• They get more training, five pro players and a new stadium
• Aim is to challenge Arsenal and Liverpool

Manuel Pellegrini, Patrick Vieira and a packed out auditorium studded with television cameras – welcome to Manchester City’s vision of women’s football at the launch of Manchester City Women’s FC (MCWFC).

The club formerly known as Manchester City Ladies FC have been taken under the wing of the men’s club, revamped and thrust into the limelight with five new signings – including the former Arsenal captain Steph Houghton, the England stars Jill Scott and Toni Duggan, and the goalkeeper Karen Bardsley.

The new look is extraordinary. Where once nine-times league winners Arsenal Ladies, sharing the men’s facilities at London Colney, set the benchmark for club football in this country, now Manchester City – along with Liverpool, last season’s Women’s Super League (WSL) winners – are blowing apart the traditional parameters for a women’s club.

While Arsenal train four times a week, City’s professional players are already training twice a day. And then there’s the pre-season stint in La Manga. And a share of the state-of-the-art training facilities that the men’s team will be using from the start of next season. And a brand new 7,000-seat stadium to play in from 2015. It’s practically a revolution.

Not everyone will be happy. Accusations of money trumping football heritage have dogged the announcement that MCWFC, rather than Sunderland Women FC – producers of England senior team talent such as Jill Scott, Houghton, Jordan Nobbs and Lucy Bronze, and repeat winners of the old National Premier League title – will go straight into the premier tier of the WSL, and there’s the sad tale of the legendary Doncaster Rovers Belles’ forced relegation from the WSL last year as part of the shake up. Equally some may feel that City’s revolution does not go far enough: only the five professional contracted players will have access to full-time training, the rest of the squad in effect remaining amateur.

For the former Everton striker Toni Duggan, though, the changes are a no-brainer. “I’ve always had this argument,” said the 22-year-old striker. “A lot of the fans and a lot of the players out there are saying women’s football needs more money, women’s football needs more whatever. Man City have come in and put that in place. Now they’re turning their back on it and saying it’s a bad thing. For me they’re leading the way.”

Speculation over how much Manchester City are investing in their women’s set-up is rife, but the head of women’s football, Gavin Makel, insisted it bears comparison with Liverpool and Chelsea. The five big name signings aside, City have kept eight players from the original team, while the backroom staff is nearly identical, with only manager Nick Cushing a new addition. Remarkably Cushing has no experience of coaching women’s football, and only academy level experience up to Under-14s with the men. He does, however, have a Uefa A licence, which – unlike the men’s Premier League – is a prerequisite formanagers in the WSL.

Duggan is resolute that City’s plans signal the future. “This is life changing. We don’t have to work now so it has a massive impact on our life. We’re professionals compared to what we used to be – [when we were] training twice a week and working a full time job – that’s not good for anyone, so we’ve grabbed the opportunity. I think fans need to look at the bigger picture and not just think it’s the club throwing money at the players.”

Patrick Vieira, head coach of the elite development squad for the men at City, described himself as a “big fan” of the women’s game having seen its development through his time at Arsenal Ladies, and the progression of the France national team. “I am excited, when we look at the last few years, the way they have improved technically. Technically, it is unbelievable. You look at the international games. They are really comfortable on the ball.

“When we have the new facilities we will share, and of course the [City] boys will come to watch them train and play, and interact with the coaches, and I think they’re part of the Manchester City family. That is good it’s showing that there is no difference, there is one family and we are together and I think that’s good we’re going to share ideas and knowledge and I think it’s good for Manchester and the country as well. There are so many young girls who want to play football, and it shows there can be a pathway, football can be a job as well like the men.”

Vieira said he had witnessed a change in attitude from the men’s players since he signed for Arsenal. “Of course [things have changed]. In the past it was just about, I don’t want to say ignorance but a little bit like that. If you have no knowledge or education of how women can play football it’s like everything else, if you go to school and learn and have knowledge you have a better view of ladies football.”

• Women’s football
• Manchester City

Anna Kessel

theguardian.com