In memory of Matt Beard

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0:56Rachel: Hi everyone, welcome to Upfront. Now today is a very different show, a very sad one. Because on Saturday we learned of the devastating news that Matt Beard had passed away. He was 47 years old. he was a manager who left such an enormous impact on so many clubs and so many people in the industry most of all on Liverpool but he was also a massive massive giant in the women's space he was an unbelievable man and we're going to go into talking a little bit more about him and all the lovely memories that people have created with him he was a husband to his wife Debbie and a father to his two children Harry and Ellie Liverpool's game against Aston Villa was postponed on Sunday as was Burnley's fixture against West Brom.

1:38Rachel: There was a minute's silence before every game in the WSL and WSL 2 on Sunday. Rach, this was obviously a massive, massive shock to us both this weekend. No one saw this coming. It was just, yeah, really awful news to come to terms with. It was, yeah, super, super upsetting for everyone across the space and who knew him.

2:00Chloe: Yeah, it was a gut punch, I think, is the only way I could describe it. like when Soph and I found out we had to physically sit down um we were out and about and we had to sit down just to try and wrap our head around the news that was coming out um yeah and I think a manager like that a man like that who's been involved and you know we not throw around the terms we we talk a lot about greats and stalwarts and you know legends of the game and he could not be more of an example of that. He will leave such a void in women's football. His absence will leave such a void. And he was someone who influenced, impacted, touched so many people across the game.

2:48Chloe: And you could just see that from the response from players, former players, current players, players who hadn't even played with them, managers. I could see it at the Manchester United game in the media the commentators the pundits a lot of people really struggled a lot on like I actually think I'm not sure whether games should have gone ahead on Sunday personally I just think he touched so many throughout the game and it was such a shock to lose him that it just felt like yeah I think a lot of people really struggled through the day and dealing with his loss I I thought the silences before the games were powerful.

3:28Chloe: The respect from fans across the game, rival fans across the game. No one ever had a bad word to say about Matt Beard. He was one of the fond kind of guys on the touchline that everyone loved to hear, whether he was bellowing on the sideline, getting sent off, having a joke with a fourth official, whatever it might be. He always kind of brought a smile to people's face, whatever that was. So I thought, yeah, very respectfully observed. I really loved the 47 minutes that kind of got, you know, sent around on social media that people were going to stand and applaud him on the 47th minute, which was very touching.

4:05Chloe: And Arsenal fans held up a banner saying, we love you, Beardy. You could just, yeah, I just wish he could see the outpouring of love and the impact that he'd had and the people he touched across the game. It was immeasurable. And while he will leave such a huge void in the game, he will also leave an even bigger legacy 100 percent um I think he was just sort of one of

4:27Rachel: those personalities that you just loved you couldn't help but smile even in my sort of playing days when we'd come up against a Matt Beardy team um he just brought so much kind of like just fondness and there was just a friendliness and a passion that he had and I know there's so many there's so many players on socials who've been saying so many lovely things about the impacts that he's had on their careers and how uh warming he was when they first joined the club and how much he's you know behind the scenes i think all those kind of behind the scenes those little moments those little things that he's done and now starting to come to the front about what you know the we all knew the impacts that he had but sometimes those things aren't aren't necessarily seen and you know for me he's always been that kind of person who you know i i wouldn't have ever expected that matt be able to even know who i was and let alone kind to come up to after the end of a game and go oh that was a that was a bit of a shit show or like just say something that kind of just made you smile and I think the last time I I saw him was at the um it was the WSL media day a couple years back um and we kind of had a big chat about you know women's football where it was and his the honesty that he had was so refreshing he was like you know you know it's tough it's a you know I think he's just you could have a chat with him and it just felt like having a cup of tea with an old mate and he was just like the loveliest slaviest man and I think when you look at the women's football space and how many incredible men there are they are far and few between and Matt Beardy was one of the best he yeah I just yeah the upset I think was just you couldn't quantify it like how how much of a loss that's

5:57Chloe: been he had time for everybody and I think really respected a lot of us that were working in the game we all had the same passion we all wanted to grow the game and he would always take time on the touchline if I was floor manager or whatever it might be to have a chat same with Sophie he loved having a chat with Sophie as well about the game about the tactics especially post-match before we would be setting up to do our post-match interviews and he'd come along and some managers after a loss understandably don't want to engage with the media necessarily that you know they're difficult conversations and he was always honest and open about what was going on and wanted to know what we were getting up to and yeah just that that time for everybody was very clear he just when you think about some of the things he did for the game he Casey Stoney touched on it like he went over to Chelsea she said you know we barely had money to pay you but you still said yes you know he left his job to coaching women's football he was so committed to the game and growing the game and for us he was one of the managers that's been there since we've been around he you've just become he's part of the furniture you're just so used to seeing him pop up at another club he was someone that could be called upon relied upon by you know you look at like a Bristol needing an interim manager and he stepped in and you know you look at West Ham had struggled he's he comes along he's such a kind of reliable consistent performer someone you know that the players are going to be able to get along with and who can get the best out of his players and look managers have difficult times at clubs and you know We were all disappointed when he left Liverpool last season.

