The Women’s Super League is entering a new era where players and managers can expect to face more scrutiny according to pundit Sue Smith.

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner came under intense pressure last season and while he seems to have turned a corner, the same could not be said for Jonas Eidevall, who resigned from his post as Arsenal manager after a poor run of results which saw fans turn on the Swede.

Smith, who finished her playing career in 2016, says the spotlight on players and coaches has never been greater.

“We never had that demand for change. Managers probably stayed in their position for too long where there wasn’t that pressure or expectation,” reflected Smith, speaking at the Copa del Cure Leukaemia tournament at St George’s Park. 

“It’s now on the TV and the fan bases have grown so I suppose with that comes fans having a voice and they are starting to vent, like we’ve seen at Arsenal and Manchester United.

“With Jonas at Arsenal I can sort of understand. They should be doing better than what they are. I watched games where they would have a lot of the ball but wouldn’t create many chances and it was more individual than collective. He didn’t really know his best XI and kept rotating.

“The fact Jonas walked suggests he understood he wasn’t getting the best out of the team.

“It’s so strange to see that pressure with it never having happened before. The fans want the best and you hope from an Arsenal perspective they can get back to where they want to be because certainly throughout my career they were the team to beat.”

Eidevall won back-to-back League Cups and led the Gunners to the Champions League semi-finals during his three-year tenure but there was a sense that domestically, the Gunners were slipping further and further behind Chelsea and Manchester City.

Skinner, meanwhile, seems to have come through his rough patch and has led United to an impressive start to the new season, conceding just a single goal in their first four matches.

“With Marc Skinner, he did have a lot of pressure on him. The fans didn’t think they were where they should be and the expectations are high,” said Smith.

“You’ve got to feel for him a little bit. They’ve lost their best players and have been constantly trying to re-establish connection and togetherness. The Champions League spot has got to be their aim.”

With the women’s game evolving year on year in terms of popularity and professionalism, increased clamour, coverage and conversation surrounding the key people at the biggest clubs is bound to follow and Smith says it may take some getting used to for those on the receiving end.

“I think that scrutiny comes with the game growing, the money, tv, more fans,” added Smith. “I think that was always going to come. It’s the same with the players. I remember when games were first on the tv and it was strange for us as players to be scrutinised which was hard. You just learn to deal with it.”

Cure Leukaemia is a UK-based blood cancer charity founded in 2003, working to accelerate the process of bringing life-saving treatments to leukaemia patients by funding specialist Research Nurses across the country