Guardian writers’ predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Tom Garry’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 3rd
Prospects
Manchester United are embarking on what they hope will be a historic season for the club that could see them taking part in their first European group stage campaign, if they can overcome the tricky hurdle of facing the current Norwegian league leaders, Brann, first and foremost. The excitement of potential first meetings with sides such as Barcelona looms large. However, if Marc Skinner’s team are going to be able to be competitive both domestically and on the continent, and juggle those extra demands, it is fair to say their squad currently looks low on depth.
They are entering the final few days of the transfer window with just two new signings secured. Both of them are Sweden internationals of significant quality, with a multiple former Champions League winner in Fridolina Rolfö arriving from Barcelona and the midfielder Julia Zigiotti Olme having been snapped up from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee. Yet the squad still looked fairly thin during the Champions League second qualifying round fixtures in Sweden and they are understood to still be searching for at least a defender and a forward.
The club have not had the spending power of their rivals this summer, again, and there remains a gap to Arsenal and Chelsea. United have said previously they want to run the team in an economically sustainable way, but it will frustrate their supporters to see their rivals for major trophies investing more on players.
That said, United still have a strong starting side and a defensive record to be proud of – only Chelsea conceded fewer goals in the WSL last season – and they have a world-class goalkeeper, coupled with a well-organised back four. They should expect to be competitive at the top of the table but staying in the top three could be tough.
The manager
Marc Skinner is the longest-serving current manager in the WSL, having been in charge since the summer of 2021, and in April this year he signed a new contract to extend his stay at United until 2027, with the option of a further year. It is fair to say the former Orlando Pride and Birmingham City head coach divides opinion among some sections of the fanbase but he has led the team to three consecutive FA Cup finals, overseeing victory in the second of those three in 2024 to see the club lift their first major women’s silverware.
Off-field picture
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s absence from May’s FA Cup final at Wembley for a second year in a row did not exactly give off the impression of an ownership group being deeply and emotionally invested in the fortunes of the women’s team, and he made it fairly clear during interviews last year that the women’s side was not his priority. Nonetheless, there is understood to be a close alignment between the women’s side and the director of football, Jason Wilcox, and – while there is still clearly a significant gap in their funding compared to Arsenal and Chelsea – there have been improvements in unity since the Glazers relinquished control.
Star signing
Both of United’s summer arrivals so far have star quality but it is the acquisition of Rolfö from the Spanish champions Barcelona that has really caught the eye and she could be an outstanding addition to the English league generally, let alone to Manchester United. A powerful, athletic left-sided player who can play as a left-back, a wing-back or as a winger in a front three, the player capped 101 times by Sweden will be a formidable sight for right-backs across the league and, even aged 31, has the potential to be one of the division’s signings of the summer.
after newsletter promotion
Stepping up
Having joined the club from the Swedish outfit Häcken in August 2024 and then needing to be patient for her chances last term, the left-back Anna Sandberg now looks ready to move up into regular first-team contention. She started both of the team’s Champions League qualifying victories in Stockholm in August, both of which saw the team keep clean sheets. The 22-year-old Sweden international is an attacking full-back and demonstrated this with her crossing ability and her impactful runs down the left flank against PSV in particular, and she still has the potential to get better.
It was a good summer for …
Manchester United’s England trio of Ella Toone, Grace Clinton and Maya Le Tissier all had a summer to remember with the Lionesses in Switzerland. Since the club regrouped for pre-season, it has been a great start for the Norway striker Elisabeth Terland, who scored four times in two games to help United progress through their semi-final and final in the Champions League second qualifying phase. Toone was also in good form in those two fixtures in Stockholm, providing two assists for Terland’s hat-trick against PSV.
Main initiative to attract more fans
The club are currently set to play at Old Trafford twice this term, for their home games against Aston Villa in November and against Manchester City in March, while Leigh Sports Village is their regular home. The Manchester United women’s official supporters club have a songbook, which they have made available for fans on their website, to try and encourage more spectators to sing along. It includes everything from a classic from the Disney film The Little Mermaid, which has been rewritten for their goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, to a twist on Proud Mary that refers to “rollin’ on a [Jayde] Riviere”.