7:36Chloe: We were all excited when we saw him go to Burnley. We were all a bit confused how that ended up and we spoke about there must be more to the scenario. But at the same time, knowing he's more than likely coming back to the WSL, you know, he was always going to be around and I don't know, perhaps we take that kind of thing for granted and those kind of people for granted because, yeah, sometimes you don't realise the impact they have until they're gone. 100%.

8:00Rachel: and I think obviously a lot of people know him from his stint at Liverpool but obviously he began his senior managerial career at Millwall Iron S in 2008 like you said Rach, Casey said he brought him over to Chelsea but he was also known to kind of support other managers like you look at Emma Hayes and she called him one of the best humans who was always available for a chat Carla when we had her on the pod told us that he used to FaceTime her from a bath with a beer to give advice there's a really lovely story from Shaban sort of describing how he helped her twin sister Ruisa Littlejohn at West Ham which is a really lovely memory but it just feels like he you can't underestimate the impacts that he's had across all of these different clubs and all these players that you know have had the benefit of his support and have now gone on to do amazing things because of the confidence that he gave them or the opportunities that he gave them I mean yeah he's just I'm really struggling to put into words It's kind of like the impact of what this man meant to so many in the WSL and beyond.

8:58Chloe: He was the kind of guy that if you asked him for help, it seems he would say, he wouldn't know maybe what he could do to help you yet, but he'd say yes and figure it out. 100%. And I think seeing the amount of players, even players who never played under him, they knew how important he was to the game and how he impacted so many people and how committed he was to a sport that he loved. So yeah, I think the outpouring of love and grief, I suppose, is a testament to the impact that he's had on the game. Inviting fellow managers back into his office for a beer after games, after playing each other, he might have lost.

9:38Chloe: He'd still bring, Renee spoke about it. She said even, she was a manager at the time, Jonas was, but they were all invited back to his office. She said, not many managers do that, but he did. you know, a fierce competitor, but also recognize that we were all in this together. We were all working and grafting to grow this game. And he, none so more like that, more than him. 100%. And I think also,

10:00Rachel: I mean, we talk a lot about the kind of person he was, his personality, how caring he was and how, you know, friendly natured he was. But also he was an incredible manager, a successful manager. That's why he's been around so long. Literally that, one of the OGs. I mean, after Chelsea obviously had his first stint in Liverpool, during which the club won back-to-back WSL titles in 2013. 13 and 14, managed them during their first ever Champions League campaigns too. And obviously when he returned to Liverpool in 2021, guided them back to the top fly, the most successful manager in the history of Liverpool women.

10:30Chloe: Their testament, their video they put out, which is led by him, his words, him speaking about his love and his passion for the club and his players and for football was so moving. And it was a very lovely tribute to him. and yeah I've just seen people across the game sharing something like that just shows you how much um how touching it was but how much it impacted them as well and yeah it's been a very tough weekend for a lot of people and I didn't you know know them as deeply or as well as some did so I can only imagine if that's how it's impacting us how how much it must be impacting those who

11:10Rachel: are closest to them it must be so difficult uh well Liverpool Football Club said in a statement Matt was not only an extremely committed and successful manager, he was also a person of real integrity and warmth who will always be remembered with genuine fondness by everyone he worked with at the club. Obviously, so many players who kind of played under him at Liverpool have gone on to do even greater things. I mean, Taylor Hines and her move to Arsenal now, I mean, that all came under Beardy. And also, we can't forget about the West Ham. West Ham stint too, leading them to the club's first ever FA Cup final, that dramatic penalty shootout against Reading in the semi-final.

11:43Rachel: one of the most famous days in the club's history um and matt obviously spoke about how proud he was after that game um so yeah not only an incredible man off the pitch uh in terms of everything he's done behind the scenes and and and in and in front of things to kind of push things forward and advocate and just be open and honest about the state of the game and where it needs to to go um but also an incredible manager in terms of his career and his history with the clubs that he's um yeah been a part of of their success um from all of us at up front all of our love and support are with Matt's wife, Debbie, and the rest of his family and friends and everyone affected by what's happened.

12:18Rachel: Rest in peace, Matt Beard. We will miss you, but we will remember you. Definitely. If you've been affected by anything we've discussed or the news from the past few days, then please visit mind.org.uk. You can find a link in the show notes. Let's go for a break. Most of us are one good deal away from finally replacing that worn-out rug, fixing up the backyard, or getting the bedroom we actually want. Good news, that deal's almost here. Wayfair's Black Friday in July sale. Get up to 80 % off area rugs and up to 60 % off outdoor and bedroom furniture. Shop Wayfair's huge selection of styles and find the piece to fit your style, budget, and space.

12:57Plus, free shipping. Black Friday in July ends July 27th. Shop today at Wayfair.com. Wayfair, every style, every home. Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have-to-dos so you can focus on the can't-wait-to-dos. It's a new Workday. There's nothing like the American Express Platinum Card. Find out your welcome offer after you apply, which could be as high as 175 ,000 points. Learn more and find out your offer at americanexpress.com slash explore dash platinum. Terms apply.

