03 Aug 2026 13:23:55
Mark Skinner departs. Reports suggest the main reason is recruitment philosophy, with the club wanting to rely on home grown talent and in the belief that the numbers simply don't justify major investments in players.
Is this the same approach that's being applied to the men's team? There are strong indications that it is. To some extent it makes sense. Raising young players can be a good source of transfer income, and the few that actually rise to the level of being good enough to play in truly contending teams, can provide enormous financial benefit. But the question is, can you win anything major without competing for and bringing in a few of the world's top talents? They said you can't Winn anything with kids but the class of 92 proved them wrong. However, in those days all the squads were made up mainly from British players with a smattering of northern Europeans. Is it possible in this now global market for both talent and audiences to replicate such an achievement? I honestly doubt it.
So, 3 weeks to go in the window. There could yet be a signing or two that demonstrates an intent to actually compete with the top teams. I don't accept that, despite the debt, the money isn't there for a major signing or two. What may be absent is the will. What's concerning is that the apparent women's team strategy that caused the rift with Skinner is in fact the same as that being applied to the men's team.
We have some good players who demonstrated last year that they can play with the best teams, but I can't see us breaking through the ceiling into the top tier while competing on all fronts, without a few more truly top players.
03 Aug 2026 18:45:28
I highly doubt it. The reality is the women's game is a long, long way behind the men's team. Pretty much every single women's team runs at a loss currently.
Clubs need to cut their cloth accordingly. There is little to be gained by investing heavily in the women's team other than kudos and moral standing.
The prize money and the gate receipts just don't add up to enough to justify heavy investment.
Which is a very different situation to the men's game that generates billions each year.