Worst finish in the league, First piece of silverware

Following a strong 2022/23 season campaign, eyes were on Manchester United this season. With a second place finish and a ticket to Europe in a record-breaking year for the Red Devils, many thought they would be included in the Barclays Women’s Super League title race once again.

The 2023/24 season saw Manchester United get their hands on silverware, lifting the FA Cup at Wembley through a convincing 4-0 defeat over Tottenham Hotspur. Alongside cup success, Marc Skinner’s side made their debut in the Champions League.

Manchester United finished their Women’s Super League campaign in fifth place, with 35 points. With a range of transfers and injuries throughout the season, the Red Devils have faltered with change in the squad throughout the season

Champions League Debut

A second place finish in the 2022/23 season campaign saw the Red Devils book their place in the Champions League for the first time in club history. Entering the competition in Round 2 of the qualifying stages, Marc Skinner’s side had sights on reaching the group stages of the competition in their debut season.

Drawn to face Paris Saint-Germain, it would be the French side to make the journey to Leigh Sports Village in the first leg. The sides previously met in a pre-season friendly, with Manchester United’s captain Katie Zelem scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory.

Paris Saint-Germain looked to silence the hopes of Manchester United in the first leg, as Tabitha Chawinga opened the scoreline in the second half. All was not lost for United however, as loan signing Melvine Malard levelled the score with an equaliser in the 70th minute.

With all still to play for, the stage was set at the Parc des Princes for the second leg. A Lieke Martens goal saw United enter the second half losing on aggregate. It would be Lisa Naalsund to keep the dream alive in the early minutes of the second half, as Manchester United found themselves level once again.

PSG were quick to dampen United’s spirit however, with Lieke Martens scoring only a minute after Naalsund. As Paris Saint-Germain increased their lead through a third, Manchester United’s inaugural Champions League campaign drew to a close before it had even really kicked off.

History Makers

The Adobe Women’s FA Cup would finally see Manchester United have their dream ending to a trophy run, as the club claimed their first piece of top-flight silverware since the reform in 2018.

A strong run in the fourth and fifth round of the competition- as well as a convincing win against Brighton in the quarter-final stages- all saw Manchester United gear up for the semi-final stages of the competition with high anticipation.

Drawn against Emma Hayes’ side, it was the Blues who stood between United and the FA Cup silverware, one again. Having never beaten Chelsea in club history, Manchester United would have the difficult task of finding victory in front of a home crowd.

However the Red Devils were quick to show their determination, with Lucia Garcia scoring in the opening minute of the match. A second by Rachel Williams in the 23rd minute saw Manchester United lead with two goals.

Despite a Lauren James goal in the final minutes of the first half, Marc Skinner’s side showed a strong determination to win. Denying any chance for Chelsea to find an equaliser in the second half, Manchester United were Wembley bound, set to face Tottenham Hotspur in the final.

Facing heartbreak in the final last season, victory was on the minds of Manchester United. It would be Ella Toone to open the scoring in the first half. As the game grew into the second half, Manchester United found themselves 4-0 in the 74th minute, with the cup all but secured.

The final whistle marked a historical landmark for Manchester United, winning their first ever Women’s FA Cup, and their first trophy as a Women’s Super League side.

Lowest finishing Position in the WSL

A successful Barclays Women’s Super League campaign throughout the 2022/23 season saw Manchester United’s achieve their highest ever position on the league table, finishing second with a nine-point gap from third place Arsenal, and securing Champions League football. The Red Devils fought to the final days, only to fall at the last hurdle to an unforgiving Chelsea side as the Blues took home their fourth consecutive league title. As Marc Skinner’s side wrapped up a dominant league run, many expected Manchester United to be challenging for the Women’s Super League title and a top three finish once again.

However, the 2023/24 season saw Manchester United’s lowest ever finishing position in the Women’s Super League, finding themselves in fifth below LIverpool.

Since their promotion to the WSL in 2019, Manchester United consistently finished fourth for three seasons, having just a small point margin separating themselves from third on multiple occasions.

Manchester United failed to find victory over any of the top three sides this season, only picking up a point in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal early in the season. Despite a successful Adobe Women’s FA Cup run, Manchester United’s league campaign did not replicate the standards of the previous season.

Although proving dominant in other matches, Marc Skinner’s side had to face a range of challenges throughout the WSL campaign, with a range of players leaving ahead of the season and injuries throughout the season.

A Year of Change

The summer transfer window saw Manchester United make several changes to their squad, with eight players signing deals with Manchester United. Forward Geyse Da Silva Ferreira joined the squad from Barcelona. The 2023 World Cup Golden Boot winner, Hinata Miyazawa also made the move to Manchester. Gabby George also joined the squad from Everton, however faced an ACL injury early in the season. Manchester United also welcomed Melvine Malard on loan from Lyon.

Other signings completed by Manchester United included Gemma Evans from Reading, young talents Evie Rabjon and Emma Watson, Irene Guerrero from Atletico Madrid and goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

However, the window also saw a large number of crucial players leaving Manchester United, with one of their top goalscorers Alessia Russo joining Arsenal, and Ona Batlle committing to Barcelona. In the summer transfer window, Manchester United bid farewell to sixteen players and one loan player. Alongside this, United sent five players on loan ahead of the season, including young talent Grace Clinton who played her breakout season at Tottenham Hotspur.

The adjustment must be noted when examining Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign, as a high turnover within the squad can often lead to disjointed results in the adjustment period.

As the Red Devils seem certain in their desire to recall Grace Clinton at the imminent expiration of her loan spell with the Spurs, Carrington can be excited to welcome a young star back into their midfield ranks.

Melvine Malard has an option to sign a permanent deal with the Red Devils upon the conclusion of her loan spell, something that is still very much up in the air.

Skinner has always been adamant about his desire to be ‘more aggressive in the market’– and upon the extension of his managerial stay, we can expect a lot of movement from Manchester United in the upcoming summer window.

The mental barrier of a trophy-less cabinet has now been shaken, and the Red Devils will be sure to search to repeat their record-breaking year of last as the turn of the new season looms on the horizon.