Marc Skinner has become the longest current serving manager in the WSL this season. Though his four years of success in Man UTD, Skinner has steadily oversaw immeasurable growth. The top three in the league are now in the top four, with much less predictable.
The consistent campaign was especially helpful for Skinner when the club was craving stability. A lot of changes have happened in 18 months of scrutiny. The famous players have left and it’s all that everyone can talk about.
Fans were deprived of their rights by the so-called lack of progress in the project and the fact that players with their favorite names were jumping into the ship. Alessia Russo joined Arsenal, Ona Batle went to Barcelona, Mary Earps set off for PSG, and captain Katie Zelem brought time in six years at the club.
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However, Skinner’s approach was to use the transition as a clean slate. He wanted to build a youthful and vibrant team that resonated with fans, communities like Manchester. Man Utd has since become one of the oldest teams in the league to one of the youngest, with an average age of just 26 years.
Still, the results haven’t deteriorated. United’s seventh consecutive WSL victory was concluded by Liverpool last Friday, but that loss was one of two people who struggled all season. Managers were reviewed by form and results and so far there was little to complain.
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Highlights from the women’s Super League match between Liverpool and Manchester United
So, his current contract expired in June, and what does that mean for Skinner’s future at Old Trafford?
“I wasn’t more certain,” Skinner told Sky Sports this week only. “Every victory, every loss makes me more certain. I know when the time comes. I want to win things here. I want to compete in the Champions League. I want to keep pushing the standards of training. The fire is there.
“The club has options regarding my contract and in addition to what I’m currently having a conversation about that, there’s an extension. There’s a really positive conversation. There’s an unfinished business.”
Man Utd remains what Skinner calls “push space.” Within touched distances from champion Chelsea and in amateur terms translated into the company of Arsenal and Man City, two other historic protagonists of WSL.
Image: Captain Mayaltisier scored when Man UTD defeated Sunderland in the Women’s FA Cup quarterfinals
Full Meltdown Chelsea has a WSL title closing, but it’s still important for Skinner to keep his team pace between now and the final day of May. Don’t shout that, but the UTD team looks almost completely than before. Not a famous star, it has refinement and subtlety, but it works.
“I feel good energy since the last time I was in the ‘push space’ in the league for the first time in two years. That’s not tension. This year there have been fewer challenges.
“We always have the same core values, but that’s how we live. It’s fresh again. There’s a young team. There’s a part we’ve fallen, so you can see it, but what they give us is the energy. We get it.
“Players have always been focused on winning for Man United, and that’s in their DNA, but youthfulness is fearless. This is the same show as another cast. The cast has brought something new.
“You don’t throw money into things. You have to build a structure and a foundation. We’re building for a long life.”
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Skinner’s record for this weekend’s challenger, Aston Villa, is close to perfect. The 41-year-old was undefeated in nine previous meetings with Villa in all competitions, earning a six. UTD also boasts the league’s best defensive record and has made progress in the top end.
Skinner’s style can be inherently cautious, but may continue to split opinions, but it’s difficult to discuss last year’s upgrades.
“I hope the outcome has convinced fans that we are trying to do things the right way to be vulnerable. I’ve become more practical with experience, which is not good for a manager. [to get criticism]. I hope fans remember the fun times, just like they won their first major trophy at Wembley.
“For me, the big motivation factor is making memories because it’s a daily pressure bubble and that’s the only way I feel normal.
Image: Signed in the summer, Cerin Bisette is one of Man UTD’s outstanding players this season
“I’m not just cheap rhetoric. I’m constantly communicating with players. Yesterday, I had four players in my office and I was talking on a deeper level.
“We want to make sure that players are in a space where they enjoy themselves, but this is entertainment, and we are still serious about winning.
The shortage last season, which finished fifth in the league, definitely required a summer change. Perhaps something aggressive may be collected from the hurtful aftermath of the past. Naturally, there are some competing bones, but Skinner’s appetite for more punishment seasons remains unshakable.
In an age where we are obsessed with ratings and rankings, it’s pretty clear that the head coaches who provide WSL’s longest service are OK. How he transformed Manchester United from a top four participant to a real challenger should be his next biggest measure.
