When new Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sat down recently with the media to discuss his plans for the club’s future, the focus was, perhaps inevitably, on long-term issues relating primarily to the men’s team.
The women’s team is a relatively new entity, having been founded in 2018, but they have finished in the top four in every one of their Women’s Super League (WSL) campaigns. The media glare and scrutiny on them does not match the men’s team, but the potential for growth is huge.
The weeks since Ratcliffe and his INEOS company were confirmed as minority owners of Manchester United — with responsibility for sporting operations — have been significant for the women’s team at a time when everything at the club is being put under the microscope by INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford. United lost 3-1 to Arsenal, effectively ending any lingering WSL title hopes, and head of women’s football Polly Bancroft announced she will leave at the end of the season to become chief executive of League Two side Grimsby Town.
“If it’s a team wearing a Manchester United badge on the shirt, then it’s Manchester United and they need to be focused on winning and being successful,” Ratcliffe said when specifically asked about his ambitions for the…
