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The Mancunian rain teemed down relentlessly on Old Trafford as Mary Earps took to English soil for the first time in a year.
It was a fitting backdrop for the storied return of one of Manchester United Women’s greatest ever players – and, on this occasion, their first Champions League match here in history. It was also easy to see why the former England No. 1 had traded the dreary north-west for the City of Lights and all its picturesque charm.
This meeting with her former side marked Earps’ first outing in her home country since starting for the Lionesses against the USA at Wembley last November.
While much of the recent attention surrounding her book, All In: Football, Life and Learning to be Unapologetically Me, has focused on the claims leveled against England head coach Sarina Wiegman and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Earps also delved into her high-profile departure from Manchester United last summer.
In the months leading up to her exit, the Euro winner’s relationship with the Old Trafford faithful had deteriorated as her contract neared its close and she looked for a move elsewhere.
In fairness to Earps, Manchester United Women appear forever suspended between two realms – one eye fixed on the future yet interminably weighed down by years of limited interest and investment.
The rain teemed down relentlessly on Old Trafford as Mary Earps returned to her former club
This meeting with former side Manchester United marked Earps’ first outing in her home country since starting for the Lionesses against the USA at Wembley last November
While the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City have been breaking the bank to flood the women’s top flight with Europe and America’s finest talent, United have seen major players depart on free transfers and go on to lift silverware elsewhere.
Still, they have managed to build a solid squad brimming with young promise, and their first-ever Champions League qualification stands as testament to a team that has consistently punched above its weight.
But football is, ultimately, a numbers game – and the reality is that United lacks the depth required to compete across multiple fronts.
Their defeat against Aston Villa at the weekend, after Marc Skinner rotated his best side with an eye on this fixture, was their first of the season – and the Reds started tonight with their untested second goalkeeper, Safia Middleton-Patel, and three full-backs amid a dearth of centre-backs.
Against this backdrop, it is little surprise that Earps decided a fresh start was the best fit for the next chapter of her career.
The irony, of course, is that Earps joined PSG to chase the riches of Champions League football, while her former club now looks in a far stronger position at this stage. Its three wins in three for Marc Skinner’s newcomers, while the French side haven’t picked up a single point in the competition so far.
As for the game itself, Earps was very much Earps. The same swagger walking around on the pitch after she was, naturally, the first one out there. The same self-assuredness and commanding presence between the posts that made it easy to see why the United fans were so afraid to lose her.
Had you slept through the past year, only the occasional ‘allez’ from the English goalkeeper would have hinted that the yellow-shirted custodian now played for the opposition.
Had you slept through the past year, only the occasional ‘allez’ from the English goalkeeper would have hinted that the yellow-shirted custodian now played for the opposition
Skinner has certainly managed to find a tune out of these youngsters so far in this competition – and United soared to third in the league phase with their victory over the Parisian outfit
And it seemed the fans were caught in two minds, too. United boss Marc Skinner had promised they would ‘pay tribute’ to what the 30-year-old had done for the club – consistently one of their standout performers for five seasons as well as leading them to their first major trophy – and the supporters appeared determined to honor that.
Every time she touched the ball, particularly in the early stages of the game, resounding boos would spark up, only to be drowned out by a standing ovation.
A wayward pass later was jeered, only for a wonderful, goal-stopping save in the 60th minute to be applauded moments later. And if Earps could have willed the ball into the net then she absolutely tried.
She was not at fault for either goal – Melvine Malard slotted past her with a powerful shot in the first half before Fridolina Rolfo’s pinpoint header retook the lead after a wonder strike from Olga Carmona had brought the scores level on the edge of half time.
Skinner has certainly managed to find a tune out of these youngsters so far in this competition – and United soared to third in the league phase after this victory.
Respect for their former shotstopper mixed with a newfound sense of optimism for the future left the crowd heading home happy for the way it all worked out in the end.
