The Red Devils' Women's Super League title hopes are already over following a damaging defeat to Chelsea

It was an all too familiar feeling for Manchester United on Sunday. Once again against Chelsea, they had been weighed, they had been measured and they had been found wanting.

For the first half an hour or so at Stamford Bridge, Marc Skinner's side barely had a kick. It took just five minutes for ex-United starlet Lauren James to silence the visiting fans with a goal from a tight angle, and the Lionesses sensation doubled her tally not long after as Chelsea cut through their opponents in wide areas with ease.

United did at least cause the Blues some discomfort in the second half after Hayley Ladd smashed home following a goalmouth scramble just before the break, but James' clincher five minutes from time made sure of a well-deserved home victory.

The result highlighted the concerning gulf that exists between United and the Women's Super League title-chasers this season. Skinner's charges are now 10 points adrift of Chelsea at the top of the table, are out of the Women's Champions League and even a top-three finish seems out of their reach at the moment as they are seven points back from Arsenal in third.

With things looking so bleak, it's easy to forget that United pushed Emma Hayes and Co all the way in the title race last season. In the end, they would finish two points shy of the champions in 2022-23, while also tasting bitter defeat in the FA Cup final – a game they easily could have won. Although they ultimately came up empty-handed, it had been a massively encouraging campaign for the club, who five years after their formation had muscled their way into the title picture and European qualification.

However, this season has proved that the structures required to turn these green shoots into long-term success were simply not there.

Getty ImagesDamaging summer

In the summer, United were handed a double blow right off the bat. First, it was confirmed that Ona Batlle would be heading back to Barcelona. Her influence during the 2022-23 campaign cannot be overstated.

Missing just three games over the course of the season, the Spain international was the team's most potent creator, chipping in with nine assists from right-back. Her ability to drive the team forward was important, too. Only Manchester City's Lauren Hemp registered more progressive carries than Batlle last season, while she ranked third for progressive passes behind Aston Villa star Kenza Dali and United team-mate Katie Zelem. Defensively, she rarely put a foot wrong either.

In truth, it was odd that she did not win the club's Player of the Season award. She was only beaten to that gong by Alessia Russo, who also jumped ship when her contract expired. Russo joint-top-scored for United last season, with her midas touch now being enjoyed by WSL rivals Arsenal.

It's not just Russo's goals that United were tasked with replacing in the summer, either. The Lionesses star was also her side's offensive focal point, bringing attacking team-mates into play and occupying defenders with her physicality.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFeeling of long-term neglect

The departure of their two best players on free transfers only acted to reinforce the feeling that United's women's team is not being sufficiently valued by the club's hierarchy. Portions of the team's committed, match-going fanbase have long argued this and laid out their complaints in a letter to the board in the summer.

"It is our belief that since #MUWomen were reformed in 2018, the degree of investment and allocation of resources from the club, as well as the implemented organisational framework, have been inadequate in fulfilling the originally stated objectives," the Barmy Army Supporters' Group wrote. "We strongly believe that the women’s team has been undervalued, disregarded, mismanaged, and frequently relegated to secondary status and an afterthought by the club’s hierarchy, which is a matter of great concern.

"Our sole request to the club’s hierarchy is that they accord equal treatment to the women's team, mirroring the level of regard and consideration bestowed upon the men’s team."

GettySeemingly little change this season

The letter continued: "This is a crucial stage in the growth of women’s football, and we are concerned that #MUWomen will be left behind if the club fails to direct its effort in both time and investment into developing a winning team, not only in England, but on the European stage.

"Success on the pitch presents an immense opportunity for commercial expansion and establishing a formidable presence within the world of football, all while achieving self-sustainability. We cannot afford to remain stagnant and allow the gap to widen any further. It is time to put words into action and show that we are not just here to take part."

This message appears to be falling on deaf ears, however. In December, it was widely reported that, much to the chagrin of the women's side, Erik ten Hag had poached physiotherapist Ibrahim Kerem from them in an attempt to rectify the men's team's injury crisis. This came after performance analyst Luke Wright made a similar jump partway through the 2022-23 campaign.

A concerning resource gap also continued to exist between the men's and women's teams, and recruitment is one area where this is stark. Earlier this month, revealed that United do not employ a single scout. While this is not a rarity in the women's game, cynics might argue an upwardly-mobile team should be looking to close the gap by ensuring they are doing everything to identify the very best players available.

Then there's the continued contract uncertainty surrounding England goalkeeper Mary Earps. Although a January exit looks unlikely, it's difficult to see her not joining Russo and Batlle in moving on when her contract expires at the end of the season. Even the futures of club stalwarts Zelem and Leah Galton – whose deals are also up in the summer – are unclear, though United do possess an extension option for the latter.

Whispers of discontent

The discontent hasn't just been consigned to boardroom matters this season, though. Michael Kallback, agent to Martha Thomas and Vilde Boe Risa who both left United in the summer, caused quite the stir when he criticised the working environment created by Skinner.

On January 15, Kallback quoted a report from on X in which Thomas spoke glowingly about life at Tottenham, writing: "You already know it. But if not 👇🏽 Thats [sic] what happens in a non toxic environment."

It wasn't the first time he'd taken a thinly-veiled dig at United either. Just two days earlier, he wrote: "Thats [sic] what happen in a non toxic environment 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽" in response to Vilde Boe being named Atletico Madrid Player of the Month.

This could just be a case of sour grapes from an agent whose clients did not, rightly or wrongly, get the playing time they desired at United, and it's worth noting that Skinner responded strongly when asked about the posts prior to the Chelsea game.

"Those comments can be made, easily online. I’m in this environment every single day & can say it’s absolutely the opposite. I pay no attention. My focus is about supporting players in here," he said.

However, there are other instances of players thriving after leaving Skinner's side. Since joining Thomas at Tottenham on loan in the summer, midfielder Grace Clinton has begun to show her potential, scoring four times in the WSL. And after her recent brace against West Ham, she put her success down to Spurs: "giving me the confidence and freedom to express myself." Whether that was a subtle jibe at Skinner for her scarce playing time last season is difficult to say.

These are not the only three players who have found themselves out in the cold under the manager over the past few seasons, either. More recently, fans have been frustrated to find Lisa Naalsund so sparingly used since arriving in January, while breakout World Cup star Hinata Miyazawa had to largely settle for cameos from the bench before her recent, devastating injury blow. Another summer arrival, Irene Guerrero has had to be patient too, even if she has endured some fitness struggles since signing.