Women’s Super League 2024-25 previews No 10: Manchester United

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 5th (NB: this is not necessarily Tom Garry’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 5th

The plan

They enjoyed a celebratory day in the sunshine in the Women’s FA Cup at Wembley in May but six days later, were humbled 6-0 by Chelsea in their league season finale at Old TraffordIt was a harsh reminder of how far behind the champions they had fallen since 2023, when they had been Chelsea’s nearest challengers. Dropping out of contention for the Champions League places was one thing, but slipping below the lesser-funded Liverpool into fifth place was a source of embarrassment. Everybody associated with the club knows they must improve on that league position.

There is cause for optimism. A number of strong signings have been made, including the Sweden full-back Anna Sandberg, and the club have kept hold of the young England midfielder Grace Clinton, one of the breakthrough stars for Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses in 2024, fending off strong interest from Tottenham. Clinton looks ready to thrive in this team and United will be confident of a strong start against West Ham at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Whether they have enough strength to qualify for Europe, given the qualities and depth of last season’s top three, remains to be seen. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City appear to be getting stronger and stronger. It is not beyond United but they will need big improvements at both ends of the pitch: last term they conceded more than twice as many league goals as Manchester City and scored almost half as many as Chelsea. But they have a lot of young, exciting players and the potential is there.

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The manager

It’s fair to say Marc Skinner divides opinion among United’s fanbase. To many, he is the coach who oversaw their best league finish, in 2023, and then guided them to last season’s memorable triumph in the Women’s FA Cup, the club’s first major women’s trophy. To others, he is a manager with a disappointing track record in key games and an apparent inability to persuade the best-loved players to stay beyond the ends of their contracts. Last season was accompanied by some “Skinner out” banners, but he signed a new one-year contract with the option for a further year and is understood to be well liked by many of the senior executives.

Off-field picture

Manchester United’s minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has admitted the men’s team are his priority and that he has not focused on the women’s team as much as some might hope. Controversy emerged this summer when it emerged the women’s team were being moved out of their building at the club’s Carrington training base to make way for the men’s team. The women’s team have since enjoyed a positive overseas training camp in Marbella and been well-backed in the transfer market. There is optimism that the new chief executive, Omar Berrada, and sporting director, Dan Ashworth, can direct more focus towards the women’s team’s needs.

Breakout star

At 20, the Canada midfielder Simi Awujo has joined this summer straight from the University of Southern California’s Trojans and there is a lot of hope for her future. She has 20 caps, having made her international debut at 18, and was part of the Canada squad for this summer’s Olympics. She is a ball-winning midfielder, adding strength and physicality to United’s midfield.

A-lister

Ella Toone’s name will be for ever stamped into English football history thanks to her goals in the final of Euro 2022 against Germany in 2023’s World Cup semi-final victory against Australia and she found the net on the big stage again in May with a long-range effort to helped win the FA Cup. Having been with the club since they reformed a senior women’s side in 2018, Toone is their record appearance-maker in the modern, professional era and has the ability to turn a game on her own.

This summer’s business

It has been a transfer window of real contrast, with the exits of the England players Mary Earps, Katie Zelem and Nikita Parris being countered by keeping hold of Clinton and several strong-looking signings, not least Brighton’s top scorer from last season, Elisabeth Terland. Turning Melvine Malard’s loan move into a permanent deal was a shrewd decision, and Awujo and Sandberg could be stars of the future. The main negative in recruitment appears to be a failure to sign a goalkeeper to replace Earps, but the club hope they did that a season early with 2023’s acquisition of Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who looks set to be the new No 1.

Where do they play?

Leigh Sports Village, which they share with rugby league’s Leigh Leopards, is the most regular ground but they will play three WSL fixtures at Old Trafford. Those are the opener against West Ham, February’s visit of Crystal Palace and the Manchester derby in May. The club’s long-term plans include a proposal to house the women’s team at a scaled-down Old Trafford if a new men’s team stadium is built.