Can the Manchester United Women’s team break into the top three?
After an impressive first season in Women's Super League Manchester United Women will be looking to push on and challenge for a Champions League position in just their third year as a newly reformed team.
The United team winning the Women’s Championship and securing promotion in their first season. Flickr / James Boyes
After an impressive first season in Women’s Super League, Manchester United Women will be looking to push on and challenge for a Champions League position in just their third year as a newly reformed team.
Last season, their first season in the WSL and their second season as a newly re-formed club, the Manchester United Women’s team managed to break into the top four, losing just five times in the league and winning half of their games.
There was still a clear gap between themselves and the elusive top three, however, as Casey Stoney’s team finished thirteen points behind Arsenal, with Manchester City and Chelsea ahead of them in second and first, respectively. The London team, who did not lose a game in the league, took the top spot ahead of City after the final league table was decided on a points-per-game basis due to the suspension of the season.
Arsenal, City and Chelsea have dominated the Women’s Super League in recent years, with the teams retaining the top three positions since 2015 and all three having won at least one title in that period.
To have a chance of improving on their fourth place finish, and grabbing one of the two Champions League spots, United will have to improve their results against the top three.
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Manchester United manager Casey Stoney. Wikimedia Commons / James Boyes
United lost all the games they managed to play against the League’s top three before the season was suspended, although they did beat local rivals Manchester City in the Continental Cup back in October.
The opening fixture of the 2020/21 season, however, saw United rescue a draw against reigning Champions Chelsea, with the game finishing 1-1.
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The game also saw an appearance from Pernille Harder, who signed for Chelsea this summer for a reported world record fee for a female player.
While United do not currently find themselves in the position to attract the same calibre of player as Chelsea and other successful teams––Stoney herself says that she and the club are committed to building the team at their own pace––they have made six signings this month in an attempt to push on in their development.
The summer singings include English internationals Lucy Staniforth and Alessia Russo.
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The club will also be joined by the experienced and two-time World Cup winners Tobin Heath and Christen Press, who won managed to get their hands on the trophy with the United States back in 2015 and 2019.
Heath will bring the more experience to the Manchester team, having won 168 caps for her country and two National Women’s Soccer League titles with the Portland Thorns. She was also shortlisted for the Women’s Ballon D’or in 2019.
Press, however, has previously played in Europe and managed to reach the Champions League Final with Swedish team Tyresö FF back in 2014.
The two Americans are not the only additions to the WSL from across the Atlantic, as this summer also saw World Cup winners Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle join Manchester City and, what is likely to be the most high profile deal in the history of the WSL, World Cup Winner and US co-captain Alex Morgan sign for Tottenham on loan.
This summer has shown England to be an attractive location for some of the best and most high-profile talent in women’s football, but it remains to be seen if the fledging Manchester United can keep up with those around them and pose a challenge to the veterans of the league who stand ahead of them.
After a convincing 5-2 win against Birmingham in their second game of the season, next up for United is Brighton on the 4th of October.
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A Manchester-based runner has broken an ultramarathon record by running across the desert
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has a growing obsession with running and endurance events, in particular, did you hear about a locally based runner who’s set the record for legging it across a literal desert?
That’s some ‘Hardest Geezer’ stuff right there.
Yes, whether it’s the likes of the Great MCR Run and October Half, the fully fledged Manchester Marathon, or dare we say it, an extra hard ultra, the region seems to be absolutely chock-full of runners and events these days.
That being said, despite being inspired by countless individuals over the past few years, the feat that has impressed us most this year is the incredible achievement by one man: Alex Welch from Wilmslow.
We’re pretty sure this is the bloke The Pretenders must have been talking about.
Based right here in 0161, by day Alex Welch is employed as a senior cyber security sales specialist at a major European IT services company, SCC, over in Stretford.
However, by both day and night for a full working week late last month, the 29-year-old swapped his computers for a very sturdy pair of running trainers; trail shoes, to be specific, as he trekked across the Namib Desert in Africa.
Stretching more than 2,000 kilometres in total, spanning the reaches of Angola, Namibia and parts of South Africa, the talented distance runner ran approximately 12.5% of that entire landmass over the course of five days.
Broken up into five stages – 50km, 50k, 42k and 22k, as well as a truly brutal 92k day to finish – not only did the indefinable Cheshire-born bloke reach the finish line, but he did so in record time.
