The Manchester United club did not have a women’s section until this summer. Everything changed with the reform of the championship across the Channel. The leaders of the Red Devils seized this chance. And the newly arrived players got the season off to a flying start.
History of Team Formation
Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City are the big English clubs that have been competing for several years in the women’s championship. All but one: Manchester United. If the idea of launching a women’s section has already been mentioned in the past and that the club had youth teams for boys and for girls, it was not until September 2018 to see a senior women’s team dressed in the famous red jersey start an official season.
Starting from nothing, the leaders made the bet to register a team in the second division for this year. And so started looking for players. Every girl in the squad arrived this summer. Women with varied backgrounds had to learn to play together very quickly even though several players come from the same club: neighbour and rival Liverpool.
Casey Stoney, named the team’s manager, was still playing last year at Liverpool. But at 36, she is very happy to fill the role of manager at Manchester United and unites behind her. The former England captain has had 130 caps and has been part of coach Phil Neville’s squad in recent months. Casey Stoney is a fixture in the football landscape in Great Britain.
Returning Home Players
Some of the summer arrivals did not find themselves in new territory. Emily Ramsey (goalkeeper), Francesca Bentley (goalkeeper), Millie Turner (defence), Katie Zelem (middle) and Kirsty Hanson (attack) were trained at the Manchester United Center of Excellence. Since they had no opportunity to continue here, they left for other places but decided to come back when the opportunity presented itself. Faithful players, therefore, who already have the club in their hearts.
Katie Zelem, who proudly wears number 10 on her back, has made no secret that returning to Manchester has been her wish since leaving five years ago:
“When I left, at 17, the creation of a women’s team was under discussion, and then over the years, I said to myself that the chances of that happening were getting lower and lower, but now I’m back and it ‘It’s incredible. “
She is not the only one in this case, and the BBC had even published an article with a video on the case of Emily Ramsey, who found herself forced to leave Manchester at 16 because the team did not have a senior section.
Real Stars Who Arrive with Their Experience
The final team is a very young group: the average age is only 21 years old. Only two women are over 25 years old. However, there are some experienced players and some real leaders there. Young Millie Turner was captain at Bristol City, and goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain has represented England fifty times, Amy Turner has already passed through six clubs and played for England, as for striker Leah Galton, she has already evolved in Germany and the United States.
These stars didn’t hesitate for long when the opportunity presented itself. Manchester United is a renowned institution that enjoys a special status in the world of football, notably thanks to the results achieved by the men’s team. The players also have the feeling of making history as part of the club’s first women’s selection.
The reasons for agreeing to join Manchester United are diverse. Alex Greenwood, named team captain, says he came mostly for Casey Stoney. Voted the league’s top prospect in 2012, the left-back has played more than 20 appearances for England and has been to several clubs.
Manchester United, Act I: Perfect Course
The young club started its season and its history with an FA WSL Cup match. Without detailing the acronym, it should be noted that this is a small tournament in which Manchester United is part of Group B. Les Mancuniennes start in this competition with a match at Liverpool. The opposition has particular historical resonances, and this opener already makes the Red Devils smile, winning it 1-0.
Six days later, the team lost for their home debut in the same competition against Reading (0-2). A little reminder before the championship begins. However, good performances will quickly follow for the players of Manchester United.
A landslide 12-0 victory at Aston Villa on 9 September, the first at home, 3-0 over Sheffield on 20 September, another at Barnet FC 5-0 three days later. The 0-0 draw against Durham did not stop the Mancuniennes, who won again 3-0 against Charlton before returning to Tottenham for a duel at the top on November 4th. While Manchester United conceded their first league goal of the season, the team still won the clash 4-1. “The invincibility streak continues …”
The Adventure Has Only Just Begun
The first games are therefore encouraging, but this is only the beginning for this new team. Casey Stoney remains cautious for the moment, and rightly so: “We have a lack of experience at this level.” The goal is first and foremost to continue to improve as the matches progress.
The promotion at the end of this season is probably already in mind. The interest than being to perpetuate itself in the first division and eventually to compete with a higher field year after year. While Manchester City hasn’t gone very far in the Champions League this season, Chelsea is here to remind you that British football is one of the toughest in Europe.
For the young shoots of Manchester United, the road will be long. But being able to compete in these matches wearing this mythical red devil crest is priceless. The history of this club is the men who wrote it. But now, the players will be able to complete it. And have some nice pages to fill out.
