Above: Manchester United celebrate scoring a goal earlier this year Photo: @ManUtdWomen on X
By Ben Tattoo (31/10/25)
The great Mia Hamm once said: “There are always new, grander challenges to confront, and a true winner will embrace each one”. Manchester United are certainly embracing grander challenges this season, their first competing in four major competitions, including the league phase of the Champions League, after missing out in the qualifying rounds in 2023-2024.
Not only are they competing, but they have won their first two games in the Champions League and impressed many with their excellent start to the Women’s Super League.
The Red Devils are currently one of the only two teams still to be defeated in the WSL this season, currently sitting in third place, with four wins and two draws, conceding the joint least (3) and scoring the second most (16) goals.
Despite all the positives, United fans will know better than to get too excited too soon, and the team’s squad depth (or lack thereof) has the potential to threaten a very promising season.
Games, games and more games
Before the League Cup final last season, Lucy Bronze stressed how key Chelsea’s squad depth was when competing deep into four competitions.
“If we didn’t have as big a squad, maybe it might have went against us, we wouldn’t have had the team to put out on those games”, the defender reflected.
Top teams are playing more games than ever, with the expanded Champions League beginning this season and the WSL expanding to 14 teams in 2026-2027. Not to mention the growing international competitions.
This season, it will be United looking to compete on the same four fronts; and were they to get through to the final of all four competitions, they could end up playing up to 47 games, on top of international football.
It is a brutal number of fixtures for Marc Skinner’s squad, who could play 17 more matches than their neighbouring rivals and title contenders Manchester City.
United do not have the squad depth that Chelsea and City have, nor the winning experience that Arsenal boast. Such a huge number of games could push Skinner’s squad to breaking point.
A lack of rotation
With an increased number of games being played, good squad rotation is more important than ever.
City’s long injury list last season is the perfect example of the price teams can pay when facing more fixtures, and former manager Gareth Taylor was often accused of not rotating his side enough before he left the club.
Skinner will need to be mindful not to make the same mistakes. After competing in the Champions League qualifying rounds, United have already played four more games than any other WSL side. Despite this, United have used the joint fewest number of different players.
Number of different players used by WSL clubs this season
Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Maya Le Tissier, Hinata Miyazawa and Ella Toone have started all 12 matches played; while Anna Sandburg, Dominique Janssen, Jayde Riviere and Elisabeth Terland have started all but one.
In fact, last season’s golden glove winner Tullis-Joyce, captain Le Tissier and Miyazawa are yet to miss a minute so far this season due to the trio’s crucial roles in the side. Miyazawa has been a revelation in midfield, and as such any long-term injury could be seriously derailing.
Skinner may point to a lack of availability at the start of the season. Despite being allowed to have nine players on the bench for WSL games, United have only managed to do so for three of their six WSL games so far.
Skinner is showing a tendency to make his substitutions late in games, meaning that even when players are getting a rest, it is not for long.
In the WSL, Millie Turner, Gabrielle George, Rachel Williams, and Leah Galton have featured in 11 matches between them, yet none have played over 90 minutes this season.
Skinner may need to begin trusting his squad more as the season progresses.
A versatile squad
A strength in United’s favour is that many of their players are versatile enough to fit into different positions, with a variety of formations applied, depending on the players used and the opposition faced.
New signings Jess Park and Fridolina Rolfo have fitted seamlessly into the side and have been effective in several positions, with Park operating across the front line and Rolfo in both a left back and left wing spot.
The ability of his players to adapt to different positions offers Skinner more flexibility if players get injured or he wants to adapt his system.
Could reinforcements arrive in January?
Injuries can so often ruin seasons at crucial times, and Marc Skinner must be careful to avoid that happening at Man United this season. He is not one to catastrophise when the going gets tough. United’s lack of squad depth and rotation has not affected them yet, and it is important not to think too far ahead.
However, if they are still competing well on all four fronts come January, it will be interesting to see if the Red Devils’ ownership will back the team with some potentially much-needed reinforcements to try and get some trophies over the line.
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