It was an all too familiar feeling for Manchester United on Sunday. Once again against Chelsea, they had been weighed, they had been measured and they had been found wanting.
For the first half an hour or so at Stamford Bridge, Marc Skinner’s side barely had a kick. It took just five minutes for ex-United starlet Lauren James to silence the visiting fans with a goal from a tight angle, and the Lionesses sensation doubled her tally not long after as Chelsea cut through their opponents in wide areas with ease.
United did at least cause the Blues some discomfort in the second half after Hayley Ladd smashed home following a goalmouth scramble just before the break, but James’ clincher five minutes from time made sure of a well-deserved home victory.
The result highlighted the concerning gulf that exists between United and the Women’s Super League title-chasers this season. Skinner’s charges are now 10 points adrift of Chelsea at the top of the table, are out of the Women’s Champions League and even a top-three finish seems out of their reach at the moment as they are seven points back from Arsenal in third.
With things looking so bleak, it’s easy to forget that United pushed Emma Hayes and Co all the way in the title race last season. In the end, they would finish two points shy of the champions in 2022-23, while also tasting bitter defeat in the FA Cup final – a game they easily could have won. Although they ultimately came up empty-handed, it had been a massively encouraging campaign for the club, who five years after their formation had muscled their way into the title picture and European qualification.
However, this season has proved that the structures required to turn these green shoots into long-term success were simply not there.