13:46Rachel: all right so let's take a look back at the weekend massive massive game in Manchester City hammering Tottenham 5-1 at Brisbane Road a very very tough end to Spurs's unbeaten start to the WSL season this month is also Spurs's women's 40th anniversary and I was there for every single year of that crazy I'm getting on um City obviously in cruise control by half time already three nil going into the break um Rach what did you make of this game because there was so many positive signs around Spurs they'd you know started the WSL so strong given their you know quite ridiculous horrendous defensive record from from last season everyone thought Martin Ho was going to be the kind of knight in shining armor to save all of their defensive woes they were going to come into the WSL this year being a little different and they kind of were for two

14:39Chloe: weeks I wouldn't say this is an indictment on Spurs and what Spurs are going to be for the rest of the season I think that would be a little bit unfair I think it was a combination of Spurs maybe being on a high maybe being a little naive on that high and thinking okay we've kind of figured this out But like we're on a roll. Not a new manager bounce. We're on a roll here. Like in contrast to Manchester City, who we've watched play and gone, it's so almost like you can see what they're trying. It's almost there. And it kind of, it was there when they played Tottenham. I think what's really interesting from this is that Tottenham had more possession in the game, which is not against something you would normally associate when you're playing against Manchester City, a team who previously was very much wanting to have as much possession as possible.

15:24Chloe: I think we're seeing the kind of dynamic, fluid way that Andrei Jäglerts wants his side to play. You know, the link-ups between players, you're seeing those relationships now, you know, developing and developing week on week. There's still more to give. Bunny Shaw is just a goal or two away from just kind of finding that form. She's getting in the spaces. The opportunities are being created. Same can be said for Miedema, although I do think she had a better game against Spurs. I thought she was doing a good job of kind of pulling the strings there and linking up, you know, that midfield and forward line.

16:00Chloe: But yeah, I think now we're seeing a Manchester City who are starting to hum versus a Spurs who maybe just thought at that moment, OK, I think we know what we're doing. So it was a bit of a, yeah, coming back down to earth with a bang. But also got to praise just the way City play, particularly their midfield and forward line. You know, Fagino, unbelievable. I know Lauren Hemp got injured, but Carolyn coming on, the impact she had. the opportunities they were creating they could have definitely had they created 25 shots 25 shots only 10 of them on target so imagine they start increasing that number just a little bit more yeah it could make for an interesting season depth I guess for City at the back and that is still a little bit of a concern I thought the first 20 minutes first 20 minutes I thought Spurs were doing okay I thought this could be a really interesting game and then it all just fell apart like a wet cake

16:47Rachel: 100 % it looks quite evenly matched for the first 20 or so and I think we were going into this game with this kind of heightened expectation that Spurs were going to do quite well in it, given the two games they'd had previously. So you look at their first two league games, 1-0 win against West Ham, 2-0 against Everton. But this time they felt a little bit sort of, I don't know, a bit lost at times, I think, after those 20 minutes. And back-to-back clean sheets before this, kind of showing a bit of an improvement from last year. So they conceded the second highest number of goals, 44 in the WSL last year.

17:19Rachel: But yeah, it just felt like they really struggled against yeah the City attack they kind of looked a bit helpless they were kind of there were balls that being sort of threaded in for behind their back line and they they didn't really have that kind of organization that I I don't know was expecting a little bit more of not to say that I thought they were going to you know walk away with this game or I thought there was even going to be a draw but I was expecting I wasn't expecting a 5-1 battering um like you said Rach like Miedema scoring her 10th WSL goal against Spurs awarded a player of the match award I mean what did you make of her performance Rach?

17:50Chloe: She was she got a player of the match from BBC I think Sky gave it to Carolyn which fair enough Carolyn had an unbelievable impact and yeah I think again meet him as another example of a player kind of finding her form again after kind of a stop start season last season and you know I did that interview with her pre-season it's gone everywhere now this this this point she made about her only playing about three games with Lauren Hemp and Bunny Shaw so you can see that those relationships across the last few games were starting to click. You know, there's still a lot of expectation on her to score a lot of goals, even though she's now playing in midfield.

18:24Chloe: And she will definitely feel the weight of that expectation. And, you know, we touched on the importance, for example, last week of Sam Kerr getting that first goal back so early on. And I just feel for both Miedema and Shaw, they just need to get a couple of goals to kind of shake it, you know, shake that weight off their shoulders and remind themselves that they're very, very good in front of the sticks. And so that goal could be key for her. But yeah, I thought she was, intrinsic in a lot of the movements going forward and whether it be finding caroline or fagino or whoever that might be um yeah you can see she's starting to to really settle in that role the

18:57Rachel: turn again yeah for sure and i think you spoke there about sure and like i think i've seen an element of like frustration with her she is making these driving runs she is threading in balls she's being in the right areas she's taking like taking her chances but they're either at the keeper or they hit the crossbar or they hit the post or they're just a couple of inches wide like it's everything but the guy and i mean for the amount of chance she's created to only have one goal at this stage just feels like a bit of a there's something not quite it's that final final little

