Marc Skinner: Manchester United manager discusses weight of expectation as critics surface over WSL position
Marc Skinner addresses critics and recent form as Manchester United prepare to do battle with Arsenal at a sell-out Emirates Stadium; watch Arsenal vs Manchester United live on Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday; kick-off 12.30pm
Saturday 17 February 2024 12:27, UK
"I interviewed Romesh Ranganathan recently," Marc Skinner starts laughing. "I thought I was the inquisitor," this journalist promptly replied.
It's increasingly difficult to stay on topic with the Manchester United head coach - or manager, as he prefers - such is his refreshing openness and curiosity to explore all manner of subjects.
Sitting down for an exclusive chat at United's impressive Carrington training base, Skinner speaks so passionately about football, and his position within the footballing ecosystem, you would be forgiven for thinking you were at a TED Talk.
Skinner prides himself on being a good leader. He accepts this season as a "tougher challenge than others" but doesn't want to shy away from the reality of expectation.
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Manchester United are eight points worse off than at this same stage last season - they were top of the table after 13 games. They've already lost three times in the WSL. No side has ever won the title having lost three or more games across a single campaign. And they're 10 points shy of leaders Chelsea.
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But far from being defeated, Skinner feels energised. The former Birmingham City and Orlando Pride coach trusts in the process: "We're at a pressure point now," he says, "but I look at our quality, and I know sometimes it hurts to lose big games, but we have to accept there will be building blocks."
United face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, live on Sky Sports - the ultimate test of nerve under an unforgiving spotlight. Critics have begun voicing dissatisfaction in recent weeks, given where United side find themselves in the table, but a win over the Gunners (repeating a triumph achieved last term) would go a long way to changing opinion.
Skinner continued: "The reality is, because of the fantastic season we had last year, we're going to be judged against that. If we can maximise three points in every game it's up to the rest to slip up. We've got to be perfect.
"We have to create a fear factor where Arsenal, or any side, don't enjoy playing against us. We have to be a team that gets under people's skin. Arsenal have a fantastic team, a brilliant infrastructure, and we have to stay in a space where we irritate [the big clubs]. We need to be the agitator and turn in a spiky performance."
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United are unbeaten in four league meetings with Arsenal (W2 D2) - five if you include all competitions (W3 D2). Skinner's side have also won more points away (13) than at home (11) this season. There are omens of promise ahead of a pivotal weekend, but the 40-year-old accepts he can't escape the critical eye of discerning fans who are desperate to see United compete closer to the WSL's frontrunners, as they did during 2022-23.
"It's been a challenging year because expectation has been heightened. My ethos as a manager is to turn up every day and work hard for my team. But there's no doubt it's been tough.
"It's important for me to stay balanced - people think we, as managers, are robotic sometimes, but it's the opposite of that. Emotion can cloud a performance, but it can also be the driving factor behind a great performance, it's all about controlling the balance. I'd love to be perfect, but it doesn't exist."
United are on a club record run of scoring in 20 successive WSL games, favouring a brand of "beautiful football," albeit not always producing the desired result.
Substance has to match style in this game, and so playing catch-up is the most pressing mandate between now and the end of May. Games against top-four rivals have been far less fruitful than last season, where United won 10 points from six meetings (vs Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City), so can we expect a change in momentum, starting Saturday?
"We, as a team, want to hold the highest standards and if you fall short it's a killer - it feels like it kills you inside.
"We've taken defeats this year where I've felt we could have won. I want to hit that sweet spot, and it's a tiny area, but we have to strive for that. We're a start-up team, like a start-up business.
"The gaps are narrowing all over the league. If we can't win the league, we have to finish as high as we can and aim for Champions League football."
The chat had potential to meander, and had Skinner not had other press commitments immediately after his sit down with Sky, it might have zigzagged in many other directions.
Here's where Romesh Ranganathan came in - an unexpected but welcome digression.
"The global fanbase of Manchester United is insanely big and not everyone is going to agree with everything you do. That's life. I don't take criticism personally. They support their team and are entitled to their opinion.
"I interviewed Romesh Ranganathan recently and he was speaking about how feedback is hugely important. You might not like it. You might not even fix it. But it's great for adapting and progressing, so it's listening to the right type of feedback.
"It's healthy to have differences in opinion. My role is simply to try and win football matches for this club. For fans that like me, for fans that dislike me, I want to put trophies on the table for everybody to enjoy."
We didn't have time to discuss Romesh's history with criticism, but safe to say, neither Skinner nor the comedian is stranger to a choice comment or two.
It steered the conversation neatly and conclusively onto the Birmingham native's contract situation at Old Trafford, which expires this summer. What's the state of play?
"We've got things to compete for. Manchester United is about building successful teams. Every dynasty falls, and they might create wonderful success in the moment, but do we ever really celebrate the moments? I want to build a dynasty here, to win things for our club and fans.
"We're having conversations. At other clubs I've been a head coach, here I'm a manager. The business side off the field is something looked after by the board and others.
"Regardless of what happens to me, that's not the most important part, the most important thing is getting this team to perform. I want to stay for many years but lots of things have to fit in place."
Big games, and big results, have the potential to be persuasive. Emirates Stadium is a sell-out this weekend and is likely to provide a backdrop hostile to Skinner's visitors. Should they tower above their troubles, it might just make discussions over his future this summer a fraction easier.
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