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6 months ago
26 Wembley for an FA Cup final. Exciting, right? Well, kind of.
It’s been a bit of a season. Following last season’s second-place league finish and respectable display in the FA Cup final, losing narrowly to Chelsea, there were high hopes for this season. Champions League football, building on last season’s foundations. Two big-name players left in the summer but a wealth of talent arrived too. Financial investment was certainly forthcoming. In a league where the top three are rewarded with Champions League football, fourth place is reserved for the nearly team or the best of the rest. Four WSL seasons saw progression from the best of the rest to the nearly team to last season’s breakthrough not only into the top three, but a title challenge. A points tally that forced Chelsea to break records in order to retain their title.
Then there’s this season.
Fourth place this year isn’t the bottom of the top four. It’s the top of the bottom nine, and reader, we’re not even likely to finish fourth. A much improved Liverpool need to lose to a poor Leicester side while we need to beat title-chasing Chelsea at Old Trafford to leapfrog the scousers into fourth. A position few would suggest we deserve. With only one point from seven games against the rest of the current top five, the chance of upsetting Emma Hayes’ farewell tour seems unlikely.
Luckily, we’ve already played our part in pushing her towards a Jurgen Klopp style farewell by dumping Chelsea out of the FA Cup in the semi-final which provided one of few highlights. With a league cup final defeat to Arsenal and Barca ruining her European hopes, the league title is all she has left. Diddums.
That semi-final set up a second Wembley date in as many years though as we face Spurs this Sunday. On paper, we’re the favourites this time after failing in our role of plucky little underdog last time round. On grass, we’re barely good enough to be underdogs. Despite the poor league campaign though we’ve earned our Wembley spot again. The meaning behind a cup tie seems to have inspired our players beyond what they, or manager Marc Skinner, have managed in the league. Three poor performances since that semi-final win vs Chelsea have diluted some fans’ confidence of our first major trophy. Not me. I think the occasion will bring the best out of our talented squad and at our best we should have far too much for anything Spurs can manage.
Spurs will be without Grace Clinton, ineligible as she’s on loan from us and has been one of their most important players. Spurs are much improved on last season but despite that, still sit seven points behind our shambles with a game in hand. The ceilings are levels apart and any level of commitment, without complacency, should bring home the trophy.
There is an element of the fanbase (there always is, isn’t there) that wouldn’t be disappointed to see us lose in the hope that failure would mean the end of our current manager. Marc Skinner has taken us to our best ever season by far…..and then to our worst. While I cringe at the frequent agenda on display against Skinner, it isn’t difficult to see his shortcomings this season. Unable to cope with the loss of Martin Ho as his number two, we haven’t seen the same squad harmony, character or consistency this season. There have been glimpses of the sensational, the second half of the Champions League qualifier first leg suggested we had an elite attacking force on our hands; abject would be the most common adjective though and Skinner’s job is rightly questioned. Rumour has it there’s a 12 month extension on the table. He wants longer, the club may want to assess the situation and come up with a long term plan before committing. Had we scraped top three I could see the logic in a 12 month assessment but the fall has been so great that even 12 months seems generous. After a season where every game held the intensity of high hopes, vital points and countless comebacks, the drab comedown this term has been heartbreaking.
Yet we still have Wembley.
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— Andy – Barmy Article MUWomen fanzine (@sl8r7) May 8, 2024
With so much backstory and behind the scenes drama it’s easy to forget the excitement of an FA Cup final is fast approaching. A sold out Wembley, a 12,000 strong United end with doubtless more populating the excessive neutral areas. A weather forecast to match last year’s sunshine, a proper Cup final day. At last count, eight coaches will depart Old Trafford cricket ground (with the football ground in use for a men’s home match) to ferry supporters’ club members and more to the capital. A sea of red with banners, a surfer flag, mosaic, a real carnival atmosphere is promised….but then there’ll be football. Much is made of the ‘day out’ at women’s football but for the 90+ minutes between whistles the carnival can wait.
A first major trophy would signal United’s arrival in the proper record books. The benchmark has to be consistent Champions League qualification, but looking back in years to come will centre around trophy counts, and if ever a set of fans deserves a trophy it’s this set. The barmy army in all its forms has contributed to dragging the women’s football crowd into something that resembles support. No longer is it an audience, it’s a vital part of matchday. Regularly revered in post match interviews and club PR; the comments are predictable enough but you feel the sincerity behind it.
Many have been there since the resurrection of this team, a 1-0 away win against a declining Liverpool team where Ella Toone, Millie Turner, Leah Galton and current captain Katie Zelem all featured. The four OG’s who remain at the club and are likely starters in Sunday’s cup final.
Katie Zelem, who has her share of detractors, gave up Champions League football with Juventus to come home in 2018. She dropped to the Championship because her childhood club finally had a team she could play for. She was rewarded last season with the privilege of leading her team out at Wembley. This season, she’ll hope to go one better.
For those able to look past the circus at the club and get excited about the prospect of another FA Cup final, it’ll be our privilege to watch her lift that trophy should we achieve what we’re capable of.
Whatever the squad, coaching staff or manager looks like next season, we’re all in this one together.
