Manchester City were once trailblazers in the women’s game in England but their decline in recent seasons has raised questions about the club as they finished fourth in the 22/23 league and failed to secure any trophies. But what went wrong for Manchester City women?
Losing several key players, most notably Keira Walsh, who the club failed to adequately replace, has had a detrimental impact on the team and the midfield has suffered as a result. With the departures of Walsh and also Georgia Stanway, the midfield lost its dominance and physicality, causing City to lose possession more frequently.
While Yui Hasegawa has performed well, she is more attack-minded and has thrived when given the opportunity. Deyna Castellanos has struggled with confidence due to being played behind Bunny Shaw rather than alongside her, a trait that has also been evident in the wingers. The reluctance to take on defenders from Lauren Hemp in particular, has often led to her choosing to play the safer option in a backwards pass rather than looking for an attacking opportunity.
The underestimation of players like Hayley Raso has been a common occurrence under Gareth Taylor and despite their talent, players such as Leila Ouahabi and Kerstin Casparij have been left on the bench when their experience and knowledge of certain opposition would have been advantageous. Taylor’s reluctancy to make early changes and the lack of a back up plan against underestimated opponents is concerning. Waiting to introduce game changers and the refusal to make a substitution until players are injured is a questionable approach. A lack of rotation has left several players exhausted with Shaw and Hemp starting nearly all of the teams games and the need for a backup striker only becomes more evident when the Jamaican is absent from the starting lineup.
There has also been a noticeable decline in both shots on target and goals from outside the box this season and despite having the players capable of scoring from range, it’s unclear as to whether they have been obstructed to avoid taking risks. City must adapt to the strength of their current squad instead of attempting to fit them into an outdated system. Several new signings would be preferable to boost the squad as the lack of trust in Taylor’s tactics may lead to more departures. While the blame cannot fall solely on the manager, the lack of fight and complacency shown by the players and failure to seize opportunities when champions league spots are on the line, is disheartening.
There are still several positives that fans can take from this season however, the return to fitness and prolonged improved performances from captain Steph Houghton has been a highlight for many and despite a shaky start, the club did embark on an impressive six month unbeaten run. The Academy Stadium once again proved to be a fortress, City only drawing with Aston Villa and Manchester United, with the derby being played in front of a record crowd at The Etihad.
Missing out on the UWCL, a competition the club has been involved with since 2017, will hamper their ability to attract high quality players from both the WSL and abroad, however it will remain a target for the upcoming season. This decline from consistent trophy performances to battling for a place in the top three is disappointing for both players and fans as rival clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United now hold the advantage and it raises concerns that City may fall behind instead of remaining competitive.
Manchester City women will look to use this summer to prepare for the upcoming 23/24 FA Women’s Super League season.
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