A look at the BBC Women's footballer of the year 2022 nominees...


The nominees for the BBC Women's Footballer of the year 2022 have been named and we don't have long to wait for the winner to be announced as that will be happening on the 9th November. It has been a big year for Women's football and I really don't know how the panel have managed to narrow the nominees down to the 5 names they have done as the game is going from strength to strength with players improving year after year and really becoming standout names that everyone is beginning to know. With this summer's Euros a lot of players have started to become household names and young players have started catching people's attention showing just what we can expect from them as their careers progress. The five nominees for this years BBC Women's Footballer of the year have all had an exciting year and here is a look at those nominees...

Sam Kerr

Kerr is definitely an established household name. The Chelsea & Australia star just keeps putting in some amazing performances for club and country with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. We have grown used to seeing Kerr's name on these nomination lists and I can't see that stopping anytime soon. She won the WSL golden boot last year and played a big part in Chelsea securing another title in the WSL. Kerr is a player that is always great to watch but do I think she has had a better season than some of the other players on this list? Honestly I don't think she has, I think a few others have a much more influential season. 

Beth Mead

I think it is safe to say Beth Mead is a name a lot of fans have become used to hearing this year, she has had a fantastic season at Arsenal and really helped them in their push to knock Chelsea off the top spot where they just came up short on the final day. She also had an amazing Euro campaign where she was influential in England winning their first major trophy, she won the golden boot in the tournament and as the new Arsenal season has begun she is showing her form from the summer is continuing into the new season, there seems to be no stopping Beth Mead these days whether that is on a scoring front or assisting her team mates. After being left out of the Team GB Olympic squad Mead had a point to prove and she has certainly done just that, I think this is only the start of seeing Mead receiving well deserved award nominations. 

Alexandra Popp

Popp might not have played much during the domestic season for Wolfsburg however, when she did play she made an impact. She missed most of the season with a serious injury but she wasn't going to come back and sit in the shadows, she wanted that Germany call up for the Euros and she got it at long last Popp was heading to a major tournament. She started the early stages on the bench for Germany but came on and made an impact on the games, soon enough she was a started and was challenging Beth Mead for the Golden Boot. Popp really helped Germany progress through the Euro's and we were looking forward to seeing her really challenge the English defence in the final unfortunately though that wasn't to be as she pulled out of the game during warm ups with an injury. I really do think she could have changed the outcome of the final if she had played but now I guess we will never know. All I know is she is a name I am going to be keeping a closer eye on in the future as she has really impressed me this year.

Alexia Putellas 

The Barcelona captain has had a good few seasons now and has found herself a back to back Ballon D'or winner after two solid campaigns with Barcelona. Putellas is the Barcelona captain and has led the club to the domestic treble scoring 18 goals in the process and providing the team with plenty of assists. She has become a name a lot of female fans now know and I don't see that changing anytime soon with the skill she possesses. Putellas was a player everyone was looking forward to seeing play in the Euros and a player who was always going to be a key player for Spain however, right before the competition was due to start Putellas unfortunately found herself out injured with an ACL injury. I think her injury definitely impacted the Spanish Euro performance but do I think she should win this award? Honestly I think other names should have been considered and other nominees have definitely made a stronger case to win this award.

Wendie Renard

Renard has been one of those defenders I have loved watching since I started watching the women's game properly, she seems to have gone from strength to strength especially at club level but as a part of the French national team I don't think that we have seen her potential this year, yes she has played well but she hasn't looked like she used to. As for with Lyon though she has had another great season, she missed the early season through injury but she soon bounced back and helped Lyon win yet more trophies throughout the season, they just seem unstoppable. The Defender is also the first female player to make 100 Champions League appearances which I guess just shows how great she is, she really is an integral part of the Lyon squad and the French squad and I can't see that changing anytime soon. 

So there you have it those are the five players that have been nominated for this years award, do I think other players could of made the cut? Of course I do but I guess these five have just stood out that little bit more. For me though there is only winner and that is Beth Mead, she has been fantastic all year round and is showing no signs of slowing down, I am glad she is finally getting the recognition she deserves. 

There isn't long to wait with the winner being announced on the 9th November, who would your winner from these five players be? 

It is already starting to get tight at the top of the WSL table...

 It is safe to say it is already getting pretty tight at the top of the WSL table and there is still a long way to go in the season. It might be early days but we are seeing a very competitive start to the 22/23 with Arsenal and Manchester United really standing out to us, they are both unbeaten and look very threatening on the attack, I just hope these two teams really keep on pushing and challenging Chelsea who are level on points but having played 1 more game than Arsenal & Man Utd, they definitely aren't where they would expect to be by now, that opening weekend defeat to Liverpool has got them playing catch up. As for the rest of the table Everton are really showing us that they have a point to prove after last season's struggles. Unfortunately, at the bottom of the table both Reading & Leicester are struggling, neither side have recorded any points yet and with how the rest of the table is moving I do believe they need to start picking up points soon. So here is a look at the weekend's results...


Tottenham vs Manchester City
The first game of the weekend was a good one. Unfortunately there was a delay in the opening minutes with Tottenham's Brazil going down with a nasty looking injury, fingers crossed she makes a speedy recovery and is back on the pitch soon. Tottenham looked promising at times with some good pressing however, it was Manchester City who walked away with all 3 points thanks to two goals from Shaw and 1 from Hemp. Shaw is really showing us all what she is capable of and why she is able to fill the boots of retired Ellen White with her run of goals at the moment and I think we could see her in the running for this seasons golden boot if she keeps going the way she is. It is nice to see City slowly getting back to winning ways too as they really didn't have the best start to the season. 

