The 2023/24 season of the Barclays Women’s Super League saw West Ham United fail to make improvements upon their previous campaign, finishing eleventh in the league standings and dropping three places in comparison with the season prior.

A busy summer transfer window hopes to act as a catalyst for West Ham to find their form, but the competition is only getting tougher. Having struggled at times, but still taken points from the likes of Arsenal, the Irons must now build on the foundations implemented throughout their first season under Rehanne Skinner.

The danger of falling behind

The Barclays Women’s Super League, and indeed the Barclays Women’s Championship, continue to grow more and more competitive as the seasons progress. On the pitch, both the standard of football and the level at which these elite teams are competing is getting higher year upon year. Off the pitch, we are seeing a gradual increase in the investment many clubs put into their women’s team. That is not to say the system is perfect, far from it, but the changes to the contest and its development in recent times cannot be diminished.

Whilst every other topflight side hosted a fixture at their main ground last season, West Ham United have yet to facilitate a match at the London Stadium for their women’s team, despite having a growing fanbase of their own. From the perspective of players and fans alike, this brings into question the extent of the club’s backing for Skinner’s side.

The concern for West Ham United fans arrives in the possibility that this lack of conviction transcends the backroom and has a detrimental effect on the overall atmosphere at Chadwell Heath. In turn, this begs the question of how the side can be expected to develop their performance in the league if behind the scenes, the necessary improvements aren’t being made, and opportunities aren’t being created at the same rate as they are at rival clubs.

Statement Signings

The winter transfer window saw the Irons make valuable introductions to their squad, with the likes of Katrina Gorry and Shelina Zadorsky providing an instant boost to the side’s faltering campaign. This summer, an experienced Skinner has been sure to make the most of another opportunity to strengthen her side.

One of several notable new West Ham players is Colombian international Manuela Paví. The promising forward was a standout for Las Cafeteras at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and became the club’s sixth signing of the window at the end of August.

However, the off-season has also seen Skinner’s side bid farewell to some important members of the club. Captain Mackenzie Arnold departed for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, and defender Risa Shimizu swapped London for Manchester City as she signed on with Gareth Taylor’s frontrunners. Hawa Cissoko, another mainstay for the Irons, also left the club to join Italian side AS Roma.

All in all, it has been a busy time for both new recruits and player exits at West Ham. Despite a number of outgoings, the introduction of Paví and Kinga Szemik, the Irons certainly house players of a high calibre. Supporters will be hopeful that this season, those in charge will utilise the strengths that these athletes possess.

A head coach under pressure

The last year has seen questions raised regarding Skinner’s managerial competency, perhaps understandably so. However, it is important to note that the Irons boss was certainly not allocated an easy task when she made the move to east London after her stint with Tottenham Hotspur.

The manager became West Ham United’s first female head coach in July 2023. Skinner’s tenure with Spurs saw her secure the club’s highest ever Barclays Women’s Super League finish, as they occupied the fifth spot in the table’s standings at the conclusion of the 2021/22 season. Despite this, she was sacked the following March due to the north London club falling victim to nine sequential losses.

Skinner’s time in charge at West Ham did not start as smoothly as she surely would have hoped. The head coach was without ample time to make the necessary recruitments, as the transfer window quickly drew to a close and the club endured the exits of some key players.

Challenges continue to arise for Skinner’s side, despite having brought in positive reinforcements during both the winter and summer transfer windows. Young Irish national Jessica Ziu recently suffered her second anterior cruciate ligament injury, sadly putting a hold on the midfielder’s admirable progress at both club and international level.

Japanese striker Riko Ueki is yet another crucial part of Skinner’s stronghold. Ueki won the Young Hammer of the Year award at the end of last season, and proved vital to the side’s performance. All this to say, West Ham United do contain the quality they need to launch a successful season in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

To compete with the best, though, the Irons will need to be led with strong stature by both Skinner and those overseeing the development of the wider club. West Ham will hope to push for a redemptive top-half finish, but they will need to gel fast in order to do so.

Skinner will continue to emphasise tactical discipline and organised pressing in her new campaign, despite last season’s shortfalls. The manager’s philosophy looks to improve the structural elements of West Ham’s defensive game, providing young players with the opportunity to contribute, and expressing determination to develop an effective long-term system under the lights of the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

The Irons’ first fixture of the new Barclays Women’s Super League season will see them thrown in at the deep end, as they head to Old Trafford to meet a bolstered Manchester United side.