Marc Skinner's Man Utd - can they break back into WSL top three?

Manchester United remain one of the biggest clubs in the world, famed for the success of their men's team during Sir Alex Ferguson's 27-year reign between 1986 and 2013.

The Red Devils lifted 38 trophies under the Scot's guidance, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns, to become one of the most successful clubs sides in history – their commercial activity helping to establish them as a global powerhouse.

United's pull remains to this day, with their brand and appeal to a worldwide audience continuing to soar despite their on-field success dwindling, and expectations are just as high for the women's team that was reformed in 2018.

Promotion from the Women's Championship into the WSL was achieved at the first time of asking, and the club went on to secure three successive fourth-place finishes before ending the 2022/23 season as runners-up to Chelsea – a campaign that saw Marc Skinner's side push the Blues all the way in the race for the title.

But last year was a different story for United. They finished outside of the top four, lost more games than they had in the previous two seasons combined, and conceded 20 more goals than they did en route to qualifying for the preliminary round of the 2023/24 Champions League.

A first-ever FA Cup win salvaged the season - a convincing 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley inspired by Lucia Garcia - but for large parts of it Skinner's management was called into question by irate supporters, who were at one point were asked by club personnel to stop chanting for his exit.

There's also been a number of off-field issues to deal with after the club's change in ownership, but despite that there's reason for optimism.

Some impressive additions have been made to United's squad, offsetting the departures of Garcia, captain Katie Zelem, Irene Guerrero and Mary Earps, who recently told 90min it was time for her to take on a new challenge and push the boundaries of what she's capable of.

Melvine Malard's loan from Lyon has been made permanent and she's been joined in the arrivals lounge by Elisabeth Terland, who bagged 13 WSL goals for Brighton last season, Dominique Janssen, Anna Sandberg and Simi Awujo - all four players are full internationals for their respective countries.

Supporters can also expect to see much more of Hinata Miyazawa, Gabby George and Emma Watson after injury-stricken campaigns, as well as the talented Grace Clinton, who picked up the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year for her 2023/24 loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur.

The holy grail for United is securing a passage back into the Women's Champions League, afforded to the top three sides in the WSL, and a recent poll conducted by 90min suggests that fans are confident of achieving that target.

Of the over 3,000 votes cast at the time of writing, 77% feel that United are more than capable of competing with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool for a top-three berth, with only 7.5% concerned it's not a realistic ambition.

Close to 18% believe United will be there or thereabouts, unlikely to challenge for the title but strong enough to at least match last season's fifth-place finish and possibly better.

United's fate will be decided when the new WSL season gets underway on September 21, starting with a clash against West Ham United.

POLL RESULTS IN FULL

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