Man Utd must prove they are committed to women's team after Casey Stoney exit

Casey Stoney and Manchester United women have been let down the club at a time when the team most needed the support in its rapid but still fledgling development.

Having spent a portion of the 2020/21 season top of the Women’s Super League ahead of Chelsea and Manchester City, it could be easy to forget that United were only re-born in 2018 and that this was just their second season in the top flight rubbing shoulders with the domestic elite.

Despite ultimately slipping out of the top three and missing out on a place in next season’s revamped Champions League, 2020/21 still represented progress for the team because they finished much closer to the established giants, which also includes Arsenal, to make it a ‘Big Four’.

But United still need another push to really cement that status and it appears that Stoney, a committed and demanding professional, felt the women’s team wasn’t getting it.

For Stoney this was a first ever managerial gig. She built the United squad from the ground up when she was hired as the new team’s first boss in 2018 and as much as she had been equipped with top quality players, her leadership and guidance has been a big factor behind the rapid progress.

But just as something special appeared to be building and Stoney looked as though she was in it for the long haul, the former England captain resigned, seemingly out of the blue.

It has been reported that the players were informed only an hour before the announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon and that many were left stunned by the news.

Stoney’s resignation is a huge blow to United but seems to be largely born out of ongoing frustration. The Guardian noted the tensions between her and the club that had been brewing for some time and that she had initially wanted to quit a few weeks ago.

Those tensions are thought to stem from dissatisfaction over training conditions for the women’s team. Stoney’s squad had previously trained at the Leigh Sports Village complex where the home stadium is also located, but they recently moved to the main Carrington facilities in light of a spate of injuries that contributed to the disappointing end to the season.

But Stoney’s fears about having to work around the men’s team schedule, which is said to be the reason she declined to have her team based at Carrington from the start in 2018, came true.

The Guardian adds that it is not yet clear where United’s women will train next season. However, rather damningly, it is highlighted that promises made in 2018 about improving facilities for the women at the club’s other training site, The Cliff, have gone unfulfilled.

In the resignation statement, Stoney herself made reference to the ‘disruption caused by the pandemic’ but understandably chose not to go into further detail.

A statement from United’s vocal ‘Barmy Army’ fan group has expressed concern over the ‘apparent lack of suitable facilities and infrastructure’ and has asked for ‘assurances’ from the club.

United insist they are ‘completely committed’ to the women’s team, but now, more than ever, is the time to really prove it.

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