19:26Chloe: bit and it's frustrating a little bit yeah it's almost like a confidence thing because as you say getting in the right positions getting shots off but sometimes you could see it in the chelsea game she would take an extra touch or she'd snatch at it and was just almost more concerned with just getting a shot off than maybe placing the shot and you know that will come with confidence and time and you know what she's like when she's in flow uh she yeah she's scary and she loves a game against tottenham didn't she score like two hat tricks against tottenham back to back or something ridiculous like that over the last couple of seasons so i almost like that pressure would have felt heavier on her against spurs because people be like well it's fine bunny knows how to score against spurs so she would have felt that pressure i'd say and then she kind of the penalty save you know it just compounded the it wasn't a great penalty that no too near to because i i

20:15Rachel: thought it was a great penalty and I was like yeah fair play to Cop getting a couple of hands to that but at the same time when you see it from like front on it's so close to Cop's body that it just it was an easily safe she could have stuck a foot out and got that and it's one of them

20:27Chloe: would she normally take a penalty but equally I'd say there was a there was a feeling of let her get her to get a goal once she gets the goal she can kind of almost relax a little bit so maybe that was the thinking behind it and there was another opportunity where she was diving at the back post almost trying to replicate the goal she scored against Brighton because that probably frustrates her as well. She scores a goal like that against Brighton where she's doing like a Superman diving header. Body short airways. Yeah, but then the simple kind of tap-ins, she's not getting it. I just think it's a matter of confidence and she's one of those players that once she gets a couple of goals under her belt, she'll be reed.

21:00Rachel: I think you forget like the pressure that is on strikers to kind of get those first couple of goals at the start of the season because then it becomes a thing and it becomes this kind of like gremlin on your back a little bit. I mean, we saw the same thing I think with Russo where she couldn't get that first couple of days in the right place, getting all these chances, just not creating that final result.

21:17Chloe: That is what people measure you on. And we have talked about this, looking beyond just goals for strikers because there's so much more to a striker than just the goals. And it's the same with Bunny, but ultimately that's what everyone's going to talk about. It's like, yeah, but did she score a goal?

21:30Rachel: No one's going to go, oh, there's some great off the ball movement, especially people who watch the games at home as well. Because I think, I remember you talking about this, because obviously you go to a lot of the games, I'm watching a lot of games from TV and you kind of, you don't see those off the ball movements. So you think that those strikers aren't really doing much when you can't actually see them in play. And if they're not scoring and then you're not seeing them, you're thinking, well, what has the impact really been? But yeah, we're sure the impact is there because she's on the ball like a lot of the time.

21:54Rachel: But yeah, that last little bit, but don't let it get you down, Bunny. It is three games in. You've already scored a goal. All right, don't get me wrong.

22:01Chloe: You're not in a drought at all. Do you know what? I reckon City scoring five goals from five different goal scorers. I hope she takes that as rather than you know it being pressure on her that everyone else is scoring she can say do you know what pressure's off because the goals are coming so from all different angles it's not like they're it's one one or nil nil and people aren't getting goals because she's missing opportunities so hopefully that can be used as a look pressure's off people will score you will get there you will like you will find that kind of specific little kind of detail that might be missing at the moment but it is it is there well someone who did make a very

22:36Rachel: big impact grace clinton coming on in the 65th minute to make her debut took her 15 minutes to score her first goal in man city colors and then got an assist for the fifth goal her face was like she scored she was a bit like oops it was almost like a disappointment sorry sorry i didn't mean it um obviously declined to celebrate having spent time on loan at spurs a very respectful move very mature um i wouldn't have done it i would have been running into the spurs stands look at me look what I've done goals for you are very rare they never happened obviously been so many big debuts this season but yeah what did you think of Clinton's performance because I mean what a way to start your campaign in Man City Blue

23:19Chloe: yeah slotted in showing the kind of the depth now that City have and what she can offer you could see how she fit in quite quickly and again just that kind of spatial awareness of putting herself in that position for that goal she was wide open all she had to do was just turn her foot and give it a bit of give it a bit of

23:37Rachel: weight as well it was so graceful the way like the ball slid across the box and she just i don't even think she looked on goal to cheese she just kind of like she knew where it was kind of like cheeky one corner and it was keeper had no chance yeah it was glorious but she's just full of confidence like going into that game and i said this to you these youngsters they go into these games not a bag of nerves you know not shaking not getting things wrong or making mistakes they go into these games and score goals and create moments and create magic and they're kind of creating these huge fan bases around them like your michelle adjimangs and your jess parks and your grace clintons like they're a different level you seem mad about it of i am mad about it because i was so old when i reached elite level that i'd be shaking my fucking boots walking onto a game and these whippersnappers come onto the pitch like they're just playing a fucking kickabout and just like create all this ridiculous stuff cool calm and collected too much too much for me um but yeah obviously an incredible incredible start to her so really excited to see how she kind of progresses and grows on that and getting on the score sheet early doors I mean what an absolute touch can we give a shout out to Olivia Holt yeah go on oh my god great goal bloody hell great goal um yeah if you haven't seen it go and see it this long range gorgeous gorgeous effort

24:47Chloe: I mean it don't you love a goal that makes you just you can't help but like jaw drop say something do you know like when you just kind of go oh my god bloody hell no control over the reaction that was one of those when you're watching it i was just like oh i think i was i was pitch side i was in the pits in goodison park shooting um not having the best fun and uh yeah out loud with people around me i just went oh my god literally um yeah and realized no one knew what the hell i

