Manchester United are set to appoint Gavin Beith, a former assistant at Hearts, to Eva Olid’s coaching staff, while Carl Green is expected to depart the club, The Cutback can reveal.
Beith reunites with Olid who was head coach of the SWPL champions for five years. He was part of Olid’s coaching staff during the 2023-24 season where Hearts finished fifth.
His other coaching roles have included time within the Scottish national youth teams, and a joint head coach stint with Aberdeen Women from 2021 to 2023.
The Cutback understands that assistant coach Carl Green is set to leave the club following Marc Skinner’s departure earlier this month. Green joined the club in August 2021, having worked closely with Skinner at Orlando Pride.
United’s coaching group still includes assistant coach Scott Rogers and first team coach Dan Bale.
Olid was appointed following Marc Skinner’s abrupt exit on 6 August. Skinner had been at United for five years, had won an FA Cup and steered United to the Champions League for the first time. However, there had been signs of frustration from the United boss across the last 12 months.
For several years, Skinner had been managing within restricted means as United’s hierarchy had been vocal about the cost burden of the women’s team.
Last season, when United were eliminated from their debut campaign in the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, Skinner began to show some frustrations with the lack of financial support for his project, telling reporters at the time: “I think we will learn from what investment is really needed to go into this level of competition for consistent years”.
He added: “I want to say this, I’m incredibly proud of what my players are doing with the resources we have. But if we want to compete at this latter stage, we’ve seen what we’ve got to do, as a club. And then it’s our choice now, isn’t it? We have to look at what we seriously want to achieve and we’ll learn and grow from it. Even as a club, we’re still learning. It takes, sometimes, a punch in the face to wake up.”
United have had a lopsided transfer window, which has seen the departures of Melvine Malard, Lisa Naalsund and Millie Turner, all for significant transfer fees.
Malard’s £850,000-sale to Chelsea, which should have indicated ambition to reinvest in the squad, has been met with relative silence in the transfer window. United’s only signings have been goalkeeper Janina Leitzig from Leicester City, who will be number two to Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and Spanish defender Andrea Medina.
Multiple sources informed The Cutback earlier this month that senior players within the squad have raised concerns about the direction of the club since returning for pre-season, questioning the lack of transfer activity and investment into the overall squad.
The Cutback understands that prior to Skinner’s departure, there was a meeting in which players were informed of the financial constraints facing Manchester United this season. It was communicated that the club would be focusing on recruiting younger players and youth development.
Sources close to the club have informed The Cutback that there is concern around the current level of transfer spending across the WSL and believe it is not sustainable.
The Reds begin their WSL campaign away to London City Lionesses on 4 September.
