Manchester United return to the women’s game with England legend Casey Stoney at the helm.
Pressure has been mounting on Manchester United to right one of the great anomalies of football – their long-term lack of a senior women’s team.
And in March this year the Red Devils “finally dragged themselves into the 21st century,” according to Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, by announcing plans to join the newly rebranded second tier.
Few expected United’s bid to fail. The club’s deep pockets meant meeting the FA’s financial requirements would be a breeze. And its global reputation would be a major boost to securing sponsorship and TV exposure for the leagues.
When the nod almost inevitably came, the name of the new manager had already leaked – recently retired England legend Casey Stoney. Her spell as assistant to Manchester United old boy Phil Neville in the England setup promptly ended. And in August, Stoney got her club management career off to a dream start – with a 1-0 cup win over arch rivals Liverpool.
The result was all the sweeter as the Merseysiders are a league above United. But that distinction won’t last long on the evidence of a successful player recruitment cycle in which Stoney pulled together a talented group in less than three months.
England full-back Alex Greenwood and international goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain were snapped up from Liverpool. Prospect Lauren James, aged just 16, swapped Arsenal for United. Katie Zelem, who spent a year at Juventus, also looks to be a key signing. The established powerhouses in women’s football – Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal – will have taken note.
It’s so far, so good for Stoney who spelled out her plans to the PFA's 4thePlayer…
What are your main objectives as United boss?
The first objective is to get 21 new players working together and that will take time but we have recruited a fantastic group. The objective of any team is to be successful and we want to be as successful as the men’s team has been and create our own history.
What style of football will United play under you?
We want to excite, we want to entertain, we have to also remember that we are bringing 21 strangers together that we need to get to know each other not only on the pitch but off the pitch as well. The club have been fantastic and I haven’t seen anything like this in women’s football. The attention to detail is second to none and we are all excited to get started.
Would you have preferred a bite at the topflight straight away or does starting in the second tier offer other opportunities for you and the club?
I think when you are starting with a new team from scratch, starting in the second tier gives us the opportunity to get the team working and playing together. We’re going to take our time. We’re going to build it slowly. We’re going to do it properly. We’re going to make sure that in five, six, seven years time this club has a successful women’s team.
How did you go about player recruitment and was there a clear idea about the squad balance you wanted?
We’ve gone for a young and exciting team. I am really happy with where our squad is, I am over the moon with the quality of the staff we got.
Will you borrow from Man City’s approach - particularly the way men and women players are held in equal esteem at the Etihad campus?
Manchester United is the biggest club in football and you know that the club are going to do everything in the right way. The women’s team is going to be a huge part of everything they do going forward. I absolutely and genuinely believe that Manchester United have the chance and opportunity to change the face of women’s football.
Will you still be involved with the England setup in any way?
No I won’t be involved in England. I have a great relationship with Phil Neville though and when Manchester United wanted me, Phil was totally supportive of me taking the job.
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