25:14Rachel: was talking about well i think kiara keesing had exactly the same reaction to be fair rooted to the spot she could do was kind of watch it fly into that corner i mean there was nothing she could do about it but it was um would you would you just throw yourself at it anyway uh i think it'd be embarrassing to try and throw yourself or something like that yeah and i think she saw it sort of almost like quite late because she just wasn't expecting it yeah i mean so i i do you know what i was i was a pretty embarrassing keeper i might have like you know but i would have tried to die for it and just like gone onto the floor and yeah i would have been nowhere near it that wouldn't surprise me it wasn't a low it wasn't a low shot why are you down there for future

25:46Chloe: opposition keepers expect it because spurs have it in their locker to shoot from about 30 yards out

25:52Rachel: so now you know bloody hell it was yeah i mean like fair play to her i mean it was there was little she could do at that point but what she did was was phenomenal in making an impact um obviously for man city this game was an incredible win but partially overshadowed by an injury to lauren hemp who limped off in the 22nd minute um it looked like she seemed to have rolled her ankle tackling Jess Nass. She slid

26:16Chloe: and almost like you know when you're a kid and you like slide on your knees she'd made a tackle and like her foot was kind of almost caught underneath her so it was like the front of her foot it looked like so you know she got up very gingerly it was clear she wasn't coming back on she did walk back to the bench and down the tunnel and came out in a boot but you know fingers crossed it's not as serious as it looks because they do put boots on straight away like just as protection however serious it is um it does give us all a heart attack but i'm really hoping that

26:48Rachel: it's not as serious as it looked i think the concern always feels a little bit bigger when it's city because there was the impact they've had with injuries obviously hemp missing five months with knee trouble last season um it doesn't feel like they want this to kind of plague them right at the start when they're kind of like you said things are starting to click into place nobody in the WSL has created more chances than her this season it she's not the person that you want missing from your squad for a period of time no but I do think the impact

27:19Chloe: Carolyn had when she came on gosh unbelievable but at the same time given Manchester City want to go far in competitions you don't want to be relying on just one you know what I mean you want that depth you want to be able to bring a Carolyn off the bench and maintain if not increase the tempo of the match and for gino as well i think obviously the goal that was my god she's so spicy

27:40Rachel: as soon as she gets the ball you just know that she's going to create some kind of magic she's such a little like i don't actually know how tall she is but she's like she looks like a pocket

27:46Chloe: rocket to me it's like that kind of energy chloe do you know there is only one team who's had 100 record so far i know we're only three weeks in oh christ you're gonna make me guess can you guess

27:55Rachel: who it is um who could possibly oh you know not the same as last year was it not the year before that as well and the year before that is it the same one as the year before that yeah oh fuck's it it's chelsea it's three weeks in go all right fine um oh part of me just thinks as soon as chelsea gets their nose in front you're like fuck that's it at least one well jeopardy's gone from the league um they beat leicester city one nil on the weekend thanks to a very early goal from aggie beaver jones who else is on that's three another youngster who gives zero fucks to being

28:28Chloe: nervous, do you know? So confident and comes up clutch when you need her. I think that's the other kind of impressive thing about her, you know, she comes on and scores against, doesn't matter what team it is, big team, team lower down, team fighting relegation, team chasing them for the top, she'll score goals against them, doesn't phase her one bit. So I think that's super impressive, but also for Chelsea, given Ramirez is injured, Sam Kerr is coming back, like, she's giving Sonia Bonpastor a headache, isn't she?

28:58Rachel: God, the whole squad are every single week Sonia must just be like eeny meeny miny moe there just must be like a roulette board of like players just like I could choose any one of these people and still pull out an incredible starting 11. Chelsea now obviously on nine points Man United and Arsenal on seven and Man City and Tottenham on six and that's how the top of the table looks at the moment. Interestingly enough Chelsea winning 1-0 is the most common result in the WSL since the beginning of last season. It's now having eight times since then I mean that's that tells me like you said mentality monster I was just about to say you're going to hate me saying this I can feel it in my bones and I want to get in there first

29:33Chloe: before you annoyed me with it go on you've said it that's what it is it just shows you the moments I think Beth Mead said in her article with the Guardian is that you know at times Arsenal played better football than Chelsea arguably she said and you know she was right at times but what she also pointed out was Chelsea still win the games even when they're not playing well they know how to win and that if I was a football fan I'd want my team to be winning I mean playing nice football is nice and all but I want you winning I want you winning trophies if it means a 1-0 win if it means scoring a goal in the 93rd minute I don't care if I was a fan that's what I'd want ultimately like imagine just being like yeah but my team play nice football Chelsea fans would be like look at our trophy cabinet honestly and don't get me wrong they play some bloody terrifying football when it's rolling but when it's not they're still winning

