The players and staff of Manchester United Women would be forgiven for wondering what they have to do to get an end-of-season awards do.
In the past two seasons, they have won their first major trophy and qualified for the Women’s Champions League. Both times, the May event was cancelled at late notice. In 2024, it was reported that most players only found out through social media and news reports.
The answer might be to wait for the men’s team to have a decent season (no jokes please). In May, Manchester United’s hierarchy decided that an end-of-season event would be poor PR after the men’s team finished 16th in the Premier League. Awards were handed out internally, but a team that succeeded in finishing above Manchester City in the WSL surely deserved better.
Whether or not he chooses to accept it, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has created an impression in the eyes of many supporters that he cares insufficiently about Manchester United Women.
He was not present at either of their Women’s FA Cup final appearances. When asked in 2024 about his plans for the team, Ratcliffe intimated that he had been concentrating on “first-team issues”. Another answer about planning provoked a “Well they have just won the FA Cup” response.
Adam Bateman first got a season ticket in the club’s nascent existence, attending their first match in August 2018. He is alarmed, not for the first time, that the club’s focus appears to be unclear when it comes to the women’s team.
“The comments don’t help, but it’s the actions that hurt more,” Bateman tells The i Paper.
“The cancellation of the awards night is a good example. Swap the situation around – men’s team finish third in the Premier League and women’s team finish one place above relegation – and would the awards night go ahead? I think it might have done.
“It’s just a bit heartbreaking as a fan. It all just makes for a very depressing situation if you are someone who wants to see the women’s side push on having attended most home and away games in our Championship [second tier] season.”
More recently, Ratcliffe has spoken more proactively about Manchester United Women.
“The women’s team wear the Manchester United brand and the Manchester United logo, so in that sense they’re every bit as important as the men’s team,” he said in May. “And frankly they’re doing better than the men’s team.” No arguments there.
But again, action is more important than quotes to the media. In mid-July, the club currently have no official goalkeeper coach, following Ian Willcock’s departure for Canada Women. They have no assistant manager, with Charlotte Healy appointed as the new manager of Bristol City WFC. There are currently no publicised pre-season fixtures.
Marc Skinner, who has signed a new contract to stay on as manager, publicly admitted that his squad needs investment. Manchester United Women are short of depth on the wings, in central defence and in the defensive midfield position. Grace Clinton’s contract has less than a year to run and comes after the departure of England internationals Katie Zelem and Mary Earps last year.
Manchester United Women have often chosen to leave their transfer business until late. Euro 2025 makes things harder this summer, although Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have all completed deals for new players.
In 2024, they signed Anna Sandberg, Simi Awujo and Celin Bizet after the start of August. In 2023, they signed six players in August and September.
But this summer provides a more pressing need. The preliminary rounds of the Women’s Champions League involve a series of mini-tournaments, with clubs grouped into fours from which one winner will progress from each.
In August, Manchester United will need to beat PSV Eindhoven and, most likely, Hammarby to reach a third qualifying round that will determine group stage participation. Hammarby made the group stage in 2024-25.
“We have a couple of huge holes in the coaching set up to fill, with not too much time until the team are set to return for pre-season training,” Bateman said.
“At this stage, are the goalkeepers just supposed to train themselves? Who is going to help them out? It is this air of mystery, this lack of communication, which doesn’t at all help to quell any concerns whatsoever.”
“Without any communication, any information then we are just left to guess as to what our plans are in the window. Where is the promotion of the PSV games? Where is the information about any other pre-season games?
“The preparation for the new season just seems non existent. No new players, no new staff, no pre-season games, nothing at all to hold on to in terms of being positive ahead of what is such a key season for us.”
The cost to invest in a WSL team and make them competitive for a title challenge is increasing year upon year. Manchester City, without the injury crisis of last season and with new signings, will hope to regain the Women’s Champions League place back from United.
There are also a growing group of teams below the Big Four (Chelsea, Arsenal, City and United) who are intent upon bridging the gap and may target United as a possible candidate to catch.
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There is irritation among senior figures at United – as reported by BBC Sport in May – that there is such focus on Ratcliffe in comparison with owners of other clubs.
But that is the reality of their situation, when it took so long for a women’s team to even be formally established here in the first place and given his comments of last year.
Would it not be a smart move to go to Leigh Sports Village for a game, or to the FA Cup final, given all the quotes that have left supporters feeling uneasy? Would it not be beneficial to have more games at the club’s main stadium? Ratcliffe is not so foolish as to misunderstand the importance of optics.
The greatest frustration is that there exists huge potential here. Investment in women’s teams sits outside of PSR calculations, so that argument is moot. Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Home attendances of the women’s team are healthy, given the faff of getting to Leigh. The club has only existed for seven years and yet has made great strides. The point is obvious: imagine what could be achieved.
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