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6 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

No idea what shes playing at with that poem and the rest of the shit in the press conference re a lesson learned and her son and whatnot. Just baffling. 🤣 

Headline is maybe right mentioning Cantona moment. Utter dross. 

Emma Hayes quotes Robert Frost poem in response to Jonas Eidevall clash after Conti Cup final

https://theathletic.com/5411126/2024/04/12/emma-hayes-poem-uswnt-eidevall/

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes recited a line from a Robert Frost poem in response to questions about her Arsenal counterpart Jonas Eidevall after the two clashed after last month’s Conti Cup final.

Hayes — who will leave Chelsea at the end of the season to start her job as USWNT boss — and Eidevall disagreed on the touchline during the final at Molineux, before she appeared to push the Swede away from her after the match had concluded.

In her post-match press conference immediately following the game — in which Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius scored the final’s only goal in extra time — Hayes, 47, criticised the “male aggression” shown by Eidevall, who described her comments as “very irresponsible” and rejected her version of events.

Hayes was asked about the incident on Friday and recalled a conversation with her son that took place following the Conti Cup final fallout.

“My son said to me after the game, ‘Mummy, when you push someone in school you’re asked to go and take time out’,” Hayes said.

“I said to him, ‘You know what darling, you can’t meet aggression with aggression, all you can do is tell the teacher, all you can do is go and explain why you think something’s unfair. That’s all you can do.’

“You cannot meet aggression with aggression. I thought it was a really good conversation to have with my son after the final.”

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Hayes, Eidevall and a final chapter in the WSL's most intense managerial rivalry

Hayes was then pressed on whether she stood by her post-match comments following the final, which the Chelsea boss responded to by reading four lines from Robert Frost’s poem Choose Something Like a Star. Frost’s 1943 poem is the narrator speaking to a star in the night sky, in which they are urging it to speak to them and provide clear answers.

“So when at times the mob is swayed, to carry praise and blame too far, we may choose somewhere like a star, to stay our minds on and be staid,” Hayes quoted.

When she was asked what she meant by reciting the poem, Hayes responded: “I’ve had a fantastic break, I’ve already explained an important analogy with my son and the lessons learned and my focus is on moving forward. I’ve had time to look at my star.”

“I’m very happy with the way I conducted myself. Emotions are high in football,” Eidevall said earlier on Friday when asked about the incident.

“There are two really competitive teams and they want to win so sometimes one team tries to stretch the rules and that’s fine — that’s what we have the referees for and they made sure we stayed to the agreed rules. From my perspective, I wouldn’t change anything.”

The English FA confirmed last week Hayes will not face further action over the incident. “I thought the comments that I heard after the game were very irresponsible,” Eidevall added. “They were not mirroring the conduct that I had in the technical area. That I thought was irresponsible, but that’s all I basically think about it.”

Concluding her press conference, Hayes was asked why she had recited poetry on this occasion.

“I’ll lean on lots of things, not just poetry,” she responded.

“I’ve got different mentors. I’ve got different spiritual leaders, I’ve got great family. I’ve got all of those things. Being in my position is not easy. So, I need to keep my sanity. And I’m grateful that things like that help.”

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USWNT managed uncertainty to win trophies while waiting for Emma Hayes

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How Chelsea stunned Barcelona: ‘We got the shape and execution absolutely bang on’

https://theathletic.com/5431393/2024/04/21/Chelsea-barcelona-champions-league-cuthbert/

“My dressing room believes a lot more in our ability after these two games,” said Chelsea manager Emma Hayes after her side lost 2-1 on aggregate to Barcelona in last season’s Champions League semi-final. “They believe (Barcelona) are beatable.”

One year on and Chelsea have turned belief into reality.

They knew they needed to take a scoreline back to Stamford Bridge that kept the tie alive. An away first leg was Hayes’ preference, but they had to make it count. And they did, recording their first win against reigning champions Barcelona, a side who have not lost at home in more than five years.

Starting games off well is always a key factor for Chelsea and in the vast amphitheatre of Barcelona’s Olympic Lluis Companys Stadium, their defensive efforts were Herculean. Barcelona failed to register a single shot on target in the first half and went into half-time behind for only the second time this season. Chelsea grew into the game, too, becoming more aggressive and winning more individual duels (53.7 per cent to Barcelona’s 46.3).

Hayes’ decision to play a back five with Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Ashley Lawrence at right and left full-back allowed Chelsea to have a very effective low block out of possession and a high press. Lawrence and Kaneryd had a licence to push up on the wings but defended astutely, while player of the match Jess Carter timed her sliding challenges perfectly to nullify the usually electric Salma Paralluelo.

Hayes was more animated than normal on the sideline, clapping every ball won and urging her players to keep fighting.

Given how Barcelona dominate possession, the temptation is to chase the ball, but in the first half, Hayes’ side were disciplined, maintained their shape well and denied Barcelona space. It was a marked improvement from last year’s semi-final.

“We were more disciplined this year,” said captain Erin Cuthbert. “We weren’t chasing spaces. As a midfielder, you can have somebody in front of you, to the side, left (or) right, but I wasn’t drawn out of position. We weren’t drawn out of areas that we didn’t want to be in because I know they want to exploit the spaces we then leave.”