30:17Rachel: no one wants to go to a bottomless Prosecco brunch and watch their team lose do they? so Chelsea have a big weight of expectation I totally forgot about that I was like where has that come from? sorry yes of course um the weight the weight of expectation is large you know those Prosecco bottles aren't going to sell themselves so yeah I think it does obviously allude to the fact that you know Chelsea will pull out of the bag regardless um of how poor they're playing or how you know tired they might be towards the end of the season or any kind of injuries that might be happening the depth of the squad there is enough that they will kind of get those results but yeah I just I want to see some vulnerability in Chelsea this year if I'm being honest I mean there was vulnerability

30:54Chloe: they just still won rare vulnerability they were playing against Leicester they were 1-0 up and Leicester almost scored with the final kick of the game Hannah Hampton had to pull off an unbelievable save to tip it onto the crossbar although I think BBC gave her player of the match and I just thought that was a bit a bit too far well no I think she made two saves in the game but my point is you want them to be vulnerable that's vulnerable in the final kick of the game that the opposition almost equalises so still won though

31:19Rachel: I'll give you that I'll give you that fine Chelsea well done keep it up coming up after this we discuss the launch of the new champions league

31:30Rachel: welly well well another format that we are struggling to get our heads around the champions league draw was announced last week um they spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on displaying what could have been done by a thought you're gonna say hundreds of thousands of hours because that's kind of what i felt like at times on this uh the the reveal of the teams in in the draw the new format is is quite complex uh so they couldn't do it normally with a few players at a ceremony it was done by a supercomputer um much like the opta supercomputer um in a way um ultimately

32:02Chloe: rendering it not a draw in my opinion yeah what would you call it then it's where they show you the fixtures a random computer randomizer you don't say a draw and then just go and then just generate all of the fixtures in one button press it's not a draw yeah but it's exciting isn't it it's not because i was i got so confused like unnecessarily confused for something that actually wasn't that confusing because i was like okay so we know the fixtures are and then they just go to the next team and do it again and i was like i don't understand why we're doing this

32:31Rachel: individually every time it just i don't know well just to add some context to the confusion so uefa have scrapped the group stages and replaced them with a single 18 team league where each club will play against six teams uh they'll play three at home and three away this is this is the quite simple part that i thought was going to be a lot more complex but isn't so bear with us the top four sides in the league will qualify automatically for the quarterfinals while the teams finishing from fifth to twelfth will play each other in a two-legged playoff to decide who goes through teams 13 and below will be eliminated it's not that complicated it's actually quite straightforward normally at this point i'm like can we get sophie on to explain what is going on because as we know she's the women's football rain man and it just makes sense but that is actually quite simple

33:15Chloe: what do we think of the new format well i think a it gives you more variety because you're seeing them against six different oppositions it means you've got probably a lot more tastier fixtures i suppose i feel for teams who maybe hoped you know if they were in a group stage and they think we just need to get a point or two off the top teams and we could find ourselves second can't really do that potentially um but yeah and i also think it's having a single leg makes things interesting you know as opposed to say getting battered by barcelona 8-0 and 5-0 you know you could do what a a brand did wasn't it like 2-1 one year do you know what i mean they still lost but it just it gives a bit more of a i don't know jeopardy final feel you just have one game to try and nail your game plan rather than you know across two legs so that makes it a little bit more interesting and i actually prefer it that way i think like you

34:14Rachel: said like you don't know like some of these teams weren't played each other either at all or only like once ages ago and i think you really have to be on point with like how you're doing your research how you're doing your analysis how you set up for these games and also like changing your team around to kind of fit the different styles of play of others so you might actually see more squad rotation more players uh being utilized so yeah i'm kind of all for that and i and i'm always up for trying a different format and seeing what works because you will only go and change it again in a couple years time something more complex if the men's changes

34:43Chloe: it will involving five computers and another really long-winded thing they call a draw i think if you're a manchester united fan i mean one side you'd be like jesus welcome to the champions league with some of the teams they've drawn but the other side you're like it's our first time in the champions league and we get to see all of these different teams like you get It's such a kind of variety of, you know, it's not just kind of three other teams. It's six. And I just think that's quite cool. You really get to challenge yourself across a breadth of diverse teams, play different ways. Yeah, it could be really interesting.

35:13Chloe: I know like when they first said they were changing it, I was a bit like, God's sake, we've only had this. What now? Just give us a minute to get used to it. But yeah, it could be interesting.

35:21Rachel: Well, you touched on Man United there. The third and final English side in the competition qualified for the Champions League for the first time last week after they beat Brand 3-0. like you mentioned rage the draw is a little tough they also play leon as well as two-time winners wolfsburg two-time finalists psg and syria champions juventus um like you said life is fucking tough for man united they've done well to get into this position in the first place um really really you know amazing progress for the club but at the same time they are coming into this with a lot of very tasty fixtures which are going to come at really interesting times in the year

35:58Chloe: for them too so yeah yeah this week kind of gave them a taste of the kind of thing they're going to be coming up against playing a really important champions league match and then playing arsenal and arguably doing a very good job at it played very well against bran with a better team went all out you know gave it everything and three days later essentially did the same thing again against arsenal for 90 minutes so they can at least kind of look back at that and say right we can do it the difficult thing is you've now got six games to play you know you're going to be having a lot more three game weeks um and that's about squad rotation and you know knowing when to go in with all your chips and when maybe to hold back and that's the difficult thing with this format is that you've not got maybe one really or maybe two really difficult games you've arguably got six really quite tricky games maybe one or two you could look at and say might get points here.

