Marc Skinner out?! Sir Jim Ratcliffe must make sorting out Man Utd's faltering women's team a priority

In the summer, United were handed a double blow right off the bat. First, it was confirmed that Ona Batlle would be heading back to Barcelona. Her influence during the 2022-23 campaign cannot be overstated.

Missing just three games over the course of the season, the Spain international was the team's most potent creator, chipping in with nine assists from right-back. Her ability to drive the team forward was important, too. Only Manchester City's Lauren Hemp registered more progressive carries than Batlle last season, while she ranked third for progressive passes behind Aston Villa star Kenza Dali and United team-mate Katie Zelem. Defensively, she rarely put a foot wrong either.

In truth, it was odd that she did not win the club's Player of the Season award. She was only beaten to that gong by Alessia Russo, who also jumped ship when her contract expired. Russo joint-top-scored for United last season, with her midas touch now being enjoyed by WSL rivals Arsenal.

It's not just Russo's goals that United were tasked with replacing in the summer, either. The Lionesses star was also her side's offensive focal point, bringing attacking team-mates into play and occupying defenders with her physicality.

The departure of their two best players on free transfers only acted to reinforce the feeling that United's women's team is not being sufficiently valued by the club's hierarchy. Portions of the team's committed, match-going fanbase have long argued this and laid out their complaints in a letter to the board in the summer.

"It is our belief that since #MUWomen were reformed in 2018, the degree of investment and allocation of resources from the club, as well as the implemented organisational framework, have been inadequate in fulfilling the originally stated objectives," the Barmy Army Supporters' Group wrote. "We strongly believe that the women’s team has been undervalued, disregarded, mismanaged, and frequently relegated to secondary status and an afterthought by the club’s hierarchy, which is a matter of great concern.

"Our sole request to the club’s hierarchy is that they accord equal treatment to the women's team, mirroring the level of regard and consideration bestowed upon the men’s team."

The letter continued: "This is a crucial stage in the growth of women’s football, and we are concerned that #MUWomen will be left behind if the club fails to direct its effort in both time and investment into developing a winning team, not only in England, but on the European stage.

"Success on the pitch presents an immense opportunity for commercial expansion and establishing a formidable presence within the world of football, all while achieving self-sustainability. We cannot afford to remain stagnant and allow the gap to widen any further. It is time to put words into action and show that we are not just here to take part."

This message appears to be falling on deaf ears, however. In December, it was widely reported that, much to the chagrin of the women's side, Erik ten Hag had poached physiotherapist Ibrahim Kerem from them in an attempt to rectify the men's team's injury crisis. This came after performance analyst Luke Wright made a similar jump partway through the 2022-23 campaign.

A concerning resource gap also continued to exist between the men's and women's teams, and recruitment is one area where this is stark. Earlier this month, The Athletic revealed that United do not employ a single scout. While this is not a rarity in the women's game, cynics might argue an upwardly-mobile team should be looking to close the gap by ensuring they are doing everything to identify the very best players available.

Then there's the continued contract uncertainty surrounding England goalkeeper Mary Earps. Although a January exit looks unlikely, it's difficult to see her not joining Russo and Batlle in moving on when her contract expires at the end of the season. Even the futures of club stalwarts Zelem and Leah Galton - whose deals are also up in the summer - are unclear, though United do possess an extension option for the latter.

The discontent hasn't just been consigned to boardroom matters this season, though. Michael Kallback, agent to Martha Thomas and Vilde Boe Risa who both left United in the summer, caused quite the stir when he criticised the working environment created by Skinner.

On January 15, Kallback quoted a report from The Guardian on X in which Thomas spoke glowingly about life at Tottenham, writing: "You already know it. But if not 👇🏽 Thats [sic] what happens in a non toxic environment."

It wasn't the first time he'd taken a thinly-veiled dig at United either. Just two days earlier, he wrote: "Thats [sic] what happen in a non toxic environment 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽" in response to Vilde Boe being named Atletico Madrid Player of the Month.

This could just be a case of sour grapes from an agent whose clients did not, rightly or wrongly, get the playing time they desired at United, and it's worth noting that Skinner responded strongly when asked about the posts prior to the Chelsea game.

"Those comments can be made, easily online. I’m in this environment every single day & can say it’s absolutely the opposite. I pay no attention. My focus is about supporting players in here," he said.

However, there are other instances of players thriving after leaving Skinner's side. Since joining Thomas at Tottenham on loan in the summer, midfielder Grace Clinton has begun to show her potential, scoring four times in the WSL. And after her recent brace against West Ham, she put her success down to Spurs: "giving me the confidence and freedom to express myself." Whether that was a subtle jibe at Skinner for her scarce playing time last season is difficult to say.

These are not the only three players who have found themselves out in the cold under the manager over the past few seasons, either. More recently, fans have been frustrated to find Lisa Naalsund so sparingly used since arriving in January, while breakout World Cup star Hinata Miyazawa had to largely settle for cameos from the bench before her recent, devastating injury blow. Another summer arrival, Irene Guerrero has had to be patient too, even if she has endured some fitness struggles since signing.

Overall, there is a strong feeling among sections of the United fanbase that Skinner has been too loyal to his 'favourites' recently. Either that, or the club's mixed-at-best recruitment has prevented them completing a much-needed freshen up this season. The departure of influential assistant manager Martin Ho, who has since gone on to steer SK Brann to the Champions League group stages, cannot be ignored either.

These factors, as well as the 'toxic environment' accusations, have no doubt influenced some fans decisions to step up their opposition to the manager. At the end of the Chelsea game, social media footage appeared to show veteran striker Rachel Williams urging one supporters to take down their 'Skinner Out' sign when the players were showing appreciation to the travelling faithful.