Aston Villa vs Everton
A brilliant goal from Lucy Graham saw Everton pick up another 3 points for the season which sees them winning 3 out of their opening 5 games. They are really showing us that they are a much better side than last season where we saw them finish 10th in the league. If they keep playing like they have been doing I can definitely see them improving on that 10th place and also causing some upsets along the way. As for Villa they won their opening 2 games and have lost their last 2, with the teams around them starting to gain momentum are we going to see them start slipping or are we going to see them get back to winning ways soon? 

Liverpool vs Arsenal
Arsenal have extended their unbeaten run in the league with yet another clean sheet. We saw a few changes to their starting line up after their midweek victory over Lyon, most surprisingly we saw Miedema starting on the bench. I don't think many fans expected this but it didn't slow Arsenal down as they comfortably won the game 2-0. We saw Walti get her first WSL goal for the club and what a strike it was and we saw Frida Maanuum on the scoresheet for the second time this week, showing us why Jonas believed in her to start the game. Liverpool did have a few chances and played some good football in the middle of the pitch at times but they just couldn't get themselves on the scoresheet.

Leicester vs Manchester United 
Leicester continued their winless run at the weekend whilst Manchester United extended their unbeaten run with yet another clean sheet, thanks to yet more very impressive goal keeping from Mary Earps, who is having a fantastic start to the season. The win sees United level on points with Arsenal & Chelsea at the top of the table and to be honest I think we need to get used to seeing them up there as they definitely look like a contender for at least a Champions League spot this season. It was nice to see Parris get her first WSL goal for the club too and I am sure we will see plenty more from her throughout the season. 

West Ham vs Reading
West Ham have had a bit of a mixed start to the season and have won 3 out of 5 games so far and at the weekend they found themselves 3 goals up against league strugglers Reading before half time, Reading managed to pull two goals back but just fell short of pulling back a draw to pick up their first points of the season. Reading are definitely struggling so far this season and fingers crossed they can get some points on the board soon, as for West Ham though they have started this season strong and if they keep these performances up we could see them cause a few upsets this season.

Brighton vs Chelsea
Well this game was touch and go for a bit with the bad weather and as the game got underway you could see why, there was plenty of surface water on the pitch but that didn't stop Chelsea and 2 goals, 1 from England and one from Harder saw them leave with all 3 points. Brighton definitely did a bit better than the previous weekend where we saw Man Utd score 4 past them, the defence looked a bit tighter at times and they did create some good chances that they were unable to convert. Did the weather effect Chelsea though? Well some passes didn't seem to connect as well as you would expect from the team and some shots just didn't seem to connect as well as they might have done in other games. Chelsea are definitely pushing to make up from that opening day defeat but with them having played a game more than Man Utd & Arsenal is that going to cause them a problem as the season progress.

The league is only in its early stages but we are already seeing teams make a better start than they did last season and we are seeing other teams like Man City finally starting to gel together and get the results we expect to see from them. We said before the start of the season we expected to see this season be much more competitive and it is already living up to those expectations. I wonder if we wil get any surprise results in next weeks wrap up? Check back next week to see. 

Now I am back playing what is happening with Edge of the Area?


Well I never thought I would be back kicking the ball around, in fact I am surprised I accepted the invite after last time I played but even in these early days of being back playing I am really enjoying myself and feeling better than ever, things just seem to have fallen back into place and once again my love for the game has grown although I didn't think it had room to grow anymore. 

I had played football on and off from a very young age but unfortunately at 21 years old I found myself stopping playing. My left knee was not my friend and the pain after games was a nightmare, I ended up referred back to the hospital where they advised I stopped playing so I didn't make it worse. In the end I was told I possibly had Osteoarthritis, something I never really expected but here I am now at 28 years old lacing up my boots once more and having the time of my life, I can't wait to see how I feel by the end of the season as it really has given me a new lease of life already.

 Due to not playing I ended up creating this site, Edge of the Area, it was a way for me to feel a part of the game again without having to put my body through pain to be a part of it. The site has been an amazing source for me to get more involved in the game, I am absolutely loving the content we are putting out and honestly I have no plans for slowing down anytime soon however, I was really inspired by what I saw at the Euros and there was that little niggle in the back of my mind of wanting to get back to playing especially now that my knee was feeling stronger and I was starting to feel much fitter than before. That is why when Halifax Friendly Football Club reached out to see if I wanted to join their new team I really couldn't refuse, it would be 9 a side and games wouldn't be every week so I could easy my way back in and honestly it is one of my best decisions of 2022 I absolutely love being back as I say it is early days but the knee is doing well and I am feeling better than ever so we will see how it continues to go.

 
So where does Edge of the Area stand after all this? With me now playing most might find it hard to juggle everything but I am putting a plan in place to make sure I am able to balance both playing and writing as I am loving both at the moment and don't want to neglect either. No matter what there is going to be at least 1 new post up on here each week although some weeks might end up with a whole lot more on depending on the ideas I have and any news happening that week, there might even be plenty of content coming around my games and the team I play for as there is plenty of potential content there, a few ideas are already in place so keep an eye out for that content coming soon.
  
