The red neon lights flicker in the dark for a moment, then the room is blue, and there is Katie McCabe, a grin on her face and a Chelsea shirt on, her controversial switch across London complete after 11 years with Arsenal.
The reaction has varied dramatically. At times it has been hilarious, with witty comments and memes abundant. There has been valid rage too, an intense rivalry having developed between the two sides as Chelsea swept up domestic honour after domestic honour and sought to eclipse Arsenal’s reputation as the most successful club in women’s football in England (in the modern era at least).
McCabe has been at the heart of many a hotly contested meeting of the two teams. The versatile full-back often provoked the ire of opposition fans who took a disliking to her passionate play and physicality, qualities that equally made her beloved and fiercely defended by Arsenal supporters.
Her longevity at the club and connection with the fans have probably made the reaction what it is; love becomes hate when you feel betrayed. McCabe’s outstanding season also demonstrated what Arsenal would be letting go when her contract expired.
Some of the reaction has been less pleasant, though, crossing the line into abuse, some of which has been directed at her family. There is context to McCabe’s switch, too, that takes her firmly out of Sol Campbell territory (plenty of lines continue to be crossed there too).
The reality is that women’s football is in a very different developmental place to men’s football. Situations such as this present a catch-22 scenario for players and clubs. For clubs, there is not a big enough pool of elite talent, so fishing in your enemy’s pond is common. Plenty of players have moved between traditional and non-traditional rivals: Vivianne Miedema joined Manchester City from Arsenal; Lucy Bronze joined Chelsea having played for Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Lyon and Barcelona; Keira Walsh moved to Chelsea from Barcelona having previously played for City; Alex Greenwood played for Everton and Liverpool before joining Manchester United and later City; Alessia Russo swapped United for Arsenal. Beth Mead is expected to join City this summer after her Arsenal exit, Georgia Stanway is believed to be joining Arsenal after she moved to Bayern Munich from City, and the Chelsea defender Niamh Charles is thought to be on City’s radar.
For players, there is little room for sentimentality because the pool of clubs investing at the level needed to pay top wages and provide elite environments is equally small.
At present, a football career doesn’t set up a female player for life. Wages have improved, particularly at the very top clubs, but they do not preclude a player from needing a plan B for when they hang up their boots. Maximising what you earn when playing is less mercenary and more necessary.
Players’ choice is further reduced when you factor in that they are not on wages that make moving your life to a different part of the country or another continent simple. At the top of the men’s game, the salaries mean that where to live, how to live, whether family joins and how often they are able to visit are logistical rather than financial challenges.
For McCabe, Chelsea offered it all: the chance to stay in London, be near her home and partner (the Arsenal forward Caitlin Foord), continue competing at the top of the WSL and in Europe and be at a club that could meet her salary demands and environmental expectations. They also made her feel wanted, and that was significant. Arsenal somewhat dropped the ball when a decision on McCabe’s future became necessary. With eight players over 30 in the squad this summer if changes weren’t made, Arsenal were aware of the age profile of the group and McCabe, who turns 31 in September, was informed in January that they wouldn’t be renewing her contract. It wasn’t just an age thing; McCabe is a strong character, a leader, and sometimes managers want to change the dynamic and create opportunities for others.
It was widely reported that Arsenal did a late about-turn and attempted to keep McCabe, partly prompted by her impressive showing as a centre-back when shifted there on a few occasions towards the end of the season. It was another string to her bow.
Having been told her services were no longer needed, McCabe had begun to prepare for life after Arsenal and explore what that might look like before the club came back to the table. She decided not to accept it and has become the pantomime villain, despite her likely diminishing role and having been made to feel unwanted.
The fault lies at Arsenal’s door. The decision to let her leave was controversial and highly questionable, but the backtracking was worse, muddying what should have been a clean break for a club legend who won every trophy available in her time there.
Chelsea being her destination is far from ideal for Arsenal – no one wants to strengthen a rival – but McCabe won’t be the last to move between the WSL’s top teams. Fans don’t have to like that, or get used to it, but keeping the context and the line between banter and abuse in sight is important.
Leave a Reply