The worrying to-do list facing Marc Skinner at Manchester United Women

Marc Skinner returns to England to take the vacant Manchester United Women hot-seat - and has a very full in-tray of tasks to deal with on his arrival.

The 38-year-old has been in the USA, where he was in charge of Orlando Pride, but is better known in England for his time in charge at Birmingham City Women.

When he arrives at United, Skinner will have a tough job on his hands. He joins a club in disarray, with his squad already depleted after a fourth-place finish last season.

Former manager Casey Stoney departed amid rumours that she was fed up with the club's failure to communicate with the women's side of things, and the lack of top-class facilities for them.

That included accommodation, according to previous reports, which likened the players' housing to student flats.

It also included the training set-up; the women had been working at Leigh Sports Village but after a string of injuries were picked up during training sessions, the squad moved to Carrington - where the men train - but had to slot in around the men's schedules.

And it included clarity over the club's ambitions. Stoney's United team finished fourth last season, just outside the Champions League spots, the same as they achieved in their first WSL season, in the pandemic-truncated 2019/20.

The team have been without a manager for two months so it's perhaps no surprise that some of their stars have headed for the door, including midfield star Lauren James and strikers Jess Sigsworth and Jane Ross.

There have been plenty of other indications from behind the scenes that all is not well at United.

Last month, kit manufacturers Adidas captioned United player (and one of their own roster) Millie Turner as former team-mate Amy (who has since joined Orlando Pride).

United have defended themselves, of course, saying that they have made plenty of new appointments to the medical and sports science staff for the women's team. However, they have also made a string of assurances stretching back to the team's professional launch in 2018 guaranteeing a revamp of the old training facility at The Cliff, which would be for the women's sole use.

Ed Woodward was quoted in the press release announcing Skinner's arrival, declaring: "Marc is a coach with proven pedigree in the WSL and we are delighted he is joining the club and returning to the league after his recent time in the US.

And they'll take plenty of reassurance from some of the players they still have - England's Ella Toone and Netherlands' Jackie Groenen are currently featuring in the Olympic Games, and the club has also just announced the arrivals of Scotland striker Martha Thomas, England youth goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley, Chelsea's Hannah Blundell and former Manchester City player Aoife Mannion as well as Norway international Vilde Boe Risa.

Skinner has four weeks to get his squad sorted out and in the right frame of mind to launch into the new Women's Super League season at the start of September.