We are of course still going to plenty of games so the match reports will be continuing as usual and with access to more live games on Sky, the BBC and the FA Player, there are even going to be reports based on those games we watch, there really is no slowing down we are throwing ourselves into building the platform we have and with the season ticket for Man Utd Women and more time to watch games at home there could very well be WSL match reports weekly alongside FAWNL ones when we get to go to those Bradford City games we still love attending. It isn't all going to be match reports though we are also planning on expanding our content range, the ideas are in place we are just waiting to hear back from people to get the ball rolling on those ideas, fingers crossed that all falls into place soon as we are already excited about the direction we are taking these new ideas in. 

Granted some of the games do clash with games we have already bought tickets for however, we aren't letting this site disappear, with a bit of planning we know we are going to fit a lot in this season and we can't wait to see where it takes us both playing wise and content creating wise. We have big plans and getting back on the pitch is only adding fuel to the fire, bring on the rest of this season. 

Let us know if there is any specific content you would like to see from us? 

Manchester United go top of the league with victory over Brighton

 

Finally on Sunday we managed to get to our first Manchester United game of the season. We picked up our first season tickets for the club and the game vs Brighton was the first we could attend due to prior engagements on the day of the Reading game. This was definitely a great first live WSL game of the season for us with a fantastic result going Man Utd's way. On the drive to the game we said we could end up seeing a few goals but I don't think either of us expected all 4 goals would go in United's favour. 

United started the game really well though and looked threatening from the get go. It only took 14 minutes for United to get off the mark and of course it was Ella Toone who got the goal with a pretty good header.  She then went on and doubled United's led in the 26th minute, the goal was nicely slotted home after a fantastic bit of build up play through the middle of the field. In the 40th minute Leah Galton finally found her way onto the score sheet after playing a big part in Toone's goals, it was another great goal created by United getting through Brighton's defence too easily. The first half was absolutely fantastic from United but in the second half they just seemed to sit back a bit and passes didn't flow as well as they had in the first half. We did get to see a goal in front of us though as Leon got her first for the club with a brilliantly placed low driven shot. The game ended 4-0 to United but Brighton could have certainly got themselves on the score sheet as they had some great moments of build up play throughout the game, they just couldn't get past Earps who made some absolutely brilliant saves. Her save at the end of the first half was certainly the best though as she was outstretched and it looked almost certain that the ball was heading into the top corner.

Manchester United moved the ball around really well throughout the game however, in the first half a lot of the best plays were coming from link ups down the left hand side with Galton being instrumental in a lot of the attacks especially those that led to the goals. To be honest Galton could possibly have been our player of the match as she seemed to be everywhere making runs that Brighton didn't expect and getting the team into some dangerous positions. I think it is safe to say Galton is going to be a key player this season if United want to challenge for the top spot so I really hope she stays injury free. Her reading of the game is definitely a great asset for United to have. I am glad she got on the score sheet too as she definitely deserved it. 

It has been a long time coming but I finally got to see Lucy Staniforth in action, she is one of those players I have loved watching for a long time now and I really do believe she is a massively under rated and I wish other people would see her potential. She reads the game well and doesn't panic when in possession, her balls through the backline are brilliantly placed and she can switch the play to the other side with ease. She just seems to be aware of things before they happen and it was rare we saw a bad ball from her on Sunday. Again just like with Galton I think she is going to play a big part in United's chase for glory this season if she can stay away from any injuries. As for Ella Toone it is safe to say she has gone from strength to strength this summer and her two goals on Sunday just shows us she is on fire and ready to help United improve on last seasons 4th place finish. If she stays in the form she is currently in I can see her being on the scoresheet becoming a very regular occurrence. 

With the performances we have seen from Man Utd this season I think it is safe to say they are definitely giving it their all to get a Champions League spot come the end of the season and if they keep performing like they have in these early stages I think they have a strong possibility to gain a Champions League spot and even challenge to be the winner of this seasons WSL. After 3 games they are sitting at the top on goal difference with a game in hand on current title holders Chelsea, it might only be early days but United are getting their fans hopes up so let's hope the momentum keeps on rolling.

We are back at Leigh Sports Village for the next home game vs Chelsea in November and it is safe to say the countdown is on. It is going to be a big test for United and I think it is going to be a close game but I guess only time will tell, can they extend their lead or will Chelsea prove too strong for them? 

There may or may not be a new shirt on its way ready for this game but can you guess who's name is on the back?

How things are looking after another weekend of WSL football


We have seen another great weekend of WSL action with 17 goals over the weekend in the 6 games being played. There were some big scoring games and some games that took us by surprise as we thought they would have had more goals in them. I think it is safe to say it is a good time to be a Manchester United fan as they have found themselves top of the league, it might only be on goal difference at the moment, but they are showing promising signs this morning and I can see them being up there for a while if they carry on playing the way they currently are. Chelsea are also starting to move up the table but with teams around them having a game in hand they are still chasing Manchester United & Arsenal who have had great starts to the season. We even saw Manchester City pick up their first points of the season on their long awaited first home game of the season. So here are how the games went this weekend... 


