At Manchester United Women, where the past is conspicuously murky, at least the future is bright. This is an FA Cup final that would have been unthinkable half a decade ago – in 2019, the Red Devils’ women’s outfit had only been back in existence for a year and Tottenham Hotspur had just won promotion to the Women’s Super League.
United are determined to look ahead, not back to that day in 2005 when the Glazers took the momentous decision to abolish the women’s team as they did not deem it part of their “core business interests”.
Now, as they bid for a first taste of major silverware a precedent has already been set. The U21s were recently crowned national champions, beating Arsenal in the play-off final in Hemel Hempstead – but despite that renewed sense of optimism, there will always be a sense that United do not deserve any particular praise for so belatedly joining the party. Still, it is remarkable how quickly they have established themselves as a force.
The hope is that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a minority stake – whereby Ineos have speedily seized control of football operations – will continue to advance the women’s team, though the details on their plans have been vague.
An Ineos representative is expected at Wembley, though they have been conspicuously absent from the run-in at Leigh Sports Village. Unlike at Newcastle United, for example, where the takeover prompted grand promises about the development of the women’s team – which have been lived up to – how much Ratcliffe will prioritise their United counterparts remains to be seen.
One major decision has already been taken. A source told i the recent decision to award manager Marc Skinner a new contract was met with considerable surprise within the dressing room.
Skinner is likely to remain a divisive character, with some fans vocally calling for his head earlier in the season. That mood was present even a year ago, when Sam Kerr backflipped to the tune of the winning goal in the final defeat to Chelsea.
Yet he is on the verge of delivering silverware, a major tick off the list and one which would serve to put the women’s team at the forefront of Ineos minds.
That is imperative ahead of the summer window. There has long been a sense that United’s women’s team are not able to compete with Europe’s elite financially – it is why they lost first manager Casey Stoney in 2021, and it has shaped much of what followed.
The loss of Alessia Russo to Arsenal last year felt seismic and it is feared Mary Earps will be next, the England goalkeeper’s contract expiring in June – months after she signed for a new agency. Earps is being monitored by a number of clubs in the WSL and abroad.
It would be fitting for the stopper to go out on a high if she does depart. United will be heavy favourites, but Spurs will be encouraged by question marks over Earps’ form and moreover, by the recent dress rehearsal, a 2-2 draw when Maya Le Tissier only salvaged a point in the 92nd minute. Spurs’ key duo, Beth England and Jessica Naz were both on the scoresheet.
Naz also scored the goal that got them here, albeit in extra time of a sub-par display against Leicester City in the semi-final.
Still, the remarkable job Robert Vilahamn has done since taking the job last summer deserves a showpiece like this at the national stadium.
The transition to professional status was not easy and after promotion, the club wavered between loyalty to longer-standing servants and the need for change. Former head coaches Karen Hills and Juan Amoros were sacked just two months after being given new deals in 2022 and while their replacement Rehanne Skinner initially brought progress, she left after narrowly avoiding relegation in 2023.
Vilahamn has not just ensured their top-flight status has never looked in doubt. The Swede has revolutionised the way Spurs play their football, integrating a fast-paced identity. He is something of a cup specialist too, taking former club Hacken to two domestic finals.
His ideas have not always come off, as evidenced by heavy back-to-back defeats to Manchester City (7-0) and United (4-0) towards the end of last year. However, since the north London derby defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates in early March they are unbeaten, a run which included the spectacular 4-3 penalty shootout victory over City in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Vilahamn’s side will need to avoid a calamitous start against a potent United attack, particularly after shipping two goals in the first 15 minutes against Everton before fighting back for a point.
When Spurs beat Leicester, their players buzzed around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, serenaded by a sea of navy and white flags, wielding the customary banner with the words of the club’s 1981 FA Cup final anthem: Spurs are on their way to Wembley.
And they are headed to meet a United side who are no means infallible. A win for either side will be a colossal moment in the history of their respective clubs, and it is not so long ago that few would have even imagined them being here.