Manchester United Women - Silly Season 2023/24 - Ins and outs

[Lightbringer]

That time of the year.

With Russo confirmed to leave and Ona next. It will be a busy and important transfer window for United to keep up the pace with their rivals who will be strengthening their squads.

Will Kirsty Hanson be back with United after a stellar season at Aston Villa? Will United sell Mary Earps?

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Tounkara is also rumored to be leaving now, with Marc Skinner giving her aprox 2-3 games playing time during the entire last season.

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[Lightbringer]

When next season starts Arsenal will have the following players back:

Alessia Russo
Beth Mead
Vivianne Miedema
Leah Williamsson

United will be minus:

Alessia Russo
Ona Batlle

Its safe to say United need to reach out and lure money from the Glazers pockets to stay in the hunt for the 2024 titles.

And we are talking about having to recruit 3-4 world class players in competition with all other major clubs while not losing any more of our star players. It will be a tough task ahead for the crew who had 18 months to pen an extension with Russo and failed miserably.

Whats brewing in terms of transfer plans for Skinners project?

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[Wixqaz]

When next season starts Arsenal will have the following players back:

Alessia Russo
Beth Mead
Vivianne Miedema
Leah Williamsson

United will be minus:

Alessia Russo
Ona Batlle

Its safe to say United need to reach out and lure money from the Glazers pockets to stay in the hunt for the 2024 titles.

And we are talking about having to recruit 3-4 world class players in competition with all other major clubs while not losing any more of our star players. It will be a tough task ahead for the crew who had 18 months to pen an extension with Russo and failed miserably.


Whats brewing in terms of transfer plans for Skinners project?

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I agree with a lot of what you say but only Mead will be back for the start of the season. Leah won’t be back before Christmas and Viv is behind Beth in her recovery.

 

[Lightbringer]

I agree with a lot of what you say but only Mead will be back for the start of the season. Leah won’t be back before Christmas and Viv is behind Beth in her recovery.

Thanks for pointing that out, I had forgotten how extremely long these recovery times are. I guess Arsenal could grab Russo to fill up the roster until Viv is returning. I do agree with the people saying Arsenal would likely have won the title if their roster was not destroyed by injuries.

The problem with United is that when they cant sort Alessias contract despite her being the biggest marketing player along with Toone, then you just lose any faith they know what they are doing! It kind of ruins the feelgood of the brilliant season we just had and thats a real shame! We finally broke in to the top 3 and then the club allows the momentum to be interrupted, its just so frustrating!

 

[Grande]

Thanks for pointing that out, I had forgotten how extremely long these recovery times are. I guess Arsenal could grab Russo to fill up the roster until Viv is returning. I do agree with the people saying Arsenal would likely have won the title if their roster was not destroyed by injuries.

The problem with United is that when they cant sort Alessias contract despite her being the biggest marketing player along with Toone, then you just lose any faith they know what they are doing! It kind of ruins the feelgood of the brilliant season we just had and thats a real shame! We finally broke in to the top 3 and then the club allows the momentum to be interrupted, its just so frustrating!

Yeah, at times it feels like the players, Stoney and Skinner has been working uphill battles. It should be remembered that the club brought in Batlle and Russo in tje first place, and the comings and goings so far have resulted in consecutive climbing in the tables. But if we don’t build from strength at this point, it will be nigh on sabotage.

 

[Lightbringer]

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[DomesticTadpole]

We have signed a number of players but the manager just seems to ignore them and then they go. Seems daft to say, but is the manager a bit of a problem, if the Boe Risa thing is right and how Jackie Groenen left he doesn't seem a great guy.

 

[jojojo]

We have signed a number of players but the manager just seems to ignore them and then they go. Seems daft to say, but is the manager a bit of a problem, if the Boe Risa thing is right and how Jackie Groenen left he doesn't seem a great guy.

Most managers have their favourites and it's more obvious with him than most. Predictable lineups and predictable subs, which work well enough to get a result most times but leave us looking underpowered or uninspired in some games. Tactically, we're slow to respond to opponents who have more flexibility than us and less predictable lineups and playing patterns.