Aston Villa vs West Ham United
Well I wish I had the chance to sit and watch this one on the FA Player as it seems like it had a bit of everything. There was a bit of pushing & shoving which resulted in a West Ham red card followed by 2 West Ham coaches receiving red cards. Arnold saved a Villa penalty which could have brought them back into the game, and after watching the replays it was a brilliant save from the West Ham 'keeper. The game saw West Ham pick up their second win of the season and Aston Villa lose their first game of the season but let's hope they can bounce back next weekend and continue with what has been a surprising start to the season for them. 

Manchester United vs Brighton 
We were lucky enough to go see this game live as we have Manchester United season tickets now and what a treat we were in store for. Before the game I said to Liam we could end up seeing a few goals but I didn't expect to see United score 4 and end the weekend at the top of the league. The game was brilliant and the players were working really well together. United have had a fantastic start to the season and their performance yesterday just proved that. Brighton had a few chances throughout the game but just couldn't find the back of the net, Earps didn't help them either as she pulled off some great saves. 

Everton vs Chelsea
It is safe to say Harder is back for Chelsea with her scoring two goals as they walked away from their game against Everton with a 3-1 win. Hayes might be away from the touchline whilst she recovers from surgery but it didn't stop Chelsea, Harder opened the scoring before Everton equalized through a Buchanan own goal. The game didn't stay level for long though as Harder converted a penalty that was awarded after Reiten was brought down. Charles finished off the scoring in extra time and sealed the victory for Chelsea. Everton are definitely doing much better than last season and Chelsea are slowly getting back into rhythm after their opening day defeat. 

Manchester City vs Leicester City 
Finally Manchester City have recorded their first win of the season with a 4-0 victory over league strugglers Leicester City, a team who are still trying to get their first points of the season. Shaw found the back of net twice during the game and Lauren Hemp & Yui Hasegawa also found themselves on the score sheet for Man City. This game was Man City's first home game after the season so what a way to mark it with the first win of the season. Hopefully this is a sign of things improving at Man City but I guess only time will tell.

Tottenham vs Liverpool 
Tottenham record their second victory of the season with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool. It was a Liverpool player who scored on the day though with Fahey scoring the only goal, just in the wrong goal. Liverpool are still to win another game this season after their opening day shock against Chelsea. Tottenham are slowly picking up the results needed and I am looking forward to seeing how they do against Man City at the weekend. Whereas Liverpool are up against Arsenal, can they pick up another shock result? 

Reading vs Arsenal
We managed to sit down and watch this game thanks to it being on Sky Sports, I will be honest I thought there would be more goals in this game than just the one as Arsenal walked away 1-0 winners. This game showed that Arsenal are looking a bit weaker at the back due to injuries, Reading were challenging the back line well and had a lot of chances which they just couldn't convert. Arsenal just didn't look as dominating as we are used to seeing and you could see on a lot of their players faces, they weren't happy with how the game was going. Arsenal are in for a busy period with a few big names out injured so it is going to be interesting to see how it plays out for them as they are chasing the top spot.

The competition has been great so far this season and it might only be early days but some teams are really standing out and showing us just what they are capable of such as Manchester United who are really showing us this season just what they capable of and how they can challenge for the top spot this time around. Last season was competitive but I think this season is going to be even better for us fans to watch with some very interesting games still to happen. 

What was your favourite game from this weekend? 

England held to a goalless draw by Czech Republic

 


England played their final friendly of October on Tuesday evening as they took on the Czech Republic in Brighton. This game was a chance for Wiegman to rotate her team a bit and see what worked and what didn't. we saw Stanway added to the out injured list and saw Mead and Daly starting from the bench. England were looking to continue their unbeaten run in a game which saw Lucy Bronze gain her 100th cap for her country however, the unbeaten run continues in a way that England probably won't be happy with as they were held to a 0-0 draw. 

The Czech Republic showed England in the first few minutes that they weren't there to be sat back and bullied, they were going to bring a game to England and put up a fight themselves. They even had the first chance of the evening with a shot that found its way over the bar and out for a corner. England's first chance came from Lauren James on her first senior start for her country, she let off a brilliant strike which came very close to going into the back of the net, instead though it rattled against the post and was cleared from the danger zone by the Czech defence. The Czech team certainly held their own especially in the first 10 minutes when they defended well and made a few breaks for themselves. As for England though the seemed to be getting in each others way too many times and this led to them losing the ball rather than continuing a promising attack, which is something we definitely aren't used to seeing from this current England side. When England did manage to string some passes together though they looked fantastic and unstoppable but unfortunately this didn't seem to happen as much as us fans would have liked it to. They definitely dominated the first half possession though there was just no end product throughout the first half, Hemp is still trying to learn her new role and there never seemed to be back up to get the most challenging shots, it was a far cry from the performance we saw in the first half against the USA on Friday. 

The teams went into half time with the score line at 0-0, there wasn't too much from either side but the Czech Republic definitely showed us they weren't here to mess around, they wanted to push and cause an upset. Half time saw Wiegman make some changes with Mead and Toone entering the pitch and it is safe to say England started much livelier than they did the first half with some great balls into the box which no one could convert into a goal. The best effort came from a brilliant ball in from Mead which found the head of Hemp but even that found its way over the crossbar. The second half also saw Esme Morgan finally get her first England cap and also Ebony Salmon receive her second, these are 2 players with a lot of potential so to see them getting a chance is great, I think they will be names we see a lot of in the future. England were doing everything right and had plenty of chances however, they just couldn't get the ball across the line and the game ended 0-0, credit to the Czech Republic though they really brought England a challenge that I don't think many of us expected. 

