Coming off the best season for Manchester United, the expectations were high for the 2023/2024 Women’s Super League (WSL) season. The 2022/23 season saw Manchester United finish in second place and reach an FA Cup final, both of which were landmark firsts.
Manchester United had 14 clean sheets, which was the most in the league. As a result, Mary Earps was awarded the Golden Glove, which is no surprise considering she played every game and arguable had the best year of her career. 14 is also the current record for most clean sheets in WSL history. United conceded the fewest goals, 12, in the league. From the 19th of November 2022 to March 2023, the team was unbeaten in all competitions. They had the joint highest expected goals per shot ratio and lowest expected goals against, the highest average possession at 62%, and the highest passing completion rate at 83%.
Unfortunately, due to the high amount of players leaving and coming in, combined with a shorter lead-up to the season with international play, the high level has proven more challenging to sustain.
Filling the gaps
Going into the 2023/2024 season, much discussion was about who United would bring in to fit into Alessia Russo’s role. What only some people mentioned is who would come in to fill the massive shoes of Ona Batlle. Russo’s talent is indisputable, as is her goal-scoring prowess. What United was not lacking last season was goals coming from many players. Most of the goal scorers besides Russo are still on the team. Three United players have the same number of goals as Russo (Malard, Parris, and Williams), and two were on the team last season. Defenders can be forgotten about, and no one should ever forget Ona Batlle. After three seasons with her perfect crosses and balls into the box, the biggest hole for United has been Batlle, not Russo.
The statistics of the season so far across all competitions:
Eight wins, four draws, and three losses. 11 players scored twenty-eight goals. The top goal scorer is Nikita Parris, who has eight goals and two assists. The player with the most assists is Ella Toone. One draw and one loss came from the club’s first season in the Champions League with the two games against PSG. The other two losses are from the Women’s Super League (WSL) against two big rivals Manchester City and Liverpool. The three draws were against Arsenal in the second game of the season and Leicester and Brighton. United has four wins out of 4 in the Conti Cup, with the last group game against Man City on January 24th.
While Manchester United is a massive club, it is paramount to remember that the women’s team was only founded in 2018. United’s first season in the WSL was Sam Kerr’s first season at Chelsea. It takes time to build into a team that can be consistent and compete against teams that have won more titles than the years United has existed. Or between the Conti Cup, FA Cup, and the League, have more trophies over more years than United has existed for (in the case of City).
There is no question that this season of the WSL is the most competitive yet. Spurs won their first-ever North London derby; there are visible cracks in the formidable Chelsea; it looks the closest to a “big six” for the WSL to mimic the premier league that there has ever been. United have taken some time to figure out how they work best without Batlle and then without Gabby George. Jade Riviere has stepped up and is thriving in her role. The Canadian fullback was mostly on the bench last season and has made the case for her well-earned starting position. Geyse and Malard are two of the most impressive signings this season. They both work hard and play beautiful and entertaining football. While the score sheet doesn’t show it, most of the goals this season were created by Geyse or Malard even if the ball from them was a pass or two before the assist.
There is no question that Hinata Miyazawa has also had an instant impact. While only scoring one goal so far, she has helped create goals and added energy and creativity on the pitch. Her injury during the international break was a bummer, and she was missed in the games against Spurs, Leicester, and Liverpool.
Any supporter following the team since its formation in 2018 will be thrilled that (Ella Toone) Tooney is back to scoring and assisting, and overall, in the form that makes her a beloved player. The most significant difference from last season is that almost every WSL team has one of their best squads yet. The league is proving to be the best and most competitive in the world. While this is something that everyone is hoping for, having two losses at the midpoint of the season is not.
With a month off, players returning from injury and losing to one of their biggest rivals at home in the last game before the break, Manchester United will no doubt be back raring to go. When this team fully clicks, they will be tough to beat. Many people underestimated them going into the season, and those people will still be underestimating them now. Nothing is predictable in the women’s game anymore, and thank goodness for that.
One thing is clear: we need to separate these women from the weight of the history of the men’s teams of their club. They need to be given the grace and space to create their legacy without being compared to a team that has won the league four times more than the number of years they have been in the WSL. They are a young team growing and pushing the WSL to greater heights.
The first game of 2024 in the WSL for United is Chelsea away. A result then could just change everything in the race to the top.
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