Pandora's (sand)Box

Changing in a space half the size it should be, having to share that space with the youth academy, only having one shower - that was just reality. Welcome to second division women's football, where nobody's in it for the glamour. But that didn't mean Alice and the team never dreamed.

And it was such a small dream, too: a space of their own, fitted to their needs, labeled with their names. Just something to show that they're an actual institution in their own right and not a mere afterthought to the men.

That was what moved Alice to distraught tears - the little dream she'd given up on, just like she gave up her athletic career, just like she was being asked to give up her ambition to be head coach. Here it was in front of her, freshly painted: proof that the gap between dreams and reality can be bridged after all.

I'm just remembering Rebecca and Keeley at the fountain in Kansas City: "What are you wishing for and how much will it cost me?" I think the Lady Greyhounds are, to an extent, Rebecca playing Keeley's fairy godmother. That's why she doesn't want to share that pessimistic business analysis with her - she just wants to make Keeley's dream come true, fully formed, like magic.

But there's no such thing as magic. Or maybe it's more accurate to say that magic in Ted Lasso takes a lot of effort and ingenuity. "Believe" isn't a spell; it's Ted coming up with personalized book recommendations and sweet-talking the press and baking biscuits every single day to chip away at his boss's defenses. It's Keeley knowing full well she wasn't going to get a £300k locker room and coming in with a doable alternative. It isn't about delusionally ignoring dispiriting realities - it's about focusing on what you can do to make them better.

Because two things are true: Rebecca made what is probably the smartest business decision for the club AND Coach Chilton is correct to call out the fact that she made it the way she did.

Women's football is notoriously underfunded, and they are facing an uphill climb for funding, viewership, etc (Higgins in the NLB museum learning about how there's never an audience until someone decides to build one and create the opportunity for people to show up). The Lady Greyhounds will need eyes on them, good PR, someone who can talk to press, someone Rebecca or Keeley can trot out to sponsors and charm them. Someone who already comes with the perception of success. These are all things that Ted is FANTASTIC at and that we as an audience can assume from Alice's interactions with other members of the Richmond head office, she isn't good at - yet. All of these things have nothing to do with on the field coaching, but everything to do with how the club is presented which is incredibly important.

It would've been a very logical business decision for Rebecca to say 'I have respect for your coaching abilities, but I need a head coach right now who fulfils other promotional duties to raise our profile for funding and is more approachable with people and the press'.

(We also know that Rebecca wanted her friend back, and while that also feels 'not fair' it's a common and understandable reason to hire. Like, I get it. Ted is honest to god her best friend and she wanted her friend back and found an opportunity for him to come back. Honestly, I'd do the same.)

IN THE SAME BREATH, Rebecca didn't express any of those business issues clearly, and to be honest, she may not have thought about it in those terms - because she wanted her friend back and her friend is just so naturally good at the things she believes the club needs right now.

And Coach Chilton? She is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in pointing out that Rebecca didn't even consider a woman for the head coaching position of the women's team, even if it wasn't her. It looks bad. It looks like women are I guess okay for players but the real decision making is for the men and that, although I don't know if Alice would put it this way, Rebecca isn't a girl's girl. Because Rebecca didn't consider how it would come off. Because Rebecca finds Alice off putting but Roy, who is similarly brusque, is just being Roy.

(I loved when Rebecca was recounting her conversation with Alice to Keeley and putting words and implied meaning in her mouth, and Higgins very clearly states 'she didn't say that'. Like, why aren't you giving Alice the benefit of the doubt like you would Roy or Beard etc? Because of her tone and that's uncomfortable coming from a woman? And I love that Higgins was very clearly that's not what she said so it's clear it's a purposeful story moment.)

The prevailing belief is that Alice is a bitch, but Roy is serious and a ‘lovable grump’.

something something the thing about a tragedy is that it was always going to happen

cropped and lineart only under the cut

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