Eva Olid Takes Charge of Manchester United Women's Team

Manchester United have handed the keys of their women’s team to Eva Olid, a coach who built a reputation in Scotland for tearing up expectations and rewriting ceilings.

The 40-year-old Spaniard has signed a two-year deal, with an option for a further 12 months, stepping into the role vacated by Marc Skinner, who left by mutual consent on Monday – just a month before the Women’s Super League season begins.

For United, the brief was clear: find a builder, not just a manager. Someone who improves players, not just league positions. Olid fits that profile.

From virtual unknown to title-chasing architect

When Olid arrived at Hearts, she was a virtual unknown outside coaching circles. She left as the architect of the club’s greatest modern rise.

Hearts had never been a serious force in Scottish women’s football. By the time she walked away in May, they were top of the Scottish Women’s Premier League pile and had just delivered the club’s first major silverware. She also took them to their first domestic final, only to fall to Rangers in the 2024 Scottish Cup.

Her impact went far beyond a trophy and a league position. She changed the way Hearts played – and the way they thought about themselves.

Olid built her side on a bold, front-foot philosophy. A 3-4-3 shape, a goalkeeper asked to act as a fourth defender, and a relentless attacking mentality. Hearts became the league’s great entertainers and executioners in the same breath.

They finished last season as top scorers in the SWPL with 85 goals. Only Rangers, with 80, were even in the same postcode. That statistic alone will sharpen the attention of United’s frontline of Ella Toone, Lea Schuller and Elisabeth Terland. Under Olid, chances are not a luxury. They are a requirement.

Tactical edge and a ruthless Plan B

Olid is not just an idealist. She knows when to bend her principles to win.

Across her first four seasons in Scotland, she could not find a way past Glasgow City. Four years, no victory. In April, that changed.

She went against type. Hearts dropped deeper, tightened up, and leaned into a defensive game plan. The reward was a 1-0 win and top spot in the table. It was a statement result and, as it turned out, a farewell note.

That was the day she confirmed she would leave Hearts, admitting she could not walk away without beating Glasgow City at least once. It said everything about her competitiveness – and her willingness to adapt when the moment demands it.

Former Hearts captain Georgia Hunter, who moved to Ipswich this summer, was unequivocal about Olid’s influence.

“She’s a great manager, very, very good,” she told BBC Sport. “I learnt so much. The transition with all the players and [where] she took the club to is absolutely amazing.”

A coach built for development

Inside Old Trafford, the job description for Skinner’s successor was framed around one core theme: development.

United wanted a coach with a history of improving players, particularly young ones. Someone who could elevate individuals week after week, not just ride the form of established stars.

Olid’s track record ticks that box. At Hearts, she fast-tracked teenage talent, including the Husband twins, Erin and Jess, who both made their debuts at 15 under her watch. She also spent time working with the Scotland women’s national team, further sharpening her eye for youth and potential.

“Eva is the perfect coach to lead us into an exciting new era – she shares our commitment to developing exciting homegrown and young players,” said Matt Johnson, United’s director of women’s football.

For a club that has stressed the importance of a clear pathway from academy to first team, that alignment matters. United have not just hired a tactician; they have hired a teacher.

A swift appointment, a steep step up

The speed of the appointment tells its own story. Skinner’s exit was confirmed on Monday. Within 24 hours, Olid’s contract was signed. United had done their homework early and moved decisively.

The leap she now takes is significant. Success in the Scottish Women’s Premier League is one thing; the weekly intensity of the WSL is another. The scrutiny is harsher, the spotlight brighter, the margin for error slimmer.

Olid arrives as something of an enigma to English audiences. Popular at Hearts, admired in Scotland, but untested in the WSL and in European competition. That mystery only adds intrigue to the appointment.

Inside the club, the direction is clear. They believe she can bring a new style of football, shaped by her Spanish roots and refined in Scotland’s demanding environment. They expect a side that plays with aggression, technical quality and bravery on the ball.

Pressure, expectation and a restless fanbase

Olid walks into a dressing room that has been stripped back over the summer and a fanbase that has grown increasingly frustrated with the club’s ambition for its women’s team.

Skinner’s departure reopened old questions about United’s commitment to matching the standards of the league’s elite. Those questions will not be answered by a press release or a contract length. They will be answered on the pitch.

The pressure on Olid will be immediate. Some of it is simply the weight of the badge; some of it is the product of recent underachievement. She must stabilise a depleted squad, embed youthful talent and imprint a clear identity – fast.

Her first competitive marker comes in four weeks, away to London City Lionesses on 4 September. That opener will not define her tenure, but it will offer an early glimpse of what Manchester United Women are becoming under their new coach.

Olid called the job “a dream come true”. The dream now meets the reality of the WSL. How quickly she can turn her attacking blueprint and development pedigree into results will shape not just her own reputation, but the trajectory of United’s women’s project in the seasons ahead.