It leaves some players seemingly undroppable, and even impossible to sub - even on their off days. Other players get only a handful of minutes to impress and then look rusty out out of sync with their teammates when they to play. Rotation is a challenge for any manager, and I don't think we've seen any evidence that he can do it.

But if you've got favourites who you trust, that also means you've got players who aren't your favourites and ones who you don't trust. Most of Skinner's own signings, particularly the overseas players, seem to have gone directly to the discard pile without any real chance to grow into the team.

One way or another, something doesn't feel quite right at times. Personally, I find some of the comments from Skinner about individual (non-favourite) players irritating, but obviously I've no idea how that feels to the players involved or how that impacts the team.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Most managers have their favourites and it's more obvious with him than most. Predictable lineups and predictable subs, which work well enough to get a result most times but leave us looking underpowered or uninspired in some games. Tactically, we're slow to respond to opponents who have more flexibility than us and less predictable lineups and playing patterns.

It leaves some players seemingly undroppable, and even impossible to sub - even on their off days. Other players get only a handful of minutes to impress and then look rusty out out of sync with their teammates when they to play. Rotation is a challenge for any manager, and I don't think we've seen any evidence that he can do it.

But if you've got favourites who you trust, that also means you've got players who aren't your favourites and ones who you don't trust. Most of Skinner's own signings, particularly the overseas players, seem to have gone directly to the discard pile without any real chance to grow into the team.

One way or another, something doesn't feel quite right at times. Personally, I find some of the comments from Skinner about individual (non-favourite) players irritating, but obviously I've no idea how that feels to the players involved or how that impacts the team.

You would think if he was signing players he would want to play them to prove his judgement, or maybe he has nothing to do with the signing. It is very odd. Managers usually love showing off new players.

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

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[RedRocket9908]

The way the club has neglected its Women's team is disgusting, they have just qualified for the Champions League for the first time ever yet the club is letting their best players leave for free.

 

[TMS]

The way the club has neglected its Women's team is disgusting, they have just qualified for the Champions League for the first time ever yet the club is letting their best players leave for free.

Replace "club" with "owners" and "Women's team" with "club" and it's still so relevant. The entire club is just stuck on pause waiting for the ownership sage to end and even before that was in a permanent slow motion on everything it tried to do.

 

[Lightbringer]

Replace "club" with "owners" and "Women's team" with "club" and it's still so relevant. The entire club is just stuck on pause waiting for the ownership sage to end and even before that was in a permanent slow motion on everything it tried to do.

Yep. But we would have lost Ona regardless. Only reason she ever left Barcelona was some crazy rule that now is abandoned. Its like Ryan Giggs going to play for Borussia Dortmund in 1999, and then United going hard to get him back after winning the champions league, Dortmund would not have had a chance. So with Ona it was a lost cause anyway, which makes it sting less even though I loved her! The Russo hurts because it feels more like a betrayal and also perhaps avoidable and we have to see her against us and be reminded of it on a regular basis!

 

[Lightbringer]

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[TMS]

Robinson would be a good signing and fits our business style like the Le Tissier signing did last season. Hopefully it happens and the results are as positive as they have been with Maya.

 

[Lightbringer]

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[DJ_21]

How have we let Russo join arsenal?! Talk about strengthening a rival.

 

[RedRocket9908]

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I honestly wouldnt blame Marc if he just walked away from the job at this point, his job is being made impossible for him.

 

[Himannv]

I honestly wouldnt blame Marc if he just walked away from the job at this point, his job is being made impossible for him.

Yeah, it's a tough job if things don't change. Having said that, he's not done himself any favours by alienating some of the players, even ones he seems to have had a hand in bringing in.

 

[Lightbringer]

That is what i WANT for sure!

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[Berbaclass]

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[Lightbringer]

Interesting

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[jojojo]

Encouraging report, if only because it suggests which shelf we're shopping from! I'll be a lot happier when we hear some of the "interested in" turn into "done deal" of course, but it does sound like we're active.

Whether we'll actually sign anyone while the ownership issue is unresolved, I guess we wait and see.

 

[Demon Barber]

I agree - the rumours are encouraging. Despite the ownership fiasco and the lack of respect and ambition afforded to the women's team, we should still be able to attract elite players. Teams like Barcelona, Chelsea, Lyon etc. are ahead, but surely their teams/squads are full.