The Chelsea midfield trio of Cuthbert, Sjoeke Nusken and Melanie Leupolz remained compact. In Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh’s words, they were “intense” and “made it really difficult in midfield”. Cuthbert, much admired by Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giraldez, said she felt “comfortable” playing in the 5-3-2 and being so disciplined, which is quite a statement when Barcelona’s style of play usually suffocates you.

“Even if I made a mistake, I jumped out or I didn’t quite get to the ball, I knew my team-mate was behind me,” Cuthbert said. “It didn’t matter if anybody made a mistake today. We all backed each other up and were comfortable in the spaces. We got the shape and execution absolutely bang on.”

For all of Chelsea’s discipline, however, they knew they had to be clinical in front of goal. “Emma wants discipline, but sometimes you just have to take a chance if you see it,” said Cuthbert.

Cuthbert and Nusken combined for the only goal of the game in the 40th minute, but it started with Chelsea’s aggressive press. They penned Barcelona in, pressing them deep onto their own byline. Lawrence intercepted the ball and played it to Cuthbert, who made a first-time pass to Nusken. Last summer’s signing just managed to control the ball, spun out of trouble and squared it to Cuthbert.

“I’ve made the one-two with Sjoeke, it’s kind of my signature, I like to go again after the ball,” said the Scotland international, who listened to a congratulatory voice note from national team-mate Lisa Evans before speaking to reporters. “Sjoeke picked me out really well. I was going to take it early but I think (Ingrid) Engen blocked it really well. So I took the extra touch, I just created that half-yard and I’m delighted it went in.”

Barcelona’s chance came, however, in the 53rd minute when referee Stephanie Frappart pointed to the penalty spot after Kadeisha Buchanan handled the ball, but the video assistant referee (VAR) overturned the on-field decision as Paralluelo was offside in the build-up.

“The penalty incident really gave us a lot of energy,” said Cuthbert. “That can go one or two ways. It can then be an onslaught, but at that moment we stepped up, we looked each other in the eye and said, ‘We can do this. This is our game for the taking’.”

Chelsea disrupted Barcelona’s rhythm and used Mayra Ramirez as an outlet on the counter. Her physicality and pace rattled a Barcelona defence that does not like defending one-on-one. Having done all the hard work, muscling off Barcelona captain Patri Guijarro, Ramirez should have scored Chelsea’s second in the 75th minute but fired wide. Hayes put her head in her hands.

As Chelsea drew fouls and ran down the clock, the 36,428 Barcelona fans shouted “Fora!” in Catalan, a mark of disapproval. The piercing whistles grew ever louder as Chelsea eked out the seconds of additional time. Those could have turned to cheers in the 99th minute had Alexia Putellas, who was unmarked, converted from close range, but she missed the target. Much to Barcelona’s frustration, Chelsea managed the game to a tee.

“I’m not a fan of playing with these interruptions,” said Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati. “But we knew it, we talked about Chelsea playing like this, playing ugly. We have to learn to play like this, too.”

All attention now turns to the second leg at Stamford Bridge next Saturday. Chelsea have gained a huge psychological boost by defeating Barcelona, but “nobody should get carried away” said Hayes, who was disappointed her side did not get a second goal.

With only a 1-0 lead, it is still all for the taking.

After the game, Barcelona’s vociferous fans chanted: “Si, se puede” (“Yes, we can”). “If anybody can turn it around, it is this team,” said Walsh.

“It is only halfway,” said Cuthbert. “Barca are going to come for us.”

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Chelsea Women’s Jorja Fox suffers ACL injury

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5779119/2024/09/19/jorja-fox-Chelsea-acl-injury/

Chelsea Women right-back Jorja Fox, on loan at Crystal Palace, is set for an extended period on the sidelines after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

The 21-year-old, who recently signed a new deal at the west London club through to 2027, will undergo a period of rehabilitation at Chelsea, having also suffered an ACL injury in May 2023.

This is the second ACL injury in the space of a week for Chelsea following midfielder Sophie Ingle sustaining the injury, with strikers Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel both also out with a similar issue. In December 2023, Chelsea defender Aniek Nouwen also suffered the same injury.

Only the injuries sustained by Kerr and Ingle actually occurred at Chelsea, with Fox’s injuries happening during spells at Brighton & Hove Albion and Palace respectively, while Fishel was on international duty with the USWNT and Nouwen was with the Netherlands Under-23 squad.

Fox has made five first-team appearances for Chelsea, having previously had loan spells at Charlton Athletic and Brighton.

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ACL injuries in women's football: Why the high risk and can they be prevented?

What is an ACL injury?

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a tear or sprain of the ACL, one of the strong bands of tissue that connect the thigh bone (femur) to shinbone (tibia) at the knee joint.

The ACL runs diagonally through the inside of the knee to give the joint stability. The ACL also adds stability nd control for vertical movement of the lower leg.

Knee injuries can occur during sports such as skiing, tennis, squash, football and rugby. ACL injuries are one of the most common types of knee injuries.

ACL tears occur when the lower leg extends forward too much, while the muscle can also be torn if the knee and lower leg are twisted.

These injuries are common across sports, including football, and can be a result of an incorrect landing from a jump, a sudden stop or change of direction, or an overextension following a collision.

Surgery is often required following these injuries, which can result in lengthy delays lasting multiple months.

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Footwear problems show 'systemic gender inequality' in sport - British MPs

(Harriet Lander – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

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we recently had our first WSL game without Emma Hayes in charge since during Obama's first term!

4 years before the fucking Brexit vote

July 2012

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