36:54Chloe: So that's, yeah, that's a lot for a manager and backroom staff to think about.

36:58Rachel: It's also, you've got to keep your eye on like the two league tables, essentially, not only your actual league table, but also what's happening in the Champions League table and how the other teams are faring against everyone else to kind of see where you could potentially be fitting and what those fixtures might look like. I mean, having a look at Champions League title holders, Arsenal, they have a semi-final reunion to look forward to with record eight-time winners, Lyon, heading to the Emirates for Arsenal's very first match at this stage. They've also got Bayern and Real Madrid. So none of these groups are easy.

37:29Chloe: They faced all of them last season as well. Like it's lost to Bayern, won against Bayern. Lost to Real Madrid, won against Real Madrid. Lost to Lyon, won against Lyon. But then all of these are one leg fixtures. And the interesting thing was that the first leg of each of those teams they lost to last season. So there's no time to find your feet in this competition, that's for sure.

37:50Rachel: You've just got to go all guns blazing with every single game, which, like you said, I really rate. Chelsea will have to face Barcelona. The side that knocked them out in the semi-final.

37:59Chloe: And then Wolfsburg. They'd be sick of the pair of them. Of all the teams to draw. They're like, just not Barcelona or Wolfsburg, please.

38:05Rachel: Do you know what? Like I said, it's nice to see some vulnerability from Chelsea, isn't it? You can tell you've never been to Wolfsburg. No, I've not. Great team, lovely stadium. There's no reason for me to go. Unless, of course, I'm offered hospitality. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

38:17Chloe: They've got a men's and a women's stadium right next to each other. Good Lord. the whole town come out and support them. It's a very good atmosphere. They have pictures of wolves on the screen and they have these sireny things that go off like wolves howling and it's a real kind of daunt because getting to Wolfsburg and staying in Wolfsburg is less fun than being at the game. It's a real trek and when you've done it many times for both Arsenal and Chelsea in the Champions League and watching them get beat, it's triggering Chloe. Alright, we'll

38:46Rachel: get over it. Much like watching Barcelona beat Chelsea. well someone who could be Chelsea Paris FC I mean long-time disruptors of the Champions League that one time and now you're like you've you're just like convinced now that these are the disruptors 100 they're like the London City lionesses of the Champions League you just don't know what to expect what's going to happen um and I think they position themselves a little bit that way I know they did it one time I think you position them that way yes because that's a narrative I like to create to create some jeopardy here I don't just want it to be like a Chelsea Barca runaway like let's throw the cat amongst the pigeons the cat being Paris FC let's not bring up cats

39:22Chloe: okay Chelsea black cats that was a whole thing one season do you remember that oh god yeah oh the cat against the wolves oh my god

39:28Rachel: the first Champions League games will be played on October the 7th and 8th yeah so it feels like what moments away till the tournament

39:35Chloe: really kicks off I don't know who I need to speak to at UEFA but I've been desperate to go and see AC Roma play in that that they would draw one of the English teams yet again it's another season where that has not happened. It is Roma at home for Chelsea. So if you're listening, supercomputer, please beep, beep, beep. I say thank you to chat GPT all the time. So I am bow down to the AI.

39:58Rachel: Isn't it bad to say thank you to chat GPT? Doesn't it add like... No. More like water to them having to process it or something?

40:05Chloe: No, it shows that you are polite and when they take over, you should be spared. So I just want to ask the supercomputer if you could please organise for whatever English team gets through next season. an away trip to Roma that'd be much appreciated

40:20Rachel: seems a little bit selfish and doubt they're listening

40:22Chloe: I've been going for a long time Chloe do you know how much time's been to Wolfsburg or Madrid that stadium in Madrid you need to get over this

40:27Rachel: Wolfsburg thing it's getting a bit much just let it go I'll go in your place sorry Wolfsburg fans

40:31Chloe: lovely stadium enjoy watching your teams play it's more about the you're going to get the raffer watching them get beat so often in the early days Chloe like when we were poor young 'uns having to get to Wolfsburg it was a serious trek that's your own fault

40:44Rachel: you should have jumped on the women's football bandwagon after that period. Anyway, sorry. All 75 games of the Champions League will be on Disney Plus this season. And of course, the Champions League isn't the only European competition. The brand new Europa Cup has already kicked off. A TV deal for the Europa Cup isn't confirmed yet. So it's good to know there's a competition that we won't be able to see. I love the fact that they've created this, but also we don't have a lot of teams that we would have otherwise expected. Like if you look at the men's situation where you've got kind of the mid-level teams kind of being part of the competition from the big seven nations, we don't have that because they're not automatically in it so there's a little bit of throwback here that I don't think is necessarily going to be a product I can understand actually why the TV deal for the Europa Cup isn't confirmed yet because as a product without some of the bigger even mid-table teams from your Spains and your UKs and the rest of them is it going to be something that people

41:35Chloe: are going to watch at this stage of women's football development it's new I think give it time I think there's a lot of expectation anytime things happen in women's football because it's women's football and it's growing so quickly but you know this will hopefully help to raise the standards and the levels of teams around Europe I understand yeah probably a bit frustrating that maybe there's less opportunities for teams in the WSL or other the top kind of is it seven leagues which I would have liked to see I think it gives more fixtures to teams who need more fixtures as opposed to giving more fixtures to teams who don't need more fixtures but I do think look in a couple of years time we could be seeing more names in the Champions League qualifying stages because they've been playing more European football.