The Mead and Bronze link up looked really strong at time and I think this could be very beneficial for the World Cup if both players stay fit and get called up for the competition. England certainly used this game to experiment with their players and it created an interesting game which just looked like it was lacking something at times, it was a far cry from Friday's victory over the USA. The loss of Williamson and Russo was definitely noticed in this game as the defence was shaky and not as in control as we have seen when Williamson has been commanding the backline and I do believe Russo would have helped massively attacking wise as her positioning and awareness is fantastic, she would have really suited this game. I think I am enjoying Hemp in her new role and if she settles into it quickly I think this could really benefit both England & Man City, although we did lack that pace and threat on the left with her upfront. I think James settled into the game well too, she looks a bit shaky at first but with it being her first start I guess that could have been expected, as the game progressed she definitely settled in well and I think she is another player we will be seeing much more of in the next few months at least. 

I will be honest I had the Scotland vs Republic of Ireland game on at the same time as this one and I have to say I much preferred watching that game as it was a lot more exciting than the England game, Friday night for England was much more entertaining, whether that was due to the opposition or the team rotation I aren't sure but the Czech Republic definitely turned out to be a strong opponent for us that we couldn't break down. 

Even with a 0-0 draw though the unbeaten run continues and it is time for the players to head back to their clubs before returning to representing their country in November. I am really hoping Williamson and Russo are back in the November camp free from injury but I would also love to see Nobbs get another call up and get some game time as I think she would be really beneficial in the midfield. 

England can we please have some more games back up North though it would be great to see the Lionesses play live once again as getting down south is definitely a struggle these days with kick off times etc... 

Bradford City fall to yet another defeat, this time against Merseyrail

 


Wednesday night saw a bottom of the table clash in the FAWNL Northern division 1, as Bradford City Women took on Merseyrail. This would be the first league encounter for the teams after Merseyrail's promotion into the league this season. The game was a bottom of the table clash with both teams looking to pick up the much needed 3 points and try get momentum rolling to move out of the relegation zone. City were also looking to bounce back after a heavy 6-2 defeat to Hull City on Sunday but as the final whistle blew last night it wasn't meant to be and Merseyrail walked away with all 3 points after a 1-0 victory in a game that could have gone in City's favour if they could just convert that final pass...

City started the game really well, moving the ball around and their first real chance came from Charlotte Stuart's long range effort which found it's way into the Merseyrail 'keepers hands rather than the back of the net. Throughout the first half though City had plenty of opportunities to get the ball through on goal as they were breaking through the middle of the field with ease and putting Merseyrail under plenty of pressure when they were on the ball. City definitely were doing all the hard work in the first half but were just unable to get that final pass right to get them into a position to take a challenging shot. Merseyrail had a few half chances in the first half but they were certainly struggling in the middle of the field with how City's midfield were playing.

The second half started more or less the same way the first half ended but as the half went on Merseyrail were starting to settle into the game a lot more and were starting to stop City getting through the middle so easily. City were really pushing though and stringing some brilliant passes together to get in some great positions however, they still couldn't get that final pass right and Merseyrail were able to clear the danger. There were some great balls into the box from crosses and set pieces but again nothing was connecting from City. Hannah Markey had a great shot which looked like it was going to squeeze into the bottom corner saved by the 'keeper's foot but that was City's most promising looking effort in the second half. City really bossed the possession throughout the game and the amount of chances however, it was Merseyrail who got the only goal of the game when a City clearance fell straight to the Merseyrail player in the most space, at first it looked like she had taken too long and taken too many touches but in the end she got herself into a better position and a brilliant strike saw the ball over City's 'keeper and rattling the back of the net. City tried their best to get something back but it was just not coming together for them and they ended up suffering another defeat and now find themselves sat at the bottom of the table. 

City are really going to have to start getting the results soon if they want to get away from that drop zone, if they could just connect that final pass they really would be a team to be feared but for now they are chasing the results in hopes of staying up this season. There is still a long way to go but with how the teams around them are doing they need to get momentum going as soon as possible. You could see the disappointment on the players faces when the final whistle went, they know they should have got something out of that game so let's hope they can have a good few week in the cup and hit the ground running on their return to league action in November. 

As for our player of the match it once again has to go to City's right back Harriet Jakeman, she had a fantastic game making some good moves forward whilst also tracking back really well to stop Merseyrail attacks when they did break through the City plays. Jakeman doesn't mess around she puts in some very strong challenges which are very well timed too to break down opposition attacks but she also plays a big part in the build up of attacks too. 

City have a few weeks away from the league now so let's hope in this time they can progress in the competitions they are competing in and also work on bouncing back in the league, they are capable of getting the results if they could just get that final pass right.

Where have the past 3 years gone?

 

Where have the past 3 years gone? Sitting down to write this post I can't quite believe that it is 3 years since we started Edge of the Area. It was 3 years ago when I was convinced by a few people online that I should create my own separate site for my football content as they enjoyed reading it. It is safe to say looking back to that day 3 years ago I am glad we made the decision to get things going as the past 3 years have been absolutely brilliant, not only has my love for football grown, which I didn't think it could get much bigger but I have also developed so much personally thanks to Edge of the Area, I am putting myself in positions I never dreamt of and due to that my confidence is growing so much. So here are some of the highlights from the past 3 years...

