From flashes of brilliance to moments of frustration, Marc Skinner’s Manchester United have navigated a year filled with expectation, evolution, and challenges both on and off the pitch. But as the season draws to an end, it’s time to evaluate whether progress has been made – or if this season will be remembered as one of missed opportunities.
Prior to the commencement of the season, there was much concern as to whether the multitude of player departures at the end of the 2023/24 season would prove to be an issue for the team. Alongside a number of other farewells, key figures including Mary Earps, Lucía García, and former captain Katie Zelem said their goodbyes to Manchester.
The media was in uproar, suggesting the club could never come back from such losses, and it was this perspective that perhaps even led to the media and fans disregarding the talents introduced to the club; Dominique Janssen and Elisabeth Terland both boasting WSL experience, with Anna Sandberg and Simi Awujo being younger prospects hoping to be developed at the club.
It’s impossible to deny that the club did lose key players in the summer, but it is important to recognise the talent being brought in – and at this point, it was far too early to claim that transfer activity alone would lead to the downfall of the club. That’s been proved through Terland’s 13 WSL goals and assists being the most in the league, and Phallon Tullis-Joyce keeping 12 clean sheets in the league – only two less than Mary Earps in 2022/23 when she broke the WSL record, and the team still have four more games to play!
The season kicked off at Old Trafford, as the team held a fairly comfortable 3-0 victory over West Ham in front of a rather disappointing turnout of only 8,761 fans. The attendance had diminished significantly since the last time out at the club stadium where 43,615 fans witnessed the disheartening 6-0 loss to Chelsea, which put a dampener on what had been a monumental achievement for the team winning their first Adobe Women’s FA Cup the previous week. Despite this, the team put out a solid performance against the Hammers – Grace Clinton scored her first goal of the season after returning from an impressive loan season at Tottenham Hotspur.
Following this, the team produced a number of wins against Everton and Tottenham in the league, and Liverpool in the Subway Cup group stage. Clinton and Terland both shone in these fixtures as players to watch in the season, claiming two goals each by the third league game.
But a disappointing period for the club followed, as a spell of poor performances led to three consecutive draws to Brighton, Arsenal, and Aston Villa. Perhaps this is where confidence in the team began to waver as fans were reminded of their team’s disappointing league performance in the prior season, however the side soon got back on track – meaning that slight dip could not make the season a write off in the slightest.
From mid-November up until the winter break, United pushed out performance after performance – winning all of their games bar one, against top of table Chelsea. A particularly strong victory came against historic club rival Liverpool, in which the Red Devils side beat them 4-0 with summer signing Dominique Janssen having a very impressive game and scoring her first United goal.
The team went into the Christmas break in a good position, in fourth place drawn on points with Arsenal and only one behind Manchester City. The team’s defensive record was also the strongest in the league, conceding only three times in ten games.
The real turn of the season came in their first WSL game back after the winter break. The team put out an incredibly strong performance out against rivals Man City in the derby: a 4-2 victory away at the Etihad was a remarkable moment for the team. Ella Toone’s passionate performance saw her secure a hat-trick for the Reds, and with her badge tap came a new hope for the club as they overtook their rivals in the table.
Despite being knocked out of the Subway Cup by the Cityzens, United’s strong performances continued as they upheld an impressive six game winning streak. In this period, they put out a number of FA Cup victories as they reached their third consecutive FA Cup semi-final.
The momentum that had been building came crashing down with an upsetting 3-1 loss versus Liverpool. Young Liverpool talent Olivia Smith ran rings around the Manchester side as they struggled immensely away at Anfield. This result acted as a cause for concern for fans, as it set the side back away from their previous position in the table where they had sat in reaching distance of Chelsea at the top.
Following that disappointment, the team produced two more strong wins versus Aston Villa and Everton. Though these victories have reassured fans that they are in fact a strong side who can put in the performances where needed, that aforementioned loss to Liverpool has put the side in a difficult position now as they approach the final stretch of games.
Marc Skinner’s side will come up against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in their final three games, which was always going to be a tiring and incredibly difficult test for the squad – but now those results are imperative in deciding whether the team gets a shot at Champions League football next season.
Had that Liverpool fixture had a different result, it would be fairly accurate to say that Manchester United’s season has been successful – but as that is not the case, it is best to say that it is too early to decipher. On one hand, the team could end up in a third consecutive FA Cup final and a spot in the Champions League if they place third or higher in the WSL. On the other hand, the team could still end up with nothing of credit.
These final fixtures will tell how this rollercoaster of a season will be remembered – but with everything still to play for, Manchester United’s fate now lies in their ability to turn potential into tangible success when it matters most.