This flashpoint followed an incident at a mid-season friendly against PSV Eindhoven in Malta earlier this month, where fans were warned about signing negative songs about the manager. Those insvolved responded by penning a letter to the team's official supporters' club.

"That is absolutely ridiculous. The words used are not offensive. It is our opinion of the manager. For a club representative to come and pick her out to tell her that we can’t sing certain chants was totally incorrect. We have paid our hard-earned money to travel and watch the team and if we are not happy with the manager we should be able to do so," an extract read.

With their slim title dreams extinguished definitively by Chelsea at the weekend, the criticism of Skinner is unlikely to abate any time soon. Still, the United boss responded strongly when asked about the prospect of losing his job by Sky Sports after the game.

"If you look at how you perform with the resources we have, I am absolutely secure in what I do and how I do it. And I thoroughly, with every sinew in my body, believe in my team, believe in what we can do and believe where we will be," he said.

He later added in his post-match press conference: "The fans are absolutely entitled to do what they want. We are never going to silence any fan from having their opinion. They pay their hard-earned money.

"If my job as a leader was to deflect my attention away with every news story, I wouldn't be doing my job... Never, ever, will we stop any fans having an opinion, they're absolutely entitled to. My job is to stay focused on what I want to achieve with this team and that is success."

On Wednesday, Skinner even revealed that "conversations are ongoing" regarding a new contract at United, saying: "I want to make sure my family are looked after. I will give absolutely everything in everyday I am Manchester United manager - beyond that, the business people will do the business work."

Privately, of course, Skinner will surely not be content with how his side has performed this season. But it's telling that his initial defence to his record included him bringing up the "resources" he has at his disposal. Skinner might have a point too.

Incredibly, United were only able to name five outfield players on the bench against Chelsea. It wasn't just quantity they were lacking either, it was quality too. The Blues could call on the talents of two current England internationals in Jess Carter and Fran Kirby, a record signing from a German side in Sjoeke Nusken, as well as the all-time WSL appearance holder in Sophie Ingle. These are playing resources that Skinner can only dream of at the moment.

This is partly down to a lack of sustained investment by those above him, but injuries have played a role too. Gabby George was supposed to step into the shoes of Batlle, but was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury in October after making a promising start.

Another marquee summer arrival, Miyazawa, will also not play until at least March after fracturing her ankle, while Aoife Mannion, Evie Rabjohn, Melvine Malard and youngster Emma Watson similarly missed the Chelsea game due to various injury concerns.

Working under these constraints would be difficult for any manager and Jamie Spencer, a journalist who has covered the team extensively since their formation, believes that the situation is more complicated than the league table suggests.

"Fan criticism towards Skinner harshly began bubbling under the surface last season, but it seemed to reach new heights on Sunday and social media wasn’t a pleasant place to be during or after the defeat at Stamford Bridge," he told GOAL.

"United were close to perfection last season and were effectively just two agonisingly narrow 1-0 losses against Chelsea away from completing a WSL and FA Cup double. The team set a new clean sheet record and Chelsea needed a record WSL points tally to stay ahead. When that is the benchmark you’ve set yourself, there isn’t much room to improve, and it’s been tough going because results have tailed off - the stark reality is that United are 10 points worse off now than at the same stage of last season.

"League tables don’t lie, but it is more nuanced. Key players (and staff) left and new ones are yet to fully click – all but one of the eight outfield summer signings has suffered at least minor injuries, with several out long-term. Building a successful team in those circumstances and in the growing win-now culture that is elite women’s football is far from easy."

Regardless, the club has a big decision to make when Skinner's contract expires in the summer. And that sizeable call will now be made by an entirely different set of powerbrokers following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover at Old Trafford.

Leading the charge will be newly-appointed chief executive Omar Berrada, and regardless of what he and Ratcliffe decide regarding Skinner's future, the new owners' arrival seems to offer plenty for the women's side of things to be positive about.

Since INEOS' arrival was announced, the incoming executives have made efforts to ensure that both of their major teams feel valued. Ratcliffe met key figures in the women's team before they jetted off to their warm-weather training camp earlier this month, while Sir Dave Brailsford - who will conduct an audit of the club once the takeover is ratified - has held discussions with key stakeholders on two occasions, according to The Athletic.

Berrada has experience in improving women's teams, too. A previous member of the WSL and Women's Championship working group, it's understood he played a significant role in ensuring Manchester City secured world-class facilities during his stint at the Etihad.

It's been reported that United will also be adding a new head of women's and academy negotiations, as they look to avoid a repeat of their recent contract gaffes.

These are all encouraging signs, but as always in women's football, actions will speak louder than words - and there is much for the new ownership to get their teeth stuck into.

Regardless of whether Skinner is kept on or not, it's pretty clear that a reset of some sort is required if United are ever going to establish themselves as a proper force in the WSL. In order to arrest the trend of their best players leaving for nothing, they need to be able to offer an exciting, long-term project.

There is not enough depth in the squad either, especially when compared with those they want to usurp at the top of the table. INEOS should be looking to overhaul the team's recruitment, not just by investing more money, but by spending with increased precision and with a holistic approach.

Getting the match-going fans back on side by improving the results and making the Leigh Sports Village experience as enjoyable as possible while increasing the amount of games at Old Trafford will be further priorities. And the list goes on...

While economics will dictate that the men's team receives far more focus in the short term, once Ratcliffe and Co get to work properly, it's imperative that they do not allow the women's section to stagnate.

The gulf between United and their rivals in terms of WSL points this season is mirrored in most off-field areas, too. It's an untenable situation if Ratcliffe is to make good on his promise to get the club "back where we belong, at the very top of English, European and world football."