Pranav Nair
Manchester United women’s team in disarray following summer of departures
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required), Manchester United Women players are unhappy with the direction that the club has taken this summer.
The players are now are preparing an approach to the Professional Footballers’ Association. They are set to request advice and support as they seek to improve the club’s approach to the women’s team. There is after all a disparity in terms of the resources made available to the men and women sides.
United women’s side have been without a manager since Casey Stoney resigned from the post in May. She was in charge of the team for three years. She led United to the FA Women’s Championship in 2019. She also won the LMA Women’s Championship Manager of the Month and the Women’s Super League Manager of the Month a combined five times.
With the managerial seat vacant, the players are unsure of the club’s ambitions for the coming season. With the new campaign set to kick off on September 3, the players are set to begin pre-season preparations next week. Stoney’s former assistant, Martin Ho will be in charge of preparations as the hunt for a new manager continues.
Tensions between Stoney and the club had been simmering for some time, thanks to a lack of investment in training facilities. United said in 2018 that they would improve facilities for the women’s team at The Cliff, the former men’s team training ground. However, that is yet to take place.
Stoney was however just the first domino to fall this summer. First-team stars Christen Press and Tobin Heath left upon the expiration of their one-year deals. Defender Amy Turner joined American club Orlando Pride while Jess Sigsworth and Jane Ross have also moved on.
Significantly, English Under-19 international Lauren James could also leave for Chelsea. The Blues were the runners-up in the Women’s Champions League last season and appear to be keen to reach bigger heights in the future.
United women enjoyed a productive 2020-21 campaign, which saw them win 15 of their 22 fixtures. This saw them finish fourth in the WSL, narrowly missing out on a Champions League spot.
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At a recent fans’ forum, co-owner Joel Glazer commented on the fantastic work Stoney had done at United. While he did talk about committing resources, there has been little to show so far on the ground. How the PFA will respond to the news remains to be seen.