42:17Chloe: They've been playing more fixtures. They're improving as a team. So I think it needs a little bit of time to kind of exist to kind of see the impact that it's going to have.

42:26Rachel: For me, that format needs to change a little bit. I think we need to see those mid-table teams in there rather than just being the dropouts from the qualifications. Weird how it's just

42:34Chloe: knock it, knock it, knock it. Every game's two legs and you just get knocked out. It's like a... It's too much. It's stressful from the get-go.

42:39Rachel: You've got to tailor it. Before we go, we should have a quick word on last night's Ballon d 'Or ceremony Serena Wigman won the Coach of the Year award while Hannah Hampton was named as best goalkeeper.

42:49Chloe: Congratulations Hannah Hampton and a wonderful speech as well by her 100%. She did a lovely job it was very well deserved as was Wigman I thought but Hannah yeah hats off

42:58Rachel: Yeah definitely very very well deserved but who picked up their third Ballon d 'Or in a row Bom Matty taking that massive golden globe ball home with her again again um coming up in second mariona caldente and then third alessia russo fourth pateas and fifth chloe kelly um i think chloe kelly and fifth is quite funny yeah i mean what were your thoughts on that announcement rage go on go in i know i'm just preparing myself for the abuse we're going to get for having an opinion um bomati is unbelievable and has been deserved

43:38Chloe: winner over the last couple of seasons I think Mariana Caldente should have won it I think Russo should have been in second I always find it really interesting the mental gymnastics that fans do each season to decide what's relevant and what's not so go on what's some of the narratives you've heard when it's their player winning the Champions League is the obvious reason like you didn't win the Champions League so therefore that you're not in contention when they don't win the Champions League well that's not that important you know when you win a major tournament well then it's super important but when they don't win a major tournament it's just it's so interesting watching people's narratives as to why their player deservedly won it or whatever it might be well she won you know player of the euros quite a lot of us were surprised that she won player of the euros i'm not gonna lie i'm not even sure she was spain's best player uh at the tournament so i think a lot of us were surprised by that because we felt there hadn't necessarily been an out and out head and shoulders player head and shoulders above the rest so i think a lot of us were quite surprised that she'd won that um but yeah caldente won the two biggest trophies uh in sorry not the biggest trophies she won the biggest trophy in domestic football um and got to the final of the euros and scored the goal in the final of the euros i just think that pips her i don't know what else other player like players can do you know people were saying arsenal shouldn't have won team of the season because chelsea won the treble but like then like didn't barcelona win the treble so like it's just the arguments are so interesting that um there's never like a clear kind of consensus i think and at the same time a lot of us we know these award ceremonies can be quite frustrating and i just think every season we're like but maybe this year all will be right with the world and then you come away from going no how naive of you it's interesting because you know there are journalists voting for this but you know i don't know if they're all women's football journalists i'd have to dig into it further um so yeah i do find it interesting you know we saw for years remember marta would just win everything yeah there was a stage uh megan rapinoe winning

45:41Rachel: quite a lot as well yeah yeah that got and then alex morgan yeah so you know i think every season

45:47Chloe: when more and more coverage of the women's game and the game grows and grows and grows you kind And I hope that these sort of awards will keep up a little bit, but that's not always the case. But yeah.

45:55Rachel: Well, it now means that Barcelona players have won the honour in each of the past five years, after obviously Porteus earned the prize in 2021 and 2022. Speaking on stage, Bon Mati, who received the award from Barcelona legend. She even looked a bit surprised. Me? What? She received the award from Iniesta, said, my third time in a row here and I still can't believe it. Incredible. Thank you to France football for this. For the third time, it really could have gone to anyone. and it could have um really good shout out also to uh spain winger vicky lopez who picked up the copper trophy to celebrate the best young player very very well deserved and beating michelle ajumang um who was on the list as well um who'd been nominated she came in fourth i think yeah

46:35Chloe: she was i mean rightly so making the list as well like but yeah then you're looking at like what is it that's being looked at i suppose what is the thing that gets you there is it is it the stories is it the you know I thought Chloe Kelly obviously coming in clutch for England but like not even starting games and not starting games for Arsenal last season and stuff like that so um it is interesting how these things are picked and maybe influence around those narratives that come out women's football and and what kind of cuts through and all that kind of stuff so interesting um I would have thought Chiara would be higher for example um but really I think it was probably more of a debate around the top three and the order of what they should have been in

47:16Rachel: look if it was up to me it would have been ajiman winning the actual ballon door um personally and that is why you're nowhere near so true but like look what she did she's a fucking national hero and i don't know where mb she can win the national hero award yeah 100 um thank you so much for listening to up front i'm at morgy underscore 89 rach is at girls in the ball and we are at upfront underscore pod. We will see you next week.

47:56Rachel: Upfront is a Stack production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

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