Manchester United manager Marc Skinner is responding to recent criticism from fans following his post-match comments in last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
Despite being unbeaten in the 2024/25 campaign, the club hosted another lackluster display last Sunday after drawing 0-0 with winless Aston Villa at Leigh Sports Village. Skinner told the media after the clash that “it’s still a new team”, a sentiment not echoed by United fans given this is his fourth season in charge.
Skinner was back in front of the media ahead of his side WSL met with Leicester City this weekend and was asked to clarify the meaning of his statement.
“From my point of view, when we talk about a new team, you have key positions on a field that control the focus,” he said. “Phallon (Tullis-Joyce) is now the number one goalkeeper, and I think she’s been fantastic. You’ve got Gabby (George) coming back. We’ve got Dom (Dominique Janssen) in midfield. We’ve got Terry. (Elisabeth Terland) in center, so your backbone is totally different, and that’s where the adaptations have come in. So the context is seeing really big defensive actions, but it just takes a little bit of time.
united They currently sit fifth in the league table and despite a string of questionable performances, Skinner was quick to remind everyone that his side are “still undefeated”. We took the draws, which is obviously not what we want, but we are still undefeated,” he added.
The team had a fair amount of turnover in the summer, with the likes of Elisabeth Terland, Domique Janssen, Celin Bizet and a returning Grace Clinton all making their way into the starting lineups.
Adding to his explanation, Skinner said he is working with a “new team”, justifying the claim by the fact that he believes the side is in a period of “adaptation”.
“The reality is when you put players on a new team, it takes a bit of time for them to understand each other’s key triggers,” he explained. “No matter how many patterns you give, no matter how hard you train, there are no excuses. At Manchester United, you have to try to win football games. So I’m just trying to give a bit of context as to why we need to consolidate.”
United fans have made their voices heard at matches and on social media, expressing their dissatisfaction with the team’s form under Skinner. When asked how he decides to respond to outside noise, he explained: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”
“The reality is there’s always noise. Good, bad, indifferent. You have to focus on performance, and that’s what we’re going to do again.
“I don’t make excuses for my team, and they don’t make excuses for me. I’ve never made excuses, I’ve just given the context, and that’s how it works. We just have to be better, and that’s part and parcel of being a coach of the Manchester United, you have to challenge yourself. You have to challenge your players to be better every day.
“We’re trying to win cups, and when we’re in the league race, we’re trying to win the league. So realistically, only the end of the season will tell. But what we’re going to do every day is fight to make sure that the our performances are better, and if we’re trying to win games earlier, and that’s all we can focus on.”
