WSL 24/25 | United v Arsenal - 12:30 on Sun 3 Nov

[Lightbringer]

Anyone know how I can watch these games in the US?

The Women's Super League 2024/25 live stream rights are now held by ESPN.

This means games are available through ESPN Plus. The service costs $10.99 a month, or $109.99 for the year. It is available as part of a bundle with Hulu and Disney Plus. Those plans start at $14.99 a month (with ads). You can also keep up with the action though via the WSL YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/@BarclaysWSL

Games that are shown on BBC in the UK, you can watch for free on the BBC website if you use a VPN and put in a UK IP. Games that are shown on the WSL youtube channel will also be available for free I believe in the USA, or at least if you use a VPN.

When games are on Sky Sports in the UK, you probably need to watch it on ESPN+ as it will not be shown anywhere else than for paying UK customers.

Footnote: To be honest its an absolute farce and mess with all the geo-blocking going on fans are struggling to understand what games they can view and how as it changes depending on that platform its on and what country you live in. I run a WSL facebook group and its a constant topic of where games are and why is this not showing in my country etc.

 

[top1whoisman]

I'll play ...

I don't think it's as simple as that because it implies that a certain United player is fundamentally better than an opposition player in a specific position. However, I do believe that MLT, Clinton, Toone and even PTJ would not weaken any of the top three teams. Possibly Turner, Terland and Galton too.

Turner or Millie Bright? Terland or Bunny Shaw? Now it becomes more problematic. Chelsea, Arsenal and City are better teams, no doubt, but for me that is down to the management, coaching, formations, style rather than the individual players.

In my opinion:

As I said MLT and Clinton might even start for some of our rivals. At worst they’d be rotation players.

Toone’s form has unfortunately been poor to average for two seasons now, and the start this season has been the same. In this form she might be a supersub, but when you look at the forward options of Chelsea and City, perhaps not. Even Arsenal have Russo and Blackstenius. If you look to play her a bit deeper, even Arsenal have Maanum and Caldentey who are better at the moment.

PTJ has performed very well. She still doesn’t make the US squad, but she might start for Arsenal.

Galton, as much as I love to watch her play, would probably be a fringe player for our rivals.

Turner would not start for any of them. Comparing her to Millie Bright… well, I don’t even want to go there. Bright is among the best CBs in the league (and the world) alongside Williamson and Greenwood. There’s a reason why these three consistently start for England and Turner more often than not fails to make the squad.

Bunny Shaw has been the best striker in the league for years. Apart from the crazy stats, she dominates just about every single opposing defender with relative ease. Terland has a lot of good tools but is far from Shaw’s quality.

We do agree on Skinner. He should be able to get more out of this group. Especially some of the tactical decisions, usage of subs, approach in big games etc. - he shouldn’t be at the club, simple as that.

A better coach could make us challenge for the top three, but with this squad a title challenge is not a realistic goal. Yes, I know we (and Skinner) did it once but I also believe the squad was much stronger two seasons ago.

Anyway let’s agree to disagree, we all see things differently.

 

[Demon Barber]

In my opinion:

As I said MLT and Clinton might even start for some of our rivals. At worst they’d be rotation players.

Toone’s form has unfortunately been poor to average for two seasons now, and the start this season has been the same. In this form she might be a supersub, but when you look at the forward options of Chelsea and City, perhaps not. Even Arsenal have Russo and Blackstenius. If you look to play her a bit deeper, even Arsenal have Maanum and Caldentey who are better at the moment.

PTJ has performed very well. She still doesn’t make the US squad, but she might start for Arsenal.

Galton, as much as I love to watch her play, would probably be a fringe player for our rivals.

Turner would not start for any of them. Comparing her to Millie Bright… well, I don’t even want to go there. Bright is among the best CBs in the league (and the world) alongside Williamson and Greenwood. There’s a reason why these three consistently start for England and Turner more often than not fails to make the squad.

Bunny Shaw has been the best striker in the league for years. Apart from the crazy stats, she dominates just about every single opposing defender with relative ease. Terland has a lot of good tools but is far from Shaw’s quality.

We do agree on Skinner. He should be able to get more out of this group. Especially some of the tactical decisions, usage of subs, approach in big games etc. - he shouldn’t be at the club, simple as that.

A better coach could make us challenge for the top three, but with this squad a title challenge is not a realistic goal. Yes, I know we (and Skinner) did it once but I also believe the squad was much stronger two seasons ago.

Anyway let’s agree to disagree, we all see things differently.

Okay, let's agree to disagree.

BTW I disagree with everything you said, apart from when you agreed with me

 

[Lobster11]

I posted this video earlier in the Ella Toone thread, but am cross-posting here because I think it's highly relevant to ongoing discussion in this thread. I think it's a very insightful analysis, supported by film clips, of (1) why Tooney is a great player but also (2) why it hasn't always looked that way over the last year-and-half with United.

 

[Demon Barber]

I posted this video earlier in the Ella Toone thread, but am cross-posting here because I think it's highly relevant to ongoing discussion in this thread. I think it's a very insightful analysis, supported by film clips, of (1) why Tooney is a great player but also (2) why it hasn't always looked that way over the last year-and-half with United.

Toone the Ramdeuter!
"Jermany.'
Apart from the American AI narrator that is a decent analysis. Cheers.

 

[top1whoisman]

I’ve noticed I’m more irritated than I maybe should be when I see the official twitter account milking the draw, the equaliser, the goal celebration etc.

We drew a game at home after playing like shit for 75 minutes. Sure if we were Birmingham or something I would understand that a draw against Arsenal is a good result. It feels like this is the narrative both the coach as well as the comms/socials team has adopted.

Sometimes you can be honest and say ”we were very poor”, you don’t always have to do everything you can to deflect from the performance.

But as I said I think it’s more about my personal irrational annoyance, not sure anyone else feels the same.

 

[Demon Barber]

I’ve noticed I’m more irritated than I maybe should be when I see the official twitter account milking the draw, the equaliser, the goal celebration etc.

We drew a game at home after playing like shit for 75 minutes. Sure if we were Birmingham or something I would understand that a draw against Arsenal is a good result. It feels like this is the narrative both the coach as well as the comms/socials team has adopted.

Sometimes you can be honest and say ”we were very poor”, you don’t always have to do everything you can to deflect from the performance.

But as I said I think it’s more about my personal irrational annoyance, not sure anyone else feels the same.

I totally agree with you and there is nothing irrational about your annoyance. Fortunately I avoid most of it as I do not do social media, but get enough of it from the official website.

The worry about the lack of real honesty is that they seem to believe their own PR rather than addressing the real issues. They are also continually taking fans for fools. We see with our own eyes and deserve better.

 

[top1whoisman]

I totally agree with you and there is nothing irrational about your annoyance. Fortunately I avoid most of it as I do not do social media, but get enough of it from the official website.

The worry about the lack of real honesty is that they seem to believe their own PR rather than addressing the real issues. They are also continually taking fans for fools. We see with our own eyes and deserve better.

See, we do agree on something!

I get that as the head coach you are protective of your players, it's part of your job. But after a performance like that in yet another big game, how about some accountability? You don't have to throw your players under the bus, but you can criticize the performance. More than just "we weren't at our best" etc. I have not once heard him say he got something wrong, that he made a mistake, that the team wasn't prepared and that's his responsibility or something along those lines. Sick of this shit.