2019

Everything got started in October 2019, when a little idea brought Edge of the Area to life. After a week or so of debating on a name and getting everything in order it was time to get things moving, the website was created and what better way to kick things off than heading to watch our local women's side Bradford City take on local rivals Brighouse Town. We came back from the game absolutely frozen but sat up until late working on the match report, which was our first post on the new website. We even started writing some content to go in the Bradford City Women's match day programme which was a fantastic opportunity and one that has help develop our writing a lot more. 

Just a month after starting the website we got invited to our first event which was an amazing experience. We went to the launch of the National Football Museums exhibition called when football gets shirty. This was a brilliant evening out with the chance to see some amazing football shirts on display. Since then the Football Museum has been one of my favourite places to visit.

2020 

2020 started off great, some great football matches were watched but then the pandemic hit. It certainly was a strange year and honestly at one point I sat and wondered how on earth the site could carry on when football had stopped. We managed to put a good plan together though and got through the pandemic and had a great year in terms of viewers on the site. We adapted by doing interviews and ended up adding in a lot of shirt content, which honestly just gave me more of a reason to purchase the shirts I wanted to. The shirt content was definitely some of the most popular over the course of the year. 

2021

Finally in 2021 the world started returning to some form of normality and we got back to going to games which I couldn't have been any more excited for. The match reports became more frequent and to be honest the year showed me just how much I loved writing match reports, even now they are some of my favourite pieces to write and people seem to enjoy reading them too which makes it all worth while. In 2021 we seemed to stick to FAWNL content in terms of the women's game but we also did a lot of men's content especially surrounding Bradford City which got us noticed a fair bit, we even ended up going on the radio to discuss the team and I can safely say that is something I never thought I would do. There was also plenty more shirt content being added to the site as that was still popular. The high light of the year for me though has to be going in the press box for Bradford City Women vs Leeds United Ladies, I never thought I would be sat in a press box let alone reporting on the Yorkshire derby from there.

2022

What a year 2022 has been and we still have a few months to go. In the birthday period though it has been absolutely fantastic and so much has happened. The Euros took a big chunk of the year with build ups and then the competition itself. The month of July was spent travelling to games with it ending at Wembley where we witnessed the Lionesses lifting the trophy. It is safe to say that was an emotional day but it also inspired in so many ways. One thing that came from the month though is that we were inspired to switch up content, now we are solely focusing on women's only content, we want the site to be a place where we can help grow the women's game alongside keeping people up to date with what is going on week in week out. We definitely have some ideas in the pipeline for how to increase our content and cover a wider range of leagues. Thanks to us purchasing Man Utd Women season tickets we will no longer just be focusing on the FAWNL there will be match reports from the top flight too alongside plenty of other content. 

2022 has been the best year since we started the site with July and August giving us our best months yet in terms of views and I have to say seeing those views grow just makes us more determined to push on with the content we are creating. We did plenty of coverage for the Euros but I think my favourite was going on the Since 71 podcast to do our predictions, this was our first podcast and it was a brilliant experience, one that we can hopefully do more often if opportunities crop up. It certainly has been an exciting year with the Euros and some very competitive football to watch but it has also been an inspiring year... I have been inspired in so many ways and the main one is that I have been inspired to play football once more. Because the website clearly doesn't keep me busy enough I had to add training and playing to my weeks. But that could very easily create more content ideas in the long run I guess... maybe some boot content again. 

The past 3 years have been absolutely fantastic and I can't wait to see what year 4 holds, fingers crossed next year when I am writing this post there is a whole lot of good stuff to report on, if things go to plan it is certainly going to be a busy year. With the site now being women's game focused we know exactly what direction we want to go in so expect more regular content from and a variety of leagues in a variety of formats, we are hoping to get some player interviews done in year 4 so fingers crossed we can make that happen. 

It is time to make year 4 the best year yet.

Our thoughts on this years Ballon D'or nominations


 The Ballon D'or nominees this year are ones that I can actually agree with which I have found to be a rare occurrence. For one they don't seem to have just gone for the biggest names in the game, there is a nice mix of names up for nomination this year and a few players are finally getting the recognition they deserve after years of being overlooked. I really don't know how a winner can be picked from this list though as each player has had a brilliant season for their club as well as doing pretty well for their country too. So here is what we think about those nominations...

Selma Bacha 
French left back Bacha is only 21 years old but it is safe to say she is already up there as one of the best female left backs in the game currently. She plays her club football at Lyon where she has already won the Champions League 4 times which to be able to say that at 21 years old must be fantastic. She is a key player for Lyon and is already showing us what she is capable of on the international scene too. It is scary to thing with how young she is just how much potential we still haven't seen from her. 

Fridolina Rolfo 
If you saw my Euro journey over on social media you would have seen I was closely following Sweden and went to a lot of their games, one of the reasons for picking Sweden was due to Rolfo. For many years she has been a player I have kept a close eye on as her quality on the ball is amazing. Sweden didn't have the best Euro campaign this year but she has slotted into life at Barcelona well and is a joy to watch.

Alexandra Popp
If Popp hadn't got injured would the Euros final have gone differently? I honestly think it would have done. She had an absolutely fantastic tournament and really showed just what she could bring to the Germany side after unfortunately suffering injuries in the build up to previous major tournaments. Popp is a player that always seems to be in the right place at the right time to cause trouble for the opposition and she definitely deserves the nomination this year.