Let’s be honest, anyone challenging themselves with the course is clearly an absolute machine, but as seen above and now fully verified, Alex here did so in 24 hours and 27 minutes.
Taking just over a day to complete the entire thing, Alex led every beating everyone else in every single stage and ended up surpassing legendary American ultra runner and now race director Adam Kimble’s time from 2018 by almost 40 whole minutes. Utterly staggering stuff.
Signing up as an official OOSH-sponsored athlete for the event, having only just podiumed at the Ice Ultra round the Arctic Circle back in February, AND the Mountain Ultra across Kyrgyzstan this past June, he’s quite literally ‘endured blistering cold and scorching desert’ (one for Shrek 2 fans, there).
Commenting on the unbelievable achievement, the local lad said: “Namibia was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The heat was on another level, and every stage demanded absolute focus. To come away with the win – and a course record – is overwhelming.
“After the Arctic and Kyrgyzstan, this was the challenge I had been building towards all season. I’m grateful for everyone who has supported me, particularly my colleagues at SCC who have backed me every step of the way.”
Well done, Alex – we’re off to have a lie down because we’re tired just thinking about what you’ve just done, so hope you’ve at least got a few weeks of relaxation and victory pints lined up. That’s how we toasted our taste of an ultra, anyway…
Manchester City are hosting special Christmas-themed tours of the Etihad Stadium
Danny Jones
Manchester City FC’s critically acclaimed stadium tour is about to get super festive, as the Etihad Stadium are now hosting special Christmas-themed walks around the ground.
You’ve watched the tales of the ‘Centurions’, ‘Treble winners, the ‘Fourmidables’, and plenty of other ‘Cityzen’ stories play out in front of you, but have you visited the hallowed halls while their decked doughs of holly for yourself?
Well, now’s your chance.
Hosting a series of exclusive festive tours around the Etihad this month, Man City fans, club-obsessed kids, and football fanatic tourists in general can take a walk around the impressive sporting arena for the perfect early Christmas present.
In addition to being able to walk around the famous home of the Blues, sit in the home team dressing room and see the trophy cabinet, fans of all ages can now field questions with virtual Pep and Haaland in their very own press conference, before walking down the tunnel, into the dugout and sitting pitchside.
Once you’ve finished warming up the gaffer’s very own seat (they’re actually already heated), supporters can look forward to a brand-new dancing light display, plus more heartwarming entertainment in the form of Christmas carol audio recorded by Manchester’s very own Hallé Youth Choir.
As if that wasn’t enough, ‘Beyond the Blue Moon’ VR experiences and special ‘Etihad After Dark’ tours will be available, too, giving people from all over and of all ages an extra opportunity to turn up and make the most of this truly global club.
You can even grab a warming mulled wine or hot Vimto during the evening slots to keep your hands nice and toasty as you go around – be rude not to.
Rumour has it Santa may have left a gift lying around each day, too. Safe to say that puts our Advent calendar this year to shame…
Credit: Man City (supplied)
Here’s hoping he doesn’t get a telling off for wearing red…
Evening tours at the Eithad will be held from 5:30 and 6pm on 7, 12, 14, 18, 22 and December, and the main slot will be running all the way up until Christmas Eve (24 Dec).
You can even grab a warming mulled wine or hot Vimto to keep your hands nice and toasty as you go around – be rude not to.
Tickets start from only £26 per person and family passes are priced at just £60.
Better still, you can even spring for the VIP package if you fancy: a two-hour experience that is one of the most interactive and immersive you’ll find anywhere.
The Etihad Stadium is currently in the middle of a huge redevelopment, both in terms of size and things to do around the wider Campus, with the expanded North Stand not only seeing matchday fan capacity increased to over 60k, but a new club shop, sky bar, hotel, and a rooftop walk being added.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder that the already award-winning City stadium tours are simultaneously seeing an upgrade over the holiday period.
Being given the Tripadvisor seal of approval once again last year, as the club were once again recognised in the Travellers’ Choice ‘Best of the Best’ – putting them not just in the top three stadium tours in the UK but in the top 1% of the most highly rated in the world – things are only getting bigger.
You can find out full availability, timings and where to get tickets right HERE.
Kate Jackson -
14th September 2020 
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