Manchester United Women’s team is on the verge of reaching their first major final, just five years after being reformed. The club had previously disbanded its women’s team in 2005, but re-entered a team into the second-tier Championship for the 2018-19 season, which they finished as champions. Victory against Brighton in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final on Saturday would secure a place at Wembley Stadium on 14 May. The team’s success has been built on a strong foundation, with a focus on building a squad to compete from the Championship, rather than going in at the top level and spending millions of pounds.
The absence of a senior women’s team at Manchester United left a « gaping hole » in English women’s football, according to midfielder Izzy Christiansen, who was forced to move to Everton as a youth player to pursue her ambitions. However, the club’s academy continued through the United Foundation, producing players such as Christiansen and Katie Zelem. The team’s success has been built on a strong foundation, with a focus on building a squad to compete from the Championship, rather than going in at the top level and spending millions of pounds.
Despite the team’s success on the pitch, there remains some uncertainty off it, with a takeover looming in the future. However, for now, the team sits a point clear at the top of the Women’s Super League and 90 minutes from Wembley. The team’s philosophy is to get even better at what they already do well, building a winning mentality and resilience to keep fighting and break into the top four. A first final would be a massive achievement for the team, which has gone from strength to strength since its reformation.
Keywords: Manchester United Women, Women’s Super League, FA Cup, Championship, Izzy Christiansen, Katie Zelem, Wembley Stadium, takeover, winning mentality.