Fair enough.
Manchester United Women - Silly Season 2023/24 - Ins and outs
- Thread starter Lightbringer
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We definitely seem to be going for winners.
Yeah, Irene looks like a strong signing, and it is clear there is certainly some appeal to players to come here. Not sure how I feel about Vilde going, she was a bit part player last season, so this feels like an upgrade to a more regular starter. But then, who would she start in place of - is she a Zelem or a Ladd style of midfielder?
This is an unfortunate one, because the truth is that United had a women’s team and a youth programme before the Glazer’s came, they shut down the women’s team immediately and there is no evidence apart from their own press release excuse that they ever intended to prioritize anything to do with women’s football at Man Utd. They were forced into establishing a team after 13 years, and the people who fought every step of the way for that to come to fruition, were least of all the Glazers.
This I follow. Albeit, I am quite sure that the pulling power of Arsenal, Chelsea and City over United has been a) money (we are coming late to that table) and b) the sense of professional ambitions (influenced by the first, the stars, the CL ‘membership’, but also the training conditions, the professionality around games etc). It’s looking up in some respects with getting in players like Miyazawa, Geyse and Guerrero, but I think the conditions around the club making the women’s team feel like an important part of the family and an elite sport enterprise is very important. Think how recently it was that we lost one of the most important and talented football leaders (Casey Stoney) due to bickering over training facilities and wardrobes.
The point about sustainability is, in one way, a relevant one. In a deeper sense, it is a different point: Just looking at the potential of women’s football for future growth, it’s an innovation field in it’s baby steps, and the truth about such fields is that todays outlays will be balanced not against todays income, but against today’s investment capacity and the income of the future. United is in an even better position than Arsenal, Lyon and Barcelona to invest in the future of women’s football and become a leading player in that field for decdes to come, bringing huge masses of people into football and into the club. It’s a question about will, ambition, responsibility and foresight. Here Man Utd have people who wants this to happen, but the owners have been a hand brake, not an innovative driving power.
Barcelona have done things well in women's football in recent years and now you can see the results. A great academy with national and foreign talent, the same philosophy in all teams and in the economic section with enough sponsors to generate profits.
This year the budgeted income will be €17.5M and expenses €14M. If it is not the highest budget in Europe it will be close.
If this is true, it’s a big improvementin theory!
I see Guerrero as maybe mostly a creative midfielder though, so I’m curious about the balance of the midfield with all of Miyazawa, Toone and Guerrero playing. Would certainly not look like we’re going for Kerolin if that’s the case.
Which underlines a few points about investment: Building an academy is a huge expense that is either made specifically for the girls’ teams at a running loss, or made for the club, including girls and boys, taking the budget sums out of an attempt to isolate sustainability costs pegender.
The question of sponsorships and brand investment and income is even more interesting. You can ‘syphon’ a sponsorship deal to a particular team or even part of the academy, but the reality is that any sponsor putting money on the table for a placement on a shirt or a billboard is buying into the brand total anyway.
For Man Utd, the brand income will for instance be reflected in how many girls and women on a world basis buy into the club through everything from shirt sales to clicks. This will be much more money than any ear marked sponsorship deals. Likewise, the Glazers most salient motivation for reestabliahing a woman’s team - the cost to the brand of being the one team without a women’s side, was starting to become obvious even to them, I think. Those uncountable sums will likely dwarf any sums related to player costs or team specific revenue.
The big picture is real wether it is counted or not, and the truth is that having girls as well as boys, women as well as men as part of the ambitions connected to the Theatre Of Dreams is part of the same sustainability model, it’s not possible to split in two separate ones.
Any ‘roof’ for women’s teams will have to reflect that, or any investment limitations will just turn into syphonong excersises like Man City’s emiratic ‘sponsor deals’.
I still see us going for Kerolin in January. She played in midfield for Brazil, but she is most definitely a forward for her club and is one of the top scorers in the NWSL. She'd be an upgrade on the likes of Martha Thomas, Rachel Williams & Nikita Parris in those positions.
That’s interesting. So how would you expect Skinner to line us up in January if tat is what happens?
Earps
Riviere Le Tissier Turner Blundell
Ladd
Miyazawa Guerrero
Kerolin Geyse Toone
?
Or Zelem, Naalsund, Parris, Galton?
Someone is not getting much game time either way, be i terrsring to see what would happen.
Well I'd hope that we see some real rotation out of Skinner this season with our depth now starting to include some really good players. We'll see how far we get in the UWCL first though as that will have an effect on how many games we have to play.
