedro has introduced wing backs into the system this season and with pacey outlets such as Danielle Carter and Chiomu Ubogagu on the flanks, the Gunners are perfectly set up for a counter attacking game. They will need to activate their counter attacking instincts to the fullest when they travel to WSL surprise package Sunderland on Saturday evening.

Whilst Arsenal are clearly lagging behind the likes of City and Chelsea at the moment, there is at least some indication that efforts are being made to catch up. Alex Scott in particular, has publicly voiced her frustration about Arsenal being left behind on more than one occasion. Manchester City and Chelsea have full usage of their respective training grounds, whilst Arsenal have to wait until the afternoon to train, once the men’s team have finished using the facilities. Given the size of the London Colney development, it is difficult to understand why the ladies can’t train at the same time as the men’s team. However, Scott, along with Casey Stoney and Emma Byrne, signed a new contract this month. Scott especially must have been given some assurances around the club’s plans before she put pen to paper.

When I met her last year, Scott admitted to me that she had carefully considered her future prior to signing her last contract with the club. Now aged 30 and without a league title for 3 years, the temptation to jump ship must have been even greater. During a live Q & A session in London this month, assistant manager Kelly Smith broadly hinted http://dailycannon.com/2015/09/smith-reveals-big-announcement-arsenal-imminent/ that a big development was imminent for the Ladies, with rumours of a purpose built stadium for the team. Smith also suggested that there had been the promise of greater investment, with steps already taken to professionalise the setup. This year, Arsenal Ladies appointed a goalkeeping coach and a strength and conditioning coach for the first time, having also increased to five training sessions a week.

On the pitch, if the prognosis looks gloomy for Arsenal in the WSL, the Continental Cup offers a more chance for glory. Arsenal were drawn to play Manchester City at home in the quarter final, having sailed through their group with a 100% record. However, the match was postponed pending disciplinary action for their prospective opponents, who allegedly fielded an ineligible player during the group stages. Reading Women were expelled from the competition for the same crime last season, but after an investigation, the claim against City has been declared unfounded, so Arsenal will now have to play City, who are favourites for the competition. Chelsea were victims of a shock as they were defeated at the quarter-final stage by Birmingham City, so if Arsenal can upset the odds and beat City, they would be instantly considered favourites to win the trophy for the fourth time.

City’s indiscretion does raise questions over the handling of the registration process in the WSL. Both Reading and Manchester City Women have been penalised for fielding ineligible players in the last 12 months, whilst in 2013, Arsenal were docked 2 league points for fielding Katie Chapman before she was properly re-registered following a period of maternity leave. Are clubs just lacking in administrative professionalism, leading to such glaring errors? Or is the registration process unnecessarily opaque? Could lines of communication between clubs and the football association be improved whilst the process of registration is ongoing? It’s difficult to know without precise details to hand, but 3 high profile registration errors in 3 years seems an unusually high number.

Arsenal have been able to welcome midfielders Jordan Nobbs and Vicky Losada back from injury over the last 3 weeks. Both have been sorely missed, not solely for the goal threat that they offer, but Arsenal have struggled to control the tempo of their home matches and missing all three of their first choice midfield through injury this summer has been a contributory factor. The deeper of the first choice midfield trio, teenage prodigy Leah Williamson, is also slated to return from injury soon. Dutch international goalkeeper Sari Van Veenendaal has taken over as first choice goalkeeper over the last month too. The dethroned Emma Byrne told me in July that comfort with the ball at her feet was one of the attributes that fetched Losa’s eye when he signed van Veenendaal. Losa likes for his defenders to pass the ball out at the back and the Dutch keeper seems more adept with her distribution.

It is likely that Arsenal will miss out on the Champions League again, however, they have managed to commit young talents such as Leah Williamson, the vastly improved Emma Mitchell and Carla Humphrey to new contracts, as well as experienced campaigners such as Emma Byrne, Casey Stoney and Alex Scott. It looks as though they will keep the nucleus of the team together and if whispers of greater investment come to fruition, there is plenty to be excited about. A final word for the Arsenal Ladies supporters club https://twitter.com/ASCLadies, which started up in earnest over the summer. The brainchild of Supporters’ Liaison Officer Mark Brindle and Arsenal Ladies media officer Faye White, Arsenal Ladies finally has its own independent supporters’ club which is not before time.

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