Casey Stoney has managed her last match with Manchester United after her squad fell 3-2 to Leicester City in the fifth round of the Women's FA Cup on Sunday. 

The Red Devils skipper shocked the football world when she announced on Wednesday her plans to step down from her role with the Women’s Super League side. 

Having spent three seasons at the club, Stoney secured promotion in the reformed women’s team’s first season followed by two successive fourth place Women’s Super League finishes.

But a lack of support from the club hierarchy – particularly with the facilities afforded to her side since moving to Carrington, the men’s training ground – has led to her opting to leave.

United aren't the only club with a hole to fill. Arsenal, Aston Villa and Birmingham City all have vacancies which will need to be filled in time for next season. 

Gunners head coach Joe Montemurro is stepping back to have a break after three-and-a-half years in charge, while Aston Villa's Gemma Davies and Birmingham City's Carla Ward have also left their positions.

On her departure, Stoney said: “The time is right to take some time away and for someone else to come in and lead the team on the next stage of its journey.” 

Here are five people who could do just that. 

Carla Ward

In light of the off-the-pitch problems she has faced since joining Birmingham City in the summer of 2020, Ward’s success in keeping the club afloat has seen her stock rise.

Like Stoney, she saw it fit to step down due to a lack of backing from her respective board and the Midlands club have accepted her resignation.

She has proved that she can manage a team when devoid of the necessary support and looks fit to receive a job of a higher level than her role at the blues.

Gemma Davies

Davies, who became the youngest manager in the WSL after her Aston Villa side secured promotion to the division this season, has also decided to relinquish her club role.

Villa had played attractive, passing football at the start of the season but it seemed as if it just wouldn’t click with the players she had at her disposal. 

In a bizarre move, the club then decided to bring in Marcus Bignot as ‘interim manager’ and keep Davies in the coaching team, with Bignot taking the reins and the style of play suffering.

Davies is a young, ambitious coach who seemed to be managing a team who were able to play the football she wanted in the FA WC but weren’t good enough to do so in the WSL. 

A job with United would give her the opportunity for her tactical nous to flourish.

Jean-Luc Vasseur

Should United decide to invest in somebody who has a history of winning and could help them towards further success, then Jean-Luc Vasseur could be top of the list.

He would join from an environment where failing to win the league and being knocked out of the Champions League has resulted in him being relieved of his duties.

A proven winner of his ilk would require sustained backing from the club, but it could pay dividends. Wolfsburg’s Stephan Lerch would have also been a good option although he is set to join TSG Hoffenheim’s men’s youth setup.

Gérard Prêcheur

Similar to Vasseur, and somebody else who has previously managed heavyweights Lyon, Gérard Prêcheur is searching for a new position and has the required experience with a top club.

He has two Women’s Champions League titles to his name (2016, 2017) and has also won the Division 1 Féminine three times in three years at the helm of the French giants.

In addition to his honours with Lyon, the two-time nominee for The Best FIFA Women’s Coach also tasted success in Chinese women’s football with the now-defunct Jiangsu Suning.

Neil Ryan

Manchester City have twice succeeded by bringing through coaches with experience in their setup, could the city’s other team do the same?

If so, then current men’s U18s head coach Neil Ryan could find himself on the shortlist. 

Having been at United for 14 years, he has experience at a number of men’s youth levels and would be a good candidate if they chose to recruit from within.