I think if we brought in Kerolin in January a lineup like the below wouldn't be too far off.
Earps
Riviere MLT Turner Blundell
Ladd Zelam
Kerolin Toone Galton
Geyse
You then have Hinata, Guerrero, Naalsund, Parris, Garcia & Mannion who could all push to be part of the starting lineup if they are in form. Also have to remember we've been linked to Cooney-Cross on a free in January as well, so could potentially add her into the midfield jumble.
According to the report filed with Companies House the Women's Team made a profit of £846k in the last financial year. I'd be interested to see evidence to indicate that we operate at a loss.
Sad to see Leon and Vilde go though. Leon especially has a lot of potential we didnt even try.
Sad to see VBR go, but we shouldn't lose out much with the trade and hopefully Skinner feels more inclined to use Guerrero in the rotation.
We seem to have pretty solid depth now everywhere other than centre forward and fullback, have heard chat that we've got something in the works for the latter but looks like we might be going with what we have up front. Hopefully Geyse settles in well and stays fit.
We seem to have pretty solid depth now everywhere other than centre forward and fullback, have heard chat that we've got something in the works for the latter but looks like we might be going with what we have up front. Hopefully Geyse settles in well and stays fit.
Those accounts usual include the investment from the men's team under "Commercial Revenue", so include the £3-4m in investment/ trickle down of sponsorship.
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Not that the transfer of Baggaley would raise any eyebrows, but I still don’t like leaks from a player’s family. I know she didn’t do that on purpose and probably wasn’t sure if it was official yet, but still.
I would think Guerrero is an upgrade on Bøe Risa.
I think so too. And Miyazawa who plays in her position, is potentially even a bigger one.
Is there any actual concrete evidence of us going for guerrero?
Could well be, just haven't seen her play much and my point was more that we shouldn't lose anything. We've lost a few over the summer but the only real position where we can confidently say we'll be worse is right back, and then only because Batlle was the best around. Overall we're hopefully a bit better balanced with some more options to change around going forward.
The person who reported it yesterday was the same person to report VBR going the other way, which has now happened.
She’s definitely stronger and more agressive off the ball. Good at counters as well as she’s pretty quick. Good addition, I think.
I have to say I’m liking the transfer business so far. I know a lot is said of losing certain players we have.. but we have replaced with quality. Don’t see a reason we can’t challenge next season. On paper atleast.
What is wrong with it? The transfer will be leaked eventually anyway by a journalist or itk eventually, why does it matter that the initial public leak is from a family member? It’s not like it’s even a post announcing it, just a comment that someone spotted and highlighted wider.
I'm sure if it happened in the men's game there would be much more uproar. To each their own, not a fan of it personally.
Mary Earps has made an interview with ITV today, anyone know what she was cooking?
What's cooking meaning slang?
whats up?
Native speaker TEFL Certified. "What's cooking" is an informal slang phrase meaning "whats up?" or "what's going on?".
I know. It’s just such a stupid phrase that I refuse to accept its existence. Old man and all that.What's cooking meaning slang?
whats up?
Native speaker TEFL Certified. "What's cooking" is an informal slang phrase meaning "whats up?" or "what's going on?".
Haha, gotcha!
I saw Earps stayed away from United topic as she surely first wants to try all options to leave before probably making a PR-statement saying she never wanted to leave or had contact with the Gunners once the transfer window is shut. Thats my prediction! I am not not a happy bunny about having a player around who rather be at Arsenal tbh.
But wait, if Baggers are leaving, should that not mean UTD is making room for another keeper regardless? Bring in another star keeper to try her out during this season?
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in the men’s game there’s constant transfer news well before the club has announced things officially. This is quite unique to the women’s game because it’s nowhere near as heavily covered and for some reason clubs don’t like to announce signings even when it’s officially done. Just look at the Emma Watson signing, everyone knew she had signed but she couldn’t be in any of the training pictures until it was ‘officially’ announced.
She’s tall enough (1.83 to Earps’ 1.73), and seems to be coming along well: Last season in the NWSL, she won Save Of The Week 5 times out of the first 11 rounds of play!
A 6ft keeper should be pretty imposing at corners too. I guess if we get her in then Mary is going to be pushed to keep starting, and to show her value to others if she is still after a move. Reassuring - as long as the transfer happens!
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That would make a lot of sense on the fullback cover front. Wouldn't have thought we'd want to lose another forward though given how light we are up there, unless someone else is coming in.