Ellen White has questioned investment and recruitment in Manchester City's trophyless season.
City are out of the Champions League and FA Cup and they lost the League Cup final to Chelsea in March. They are also 13 points behind Chelsea in the Women's Super league with four games to go, making it impossible for them to clinch the title.
The club have been hit with a lot of injuries this season including to key players such as Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood. However, White says that is not the only reason City have not come away with silverware.
Ellen White: "I feel like there has to be some questions behind the scenes really for Manchester City"
Former City striker White said of the club's season: "Yes the injuries are a huge impact. I just think the investment is a big one. How much are the club wanting to invest and wanting to fly, win trophies is a big one for them to look back [on].
"I feel like they need a big reset of what are the ambitions of this women's team? The signings in January, Kerolin has done pretty well. But if you are looking at your counterparts - Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, no disrespect to the signings City have made - are they world class signings? Are they going to take you to the next level of Champions League winning trophies? I don't know.
"The blueprint of what Chelsea have done recruitment wise is phenomenal. Sam Kerr got injured, they brought in Mayra Ramirez.
"They have signed Naomi Girma, Keira Walsh, it's just phenomenal. What they have won over the years and what Sonia [Bompastor, Chelsea manager] wants to achieve is incredible.
"The injuries City have had is really bad but also they have to look at the investment and the recruitment of the players they bring in to have the depth of squad they need to compete on all fronts. I don't think that was enough this year."
The timing of the sacking of manager Gareth Taylor has been questioned, particularly with hindsight. Taylor was fired just before City played Chelsea four times in a row.
During those four games City lost the League Cup final, lost a WSL game and lost the Champions League quarter-final despite beating Chelsea in the first leg.
White, who retired after winning the Euros with England, agreed the timing was "weird".
She said: "I was surprised when they signed him for three years [in March 2024 he signed an extension]. I thought if they were going to get rid of him it was going to be in the summer and then they could have a reset then.
"I was surprised about the timing [of the sacking], it was a little bit strange. But then reading comments from the chief executive of what they suggested about wanting more freedom, a bit more fluidity, something a little different to deal with those four games back-to-back against Chelsea and I feel again they were hit with a few injuries as well. It was weird timing."
Chelsea are 13 points clear of City and they are also six clear of Manchester United and Arsenal. The title is not mathematically theirs yet and the Gunners and United are hunting them down but White says she cannot see anyone but Chelsea lifting the title.
"Something catastrophic has to happen [to stop Chelsea]," she said. "Man Utd have quite the run in though, they play Arsenal Chelsea and the Manchester derby in their final few games so they could potentially have a big say.
"Chelsea just win ugly if they need to. They just have an incredible winning mentality and I feel like the players they have got will not lie down. They will not accept not winning or not losing. They might have a [couple of] draws which they have a couple of times, they have scored a ridiculous amount of injury time winners. I just feel the title is theirs."
