The definition of success is in the eye of the beholder.
This time last year, Manchester United had finished fourth in the Women’s Super League (WSL) for the third time in a row. And at the start of the 2022-23 season last September, few expected a team that was only relaunched in 2018 after 13 years in hibernation to be battling it out with serial winners Chelsea on the title run-in.
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They may have had to settle for second place, but United have given the Londoners a run for their money on the way to a fourth straight WSL crown while securing Champions League football for next season and making the FA Cup final for the first time in their history.
The current feeling may be one of disappointment but their overall season has been a success.
But United have to want more than a nice day out at Wembley and a pat on the back for almost winning the league. Manager Marc Skinner’s focus is now to consolidate and build on their position in order to consistently compete, both domestically and in Europe.
United sat in an unfamiliar position for the majority of the season: at the top of the table, looking down at defending champions Chelsea and two recent title winners in Arsenal and Manchester City. It was only on May 17 that Chelsea, who had been playing with games in hand, moved into top spot with a 4-0 win over West Ham United.
Skinner’s side have beaten Arsenal home and away this season and taken four points from their games with Manchester City. But Chelsea continue to be United’s sticking point, winning both league meetings and that FA Cup final two weeks ago. “In our first final, we showed a lot of personality,” Skinner says. “We could have been overawed by the situation, but we weren’t.”
United have continually won against lesser sides and have also proved they can compete at the highest level. The defeats they have suffered serve as important learning opportunities. “They’ve gone through experiences they needed,” Skinner says. “You need to lose big games. It needs to hurt. You have to go into those believing that you can change things.”
They have played well but not well enough to secure trophies (United went out of the Continental Tyres League Cup after the group stage). The style has, at times, been too one-dimensional, often dominating possession without penetration. In the 1-0 league loss away to Chelsea in March, they created few chances. In the FA Cup final (which they also lost 1-0 to Emma Hayes’ side), they lacked ruthlessness in front of goal.
Qualifying for the Champions League for the first time is a significant achievement, but this comes with a price: next season they will be in four competitions (WSL, FA Cup, Continental Cup and Champions League). They will get a taste of the juggling act that their biggest competitors have had to perform all these years. Skinner will have to rotate and needs a more experienced, talented and deeper squad.
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When Hayes brought on 140-cap Denmark international Pernille Harder and Wales captain Sophie Ingle as second-half substitutes in a then-goalless FA Cup final, the gap in squad depth between the two sides was evident. Sam Kerr scored the only goal, via a Harder assist, 10 minutes later. “Chelsea’s experience or, more importantly, the individual quality, shone through,” said Skinner post-match at Wembley.
Champions League qualification, and progress to the group phase if they can manage it, will provide a significant revenue boost. United will enter the competition in the second round of qualifying. However, they will not be helped by the fact they have no history of competing in Europe, meaning they are guaranteed to be drawn against a seeded team. If they win that tie, they will receive €100,000 (£87,000; $107,000), plus a further €400,000 (split into a down payment of €300,000 and a balance of €100,000) for making the group stage. Even if they lose, they will be paid €140,000.
“We’re going to supplement and find different tools for Europe,” Skinner said on the penultimate weekend of the season. But are the club, which may soon have new owners, willing to spend? United have a very good women’s squad but not an excellent one.
This 2022-23 group are a collective who have shaken the WSL’s status quo, but the end of a cycle beckons; the team’s best talents, Ona Batlle and Alessia Russo, are both set to be out of contract this summer. To the relief of United fans, the option in England goalkeeper Mary Earps’ deal has been triggered, keeping her at the club for another year.
Talks with Batlle and Russo have dragged on for over a year with still no agreements reached. Sam Barnett, who is responsible for contracts on the men’s team, has been drafted in to assist Polly Bancroft, United’s head of women’s football, with negotiations.
In this year’s January transfer window, Arsenal made a world-record bid of over £400,000 for England striker Russo. but United refused to sell. Arsenal have retained interest in the 24-year-old and lead the race to sign her should she leave. Russo finds herself at a pivotal moment in her career.
GO DEEPER
Russo, Earps and Batlle are out of contract this summer. United must act
As for Batlle, Arsenal, Barcelona, Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain are all knocking at the door. The continental clubs have offered the 23-year-old Spain international more than double the wages United have so far proposed, and a contract length which is said to be more suited to the player’s wishes. Champions League qualification was crucial for Batlle to consider staying at United and she is now assessing her options. As one of the best right-backs in the world, she wants to be part of an ambitious and dominant club, playing alongside team-mates who will challenge her.
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Alarm bells will ring within the team and across the WSL if United are not willing or able to retain their star players. Should Batlle and Russo leave, it will be a big ask for them to sign comparable replacements, but with European football secured for next season, the pool of players they can attract is now deeper.
“If you’re interested in this huge project of Manchester United, we’re ready for you,” said Skinner after the win over City last week that secured a Champions League spot. “If I’m a top player, I’m looking at Manchester United and saying, ‘I can make a real difference’.”
Skinner has confirmed the club are talking to “the highest level of players”, but United are late to the summer transfer window game. Players they approached at the start of the year have attracted interest from other clubs as the spring has ticked by. United are playing catch-up with more established teams; Chelsea are masters of succession planning, targeting their future recruits at least 18 months in advance.
To reach the next level, United need a team of leaders and experienced internationals who have tasted Champions League success. Up until now, their recruitment method has been to sign filler-type players on shorter deals — for example, last summer’s move for a then 34-year-old Rachel Williams — knowing they cannot access the best in the world. They have also focused on recruiting younger talent, such as defenders Maya Le Tissier and Jayde Riviere, with an eye on the future.
Despite Skinner reiterating that the club have “got to go and get top players”, it is unlikely United will be taking the market by storm in the coming months. If they better this season’s results in 2023-24 and are organised, then next summer they could be packing a punch.
This is now the next phase in the team’s development. The expectation has been set. United have gone toe to toe with Arsenal and Chelsea, two of this year’s European semi-finalists, so other Champions League teams should expect a fight. Early positive signs are there: during last year’s pre-season, United beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 (although they also lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich).
Although the title proved beyond them, United are in a position today they could only have dreamt of when they were a Championship side four years ago.
Over the past 12 months, their progress has been particularly impressive, but if the club are serious about this project, they will need deep pockets to consolidate their domestic success and compete on the Champions League stage in the long term.
(Top photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images)