Aitana Bonmati 
Another Barcelona star who has made it onto the list. Now I will be honest I don't really know too much about Bonmati on a club level but she did impress me during the Euros. The midfielder covered plenty of distance in the 4 games she played and stood out as a player for me to keep an eye on in the future. To be honest her performance along with a few other Spanish players has actually made me want to watch Spanish football a whole lot more.

Vivianne Miedema 
I think we need to get used to seeing Miedema on these nomination lists as she is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Miedema had another fantastic season at Arsenal scoring some brilliant goals once more and she also had a pretty good campaign with the Netherlands once again. I think if she hadn't caught Covid and suffered for the later stages of Euro 2022 she would have helped the Netherlands push further than they got. Miedema is one of those players that I love to watch and I don't think that will change anytime soon. 

Wendie Renard 
Renard's name always seems to be floating around when it comes to award nominations and I am not surprised as she is always an integral part of the Lyon side and has helped them win plenty of trophies. I will be honest here though during the Euros she didn't really impress me. She didn't seem to be the Renard we are all used to seeing. If she makes it into the top 3 this year I would definitely be surprised as a lot of other names on this list have had a much better year.

Lucy Bronze
I still stand by that Bronze is the best right back in the world at the moment. There just seems to be no stopping her. When she returned to City after her injury spell results started changing for the better showing us just how influential she was for the team. Then we have the Euros where she put in some fantastic performances to help England go on to win their first major trophy. Bronze is finally getting the recognition she deserves and I can't see these nominations slowing down any time soon.

Alex Morgan
In previous years I will admit I haven't agreed with Alex Morgan receiving all the nominations she has had as I believed she really hadn't been playing as one of the greatest in the world which we expected from her year after year. This season though she has definitely earnt this nomination as she has had a fantastic season with the San Diego Wave in their inaugural NWSL season. We really have seen her get back to her best this season and I think she has definitely earnt her place on this list for 2022. Let's hope she can keep it up in the run up to the 2023 World Cup. 

Sam Kerr
Sam Kerr is a name that is going to be another name I think we need to get used to seeing on the nominations list as she is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to putting in brilliant performances and scoring great goals for both club and country. Kerr really has cemented herself as a household name with her talent on the pitch and she definitely has once again earnt this nomination, should she win this year? I don't think so but it is nice to see her on the list.

Beth Mead
It is so good to see Mead finally getting the recognition she deserves. The Arsenal player has had one of her best seasons and finished off the summer as top scorer in the Euros which she won with the Lionesses. After being left out of the Olympic squad it is safe to say Mead has really proved to everyone just what she is capable of and why she should be on the England squad list every time it is announced. She really made herself a household name in the Euros and we have already seen her carry on where she left off at Arsenal, hopefully this year is only just the beginning of Mead finally getting the recognition she so rightly deserves.

Christiane Endler
Endler really came to my attention in 2019 when she had a fantastic World Cup campaign with Chile. Since then she has gone on to sign for Lyon and helped them claim yet another Champions League title. Endler is certainly a fantastic 'keeper as she has proved over and over again, would she have been nominated if she wasn't at Lyon? I'm not too sure.

Asisat Oshoala
Oh look another Barcelona player to be nominated. To be honest though I can't say I am too surprised as Barcelona have had an absolutely fantastic few years recently and a lot of their players have really stood out, even to those who probably don't get to watch as much of the Spanish league as they would like to. Oshoala is definitely one of those players for me, when I have seen her play she has been one of the standout players for me and I think she is another player who could be picking up plenty more nominations in the future.

Lena Oberdorf 
Oberdorf is one of my favourite players from this summer's Euros, the German Wolfsburg player is only 20 years old but she has already shown us what a key player she is whether it is at club or country level. It is scary to think just how much talent she already possesses and I think it is safe to say we haven't even seen her full potential yet, what is she going to be like in 5 years time? She really does have the makings of being one of the best players in the world and I am glad she has been nominated for the Ballon D'or this year. 

Millie Bright 
Finally, after years of being overlooked Millie Bright is finally getting the recognition she deserves in terms of big awards nominations. Bright is in my opinion one of the greatest centre backs in the game at the moment so to see that others are finally seeing just how good she is week in week out it is great. Bright had a fantastic season at Chelsea once again but she also had a fantastic international campaign with England. I am hoping this is only the beginning of Millie finally getting the notice she so rightly deserves.

Kadidiatou Diani
I will be honest I had not heard much about Diani prior to the Euros as to be honest I don't watch as much of the French game as I probably should, I tend to just jump in and out of it when I have some free time. I watch a lot of the French national team games through the Euros though and the player that stood out the most every time was Diani. The forward was making some fantastic runs to get in a good position for her team and she was actually one of my favourite French players throughout the whole time they were in the Euros. I think her performances could even sway me towards watching more French football.

Trinity Rodman
At the age of 18 Rodman became the youngest drafted player in NWSL history and now at 20 she has shown us just how good she actually is. She was a part of the championship winning Washington Spirit side and at 20 I believe we have still got a lot more to see of her, we haven't seen fully what she is capable of yet but I am sure it will be long until we do see this. She really has been a standout player in the NWSL and she has started to make a name for herself on the international stage too. I have a feeling this is only the beginning for Rodman and we will be seeing her name appearing on nomination lists a lot in the future.

