The winning formula is always sought after by everyone. There is always a belief that there is a secret formula for success in any endeavor, whether it be in sports or in life. When it comes to making the right decisions, there is no magic formula or secret magic trick to make everything go your way.

As a manager of the Manchester United Women, Marc Skinner has had a lot of decisions to make during a season that has been successful but also filled with challenges and upheaval. That is certainly the case in football. The former Orlando Pride coach has had a difficult first season due to injuries, schedule conflicts, and a small roster.

The midfield, however, is one of the most interesting aspects of the team to discuss. Injury has frequently prevented Skinner from using all of her players, but it is clear that some players play a greater role than others and that could have a significant impact on the team's future in the coming years.

When you consider United's tendency to blow 1-0 leads this season due to a lack of game control, it makes sense that the team would want to gain more control of the midfield more frequently. There is a lot of quality here, but there is also a lack of balance.

Zelem's set pieces may be the best at the club since Beckham's heyday, with her being the highest-scoring set piece taker in the Women's Super League so far this season, and Manchester United having the most goals from set pieces as a result. This means she has a significant impact on the games because of her skill in that area.

Zelem, on the other hand, has received some flak for her tendency to be too passive when moving the ball and for being too ineffective when marking or tracking back, which can lead to an imbalance in the team's performance in certain phases of the match. In the past, United has paid the price for this.

This is not an attack on the club's captain and a product of the academy, but rather a comparison of her strengths and weaknesses. However, she is a world-class set-piece taker, but her overall game is a little underdeveloped.

Jackie Groenen, the Dutch starlet who has been her regular co-star so far this season, has been her usual partner. When she returned to the club in 2019, the former Chelsea midfielder, like Zelem before her, was an instant fan favorite and a great servant for the club. United supporters praised her for her combination of skill, passing range, and work rate.

In other words, given the opportunity, you'd want a player who's represented her country at the World Cup and has played in the league for some time to start every game, right? In reality, it's a lot more involved than that.

A lack of defensive midfielders has forced Zelem and Groenen to switch roles on a regular basis in order to fill in the voids left by the absence of other players, causing an imbalance in the team's structure. In order to protect leads, one of them has to play deeper, which isn't in their natural position, and it's not playing to their strengths.

This is why Hayley Ladd, a Welsh midfielder, is so crucial to the team's success. Defensive midfielder is the team's sole member and the starting eleven revolves around her. This year's best run of form began when Skinner, the coach who coached her at Birmingham, was able to bring her in at a crucial time in the season. Zelem's absence has finally been replaced by a defensive midfielder who can also protect the back line.

Fans' favorite Laddinator, however, was injured while on duty with Wales a few months ago, leading to the previously mentioned quandary regarding Zelem and Groenen. And when she returned, the center-backs were injured, and she has been playing there recently, so the issue persists.

A summer acquisition, Vilde Be Risa, also has an important role to play in this discussion. Despite the fact that she has had a difficult start to the season, the Norwegian has shown glimpses of her potential and recently added an element of coolness on the ball when she was substituted in during the victory against Brighton to preserve the lead.

Zelem and Groenen both play higher up the field, but she has a better knack for scoring and assisting goals than either of them. She is also very good at recycling possession and evading the team's press. I think she's been underutilized a little bit, given how talented she is.

This is Skinner's midfield options: Lucy Staniforth is out with an injury, Jade Moore has yet to settle in to life in Manchester, and Ella Toone is more comfortable playing higher up the pitch. Skinner must choose wisely, as controlling games has been a problem for Manchester United.

Katie Zelem's leadership and set-piece taking are important, but I would like to see a midfield of Groenen, Ladd, and Be Risa at some point in the upcoming season (if Jackie signs a new contract, of course). It would be nice if we could see how the games interact with each other in a full-scale playthrough. Be Risa has shown she can have an impact on games, especially during the team's recent winning streak in December and January, when she was afforded numerous opportunities and delivered.

Overall, these four players are excellent, and they each bring something unique to the team. The team needs to find a winning combination, and Skinner needs to find that winning combination. And if the club has to look outside the clubhouse, so be it.