I'd still like us to go for Rachel Daly - goals, experience and an extra defensive/midfield option too.

 

[top1whoisman]

Chloe Williams has joined Blackburn permanently on a 2-year deal.

 

[Lightbringer]

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[jojojo]

Not player news - this is about Martin Ho, our head coach, leaving.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66041119

That's potentially bad news for us as he's always seemed to be important to our coaching setup. As with so many things around the team, another wait and see situation.

 

[top1whoisman]

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[jojojo]

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Farewell - we hardly got chance to know you.

Good luck to them.

 

[RORY65]

Tounkara was apparently on a 2 year deal so it seems weird to release a French international with a year left on her deal. The recruitment under Skinnner has mostly been very odd, it's not been a huge issue to now because he's basically just been able to go with mostly Stoney's team (plus Le Tissier and whichever right winger he picks, albeit neither were better than Hanson last season). Losing Batlle and Russo and the need to get better being in the Champions League means he can't just keep bringing in players and then never actually play them.

 

[muller]

Will regret selling Tara Bourne, she's looked great.

edit: Selling, releasing, you know what I mean

 

[jojojo]

Will regret selling Tara Bourne, she's looked great.

edit: Selling, releasing, you know what I mean

I think it's a similar problem to the one we had with Ebony Salmon. Young players need playing time to develop and Skinner probably had to tell her that he can't guarantee that she'll get the time next year. She's already been out on loan for a couple of years, so I doubt she wants a year on loan or on the bench. Hopefully she's got a club lined up.

 

[top1whoisman]

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[top1whoisman]

So we've lost Russo, Batlle, Tounkara, Ramsey, Moore, Cascarino, Bourne, Williams, Murphy as well as Martin Ho, who was by all accounts a very influential coach. We've signed Evie Rabjohn from Villa. Not looking forward to the new season as things stand.

 

[Eric_the_Red99]

So we've lost Russo, Batlle, Tounkara, Ramsey, Moore, Cascarino, Bourne, Williams, Murphy as well as Martin Ho, who was by all accounts a very influential coach. We've signed Evie Rabjohn from Villa. Not looking forward to the new season as things stand.

Hopefully I will be proved wrong and they’re just clearing the way for a raft of big signings, but it’s looking increasingly like last season was a blip and the people in holding the purse strings aren’t serious about United Women actually competing. I see us getting overtaken by Villa for fourth at the moment.

 

[top1whoisman]

Hopefully I will be proved wrong and they’re just clearing the way for a raft of big signings, but it’s looking increasingly like last season was a blip and the people in holding the purse strings aren’t serious about United Women actually competing. I see us getting overtaken by Villa for fourth at the moment.

Nah. Villa just lost Hampton to Chelsea, Hanson is back with us etc. Will be interesting to see whether someone tries to sign Daly from them. But I do agree that it's not looking good for us currently.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Do we think there is going to be any major additions then?

 

[top1whoisman]

Do we think there is going to be any major additions then?

I think there will. Just as we see with the men's first team, this summer is very difficult with the ownership situation. "Luckily" for us the WSL kicks off at the end of September due to the World Cup, so we might see some delay in the transfer market too.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I think there will. Just as we see with the men's first team, this summer is very difficult with the ownership situation. "Luckily" for us the WSL kicks off at the end of September due to the World Cup, so we might see some delay in the transfer market too.

Oh yeah good point, forgetting about the World Cup too.

 

[Demon Barber]

I think there will. Just as we see with the men's first team, this summer is very difficult with the ownership situation. "Luckily" for us the WSL kicks off at the end of September due to the World Cup, so we might see some delay in the transfer market too.

I am optimistic for the season. Russo and Batlle are big losses, but I believe we have a good squad capable of challenging for honours. The other players who have moved on hardly played.

I'd say that we are very strong with GKs but a couple of bodies light in defence. Midfield is as strong as anyone's. I like our forward options but would still try to add a clinical goalscorer (Daly, please.)

I agree that we will see transfer activity after the World Cup. There are a few academy players who I would like to see get a chance too - Sofield, Ashton, Barry, Aherne look particularly promising.