Catarina Macario 
At 23 Macario is no stranger to being nominated for awards as she won plenty during her time in college in the States. Since then she has gone on to play for Champions League winners Lyon and is making a name for herself over in the French league. She has grabbed herself plenty of goals at both club and national level really showing everyone just what she is capable of. It is great to see her nominated for the Ballon D'or as she is really starting to put herself on everyone's radar but I can't see her being in the top 5 this year.

Ada Hegerberg 
Is Hegerberg one of the best players in the world? She definitely is and she is a name 99% of women's football fans know. Should she be on the nominations list this year? In my opinion I don't think she should be, yes Lyon had another great season but I don't think she played as well as we are used to seeing from her and I think other women's players have had better seasons. Then you have her performances for Norway, she just didn't look like the Hegerberg we are used to seeing. I really do think she is a fantastic player but I don't think she has been at her best recently.

Alexia Putellas 
Putellas seems to be winning all the awards at the moment and I have to say she is a player who has really impressed me recently however, I don't think she should be up there as one of the main contenders for this years Ballon D'or. Yes she has had a fantastic season for Barcelona but other people on this list have performed week in week out throughout the summer too. Putellas was going to be a big standout for the Euros before her injury and yes Spain might have done much better if she was playing but at the end of the day the unfortunate injury ruled her out of the tournament. If she plays like she did before her injury upon her return then yes, I could agree with her being a main contender next year but this year I think it should go to someone else.

Marie Katoto
Katoto had a great season with PSG last season and she started the Euros very strongly until her knee injury that has ruled her out of the game for a while. Katoto has become one of the key attacking options for France and after she picked up her injury I think it was clear they had pinned a lot of hopes on Katoto as once that injury took place they didn't seem the same, they were a threat but not as much as previous. I had only seen highlights of Katoto playing before the Euros and I was impressed but watch her for France impressed me even more. I just hope she can bounce back from injury as I feel we could be seeing more nominations for her in the future.

So there you go that is what we think to this years Ballon D'or nominations, I think after looking at this list our top 3 picks would be Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Lena Oberdorf but honestly out of those 3 I don't think I could pick an overall winner. Each year the competition is getting a lot harder to pick as the standard of the game continues to grow rapidly. I am glad I aren't on the judging panel as it is definitely going to be hard to narrow down a winner out of these fantastic players. I know I am looking forward to watching the ceremony later on this month to see who gets crowned the winner.

Who would be your 2022 Ballon D'or winner?

Derby day ends in defeat for Bradford City Women

 

On Sunday Bradford City played their first West Yorkshire derby of the season as they faced Leeds United at the Horsfall Stadium. City were looking to get back to winning ways after their cup defeat against Chorley the previous weekend however, the wait continues as Leeds came away 2-1 winners after a very fiercely contested game. 


The open 10 minutes of the game set the tone for the full 90 minutes really as both team chased the opening goal it is very safe to say the game was end to end, the score line didn't really change that either as both teams attacked well into the 90 minutes determined to get on the scoresheet. Leeds were the first team to have a real chance though with a long range effort hitting the target but the Bradford keeper got into position well and saved the ball very comfortably. City didn't wait too long to have their first real chance either with a great free kick sent into the box which found the head of Woodcock, the header forced the Leeds 'keeper into a finger tip save to pt the ball out for a corner. 

Leeds did eventually break the deadlock in the first half though with a brilliant strike into the roof of the net, the build up to this goal from Leeds was great but in the end it was Bradford holding back and not pressuring Leeds that led to them taking a 1-0 lead. City definitely didn't deserve to be behind at the break but unfortunately those few minutes where they just backed off led to them chasing for a result.

 

Not long after the second half begun Leeds doubled their lead, again the goal was a brilliant strike from outside the area, the poor City 'keeper didn't stand a chance as the ball was absolutely fired into the back of the net. Again though the scoreline really didn't refelct the game being played in front of us as it was certainly even in terms of possession and chances. City were looking lively all game but just couldn't find those final passes and the back of the net. 

City did manage to get 1 goal back though as a late challenge just inside the area saw them being awarded a penalty which O'Hanlon calmly put into the back of the net. City definitely stepped it up a gear once the penalty was converted, you could tell they knew they deserved to get something from game and the pushed creating more great chances for themselves which included a brilliant header from O'Hanlon which had the Leeds 'keeper stretching for and just getting her finger tips to it to push it behind for a corner. Unfortunately that was one of the last plays of the game though and City were defeat 2-1 to their local rivals, the team can definitely be proud though as me and Liam both agreed that this is one of the best performances we have seen from them so far this season and they are definitely improving game after game. City are moving the ball around well throughout the game and most of the time they are also pressuring the opposition well, they just need to get that final pass and the shots on target nailed down and the results will surely start going their way.

As for our player of the match this week we definitely have to give this to City's Emma O'Hanlon, she converted the penalty with ease but the stand out point for us is her work rate throughout the whole 90 minutes. She was always chasing the ball when City weren't in possession and when City did have the ball she was making sure she was in space to be an option for her teammates and she moved the ball around the field really well, she was a big part in the chances City had throughout the game and I am looking forward to seeing more from her during the season. 


City will be looking to bounce back from this result on Sunday when they face old manager Chris Hames new side Hull City, will they be able to cause an upset for their ex manager? I really hope they do as they certainly need to start getting some points on the board as after 6 games they are sitting 11th in the table.