Marc Skinner retains an air of defiance after winning the FA Cup with Man United amid uncertainty over his future… while Sir Jim Ratcliffe was a notable omission at Wembley by choosing to prioritise the men’s team, writes KATHRYN BATTE

There was an air of defiance as Marc Skinner walked into his post-match press conference at Wembley with the FA Cup trophy aloft.

This was undoubtedly Skinner’s best day since taking over as manager in 2021, but uncertainty over his future remains. It’s a strange parallel.

Rachel Williams, who scored United’s second goal in the 4-0 win over Tottenham, said the win masks the problems the club has had this season. United currently sit fifth in the Women’s Super League and with one game remaining this would be their worst ever finish in the top flight.

United should be able to celebrate their achievements at Wembley. It was a historic day that could become the springboard for future success. But the idea that it masks the club’s underperformance in the league may be a bit of an exaggeration.

Skinner, who is out of contract at the end of the season, must hold discussions with the club’s owners about the direction they want to take.

But there was a notable absence from Wembley on Sunday. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s minority owner and INEOS leader, opted to watch the men’s match with Arsenal at Old Trafford instead. United did have board representatives at the match, including Avram Glazer.

One of the alleged reasons why Ratcliffe was not at Wembley is because he was meeting Sir Keir Starmer and Lord Coe, who were guests of Andy Burnham, to discuss the regeneration of Manchester and a possible new stadium for the United. Of course, Starmer lives in London and a meeting at Wembley would have been a shorter trip indeed.

Others on social media argued that Ratcliffe is only the minority owner, so why should he be at Wembley? It made sense that Avram Glazer was there. Only it didn’t seem logical to those United fans in the stadium, who cheered loudly when Glazer came into view.

Ratcliffe is now the face of United and minority shareholder or not, INEOS is in charge of its football operations, which also includes the women’s team.

Compare Ratcliffe with Joan Laporta, president and face of Barcelona, ​​and there is a stark contrast. Laporta traveled to London for the second leg of Barca’s Champions League semi-final with Chelsea and is a regular.

Tottenham’s representation at Wembley was much larger than United’s. Chairman Daniel Levy was in attendance, as were Executive Director Donna-Maria Cullen and Ambassadors Ledley King and Ossie Ardiles.

Tottenham didn’t have a match in the match because the men had played a day earlier, but the point is, if Ratcliffe really wanted to be at Wembley, he would have gone. He chose to go to Old Trafford and that’s fine. He doesn’t have to be interested in women’s football.

He doesn’t have to watch games if he doesn’t want to. He can tick the boxes and delegate the handling of daily tasks to other people.

But if that’s the case, then United should spare us the ‘One Club’ clichés. Many teams use this PR line when talking about their women’s teams.

Many share training grounds, play some matches in the big stadiums and we may get some sort of social media crossover between men’s and women’s players every now and then. But few can actually claim to be ‘One Club’.

Someone tried to tell me on social media that if Ratcliffe had gone to Wembley he would have been criticized for neglecting the men’s team, which is possibly one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard.

At least Tottenham practiced what they preached on Sunday. “I think it shows that we are really doing this,” Spurs boss Robert Vilahamn said at the club’s representation.

‘We want to be all-in with women’s football. Daniel Levy, Donna-Maria Cullen, Andy Rogers, everyone is here today to support the team. It shows something. They show through actions how they want to do this.

“I think it’s a win-win situation for everyone because we’re going to do it together. That’s why I’m here.’

To claim a ‘One Club’ approach, the face of that club must appear for both teams.

Vivianne Miedema is preparing to say goodbye to Arsenal

Vivianne Miedema will leave Arsenal at the end of the season and it appears Manchester City are pushing to sign the striker on a free transfer. Miedema, the WSL’s all-time top scorer, was not offered a new contract by the Gunners.

It is understood the club believes this is a natural end to seven successful years at the club and is looking to focus resources in other areas, including revamping the squad.

It was interesting to note that there were no quotes from manager Jonas Eidevall in the club’s press release. Likewise, Miedema did not mention Eidevall in her farewell video.

England beckons for Aggie-Beever Jones

It is certainly time for Chelsea forward Aggie-Beever Jones to receive her first senior England call-up on Tuesday.

Sarina Wiegman will name her squad for the double-header with France at Wembley and Beever-Jones would be the obvious replacement for Rachel Daly, who retired from international football last month.

The forward has scored 11 goals in the WSL season. Lauren James is the only English player with more (13).

Women’s referees praised for FA Cup final performance

Referees in the Women’s Super League have come in for their fair share of criticism this season, but Abigail Byrne and her assistants were outstanding at Wembley. A special mention deserves Sophie Dennington, who spoke eloquently about her journey before the competition.

Dennington was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and at age 13 had the reading and spelling age of a seven-year-old.

She had hoped her story would be an inspiration to others. She can be very proud of her performance on the big stage.