Importance Score: 57 / 100 🔵
In pursuit of another Women’s FA Cup title, Manchester United manager Marc Skinner seeks inspiration from his family. Having already gifted his winner’s medal from last season to his eldest daughter, he’s determined to secure another in Sunday’s Wembley final against Chelsea, driven by his role as a dedicated father.
Family First for Manchester United’s Manager
“I don’t lead a flamboyant lifestyle,” Skinner stated. “I’m simply a father who dedicates himself at work and returns home. We don’t earn the salaries of male footballers. Therefore, we manage without nannies, balancing our professional and personal lives. I cherish spending time with my children and my partner, Laura. Every evening, I bathe them, feed them, tuck them into bed, and simply spend quality time with them. I genuinely derive immense joy, warmth, and rejuvenation from those moments.”
Skinner added, “When I have time for myself, I’ve recently taken up coloring as a way to unwind and disconnect. However, it’s just a temporary interest. I’m constantly ‘on call,’ but having those moments allows me to think clearly. If you’re not aware, I’m a profound thinker. I constantly analyze body language and people’s emotions, which is exhausting. Consequently, I require time to recharge.”
Hunger for Success: Overcoming Challenges and Rebuilding the Team
As the season nears its conclusion, Skinner anticipates a summer break following a campaign where United secured third place in the Women’s Super League, a notable enhancement from their fifth-place finish last season. Reflecting on the past season, Skinner remarked: “Last season, I perceived that we had slightly diminished the hunger we require as a team. Considering that we lack the most extensive resources in the country, we need to possess heightened hunger compared to other teams.”
“The season before, achieving second place and reaching the FA Cup final, when considering the success in relation to our budget, was an outstanding accomplishment. However, I believe it may have softened our resolve. After last season, when we fell to fifth place, we reassessed our deficiencies. I felt that we lacked experience and physicality. We have emphatically rediscovered that hunger this year.”
Defying Expectations: Reinvention and Reinvigoration
Skinner’s mention of the playing budget in 2022-23 is substantiated by openly accessible figures in each club’s financial records. These records demonstrate that United’s wage expenditure (£3.4 million) was just over half of Arsenal’s (£6.2 million) and Chelsea’s (£6.1 million). Nevertheless, upon their descent to fifth place and the successive departures of several senior players, including Mary Earps, Katie Zelem, and Lucía García, the coverage was naturally critical. They defied these departures to secure a spot in Europe for the second time. But what was the ambiance within the organization?
“Many circulating rumors were simply untrue,” Skinner explained. “Mary elected to move on, Zel was exploring a different avenue, and Lucía secured a lucrative offer elsewhere. Consequently, we were essentially compelled to reinvent ourselves. Now, we are revitalized and rejuvenated. Reinventing the team at that juncture has enabled us to experience a resurgence, and that is what we embraced.”
“With Omar [Berrada] joining as CEO, there’s a new dynamic at the club. We, as a team and a club, have undergone transformation, and we’ve embraced these changes. We acknowledge that football is inherently chaotic. If you can manage chaos and thrive in it, you can attain success.”
Ineos’ Support and Future Prospects
Berrada is integral to the leadership team that has been in charge for approximately 15 months. While Ineos is frequently believed to prioritize the men’s team, Skinner asserts that he is fully satisfied with their commitment to the women’s team: “They are ever-present. Although they are tackling the challenge of restoring Manchester United to its former glory, they remain actively involved. Immediately after our victory against [Manchester] City [to secure Champions League qualification], Omar, Collette [Roche, the chief operating officer], and Jason [Wilcox, the technical director] contacted me.”
“As a club, we are progressing towards utilizing statistical analysis for player recruitment, and the women’s team is fully integrated into this process. We are as much a part of it as the men’s team. I can honestly affirm that, regardless of reports, I feel supported every day.”
The owners have indicated their confidence in Skinner by extending his contract until 2027, with an option for an additional year. This followed a one-year contract extension last summer, which he described as a period “to evaluate whether we aligned with Ineos’s vision” for the women’s team. “I’ve committed here because I believe we can achieve victories here,” he asserted. “We face obstacles in overcoming Chelsea’s dominance in the league, and similarly, Arsenal and Manchester City are striving to do the same thing. However, I am committed to challenging ourselves to deliver success to our fans.”
Uniting the Fanbase and Embracing the Challenge
As supporters prepare for a third consecutive FA Cup final appearance at Wembley, some have frequently voiced their desire for Skinner’s dismissal. Can he eventually cultivate unity within the fanbase?
“I don’t believe I can,” he admitted. “And frankly, I don’t think I want to; everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I find solace when I read comments directed at Pep Guardiola, and I want to be clear, I am not comparing myself to him. I simply observe the success he has achieved and then witness calls for his dismissal? It’s absurd.”
“If a coach has lost the confidence of the players, it’s evident, and I have never felt that here. Upon securing Champions League qualification, several players expressed, ‘You also deserve this success, coach, for all the challenges you help us overcome and for enduring all the scrutiny.’ In the future, when I am no longer in this role, I doubt I will face the same level of scrutiny. It’s the scrutiny associated with Manchester United due to the magnitude and diversity of our fanbase.”
“The reality is that some media outlets selectively pursue narratives that are more sensational. How many interviews have you conducted with fans who recount, ‘Marc, at the conclusion of the Old Trafford match, waited behind to sign autographs for all the children, took photos, and remained until everyone had finished’? Such accounts are seldom highlighted, because they are not what people want to hear, but that is my character.”
“I’ve even encountered remarks characterizing me as ‘David Brent-esque’ because I share anecdotes and attempt to enliven the interview, rather than simply offering ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answers. This is because I genuinely care about women’s football; I’ve been involved since the grassroots level.”
“If individuals were to engage in conversation with me, which is not always feasible, I believe they would discern that my efforts are for the benefit of the fans. My purpose is to provide success to the fans.”
As the interview concludes, Skinner directs attention to a large image displayed outside the women’s team offices. It depicts the Cup-winning team from the previous year, positioned against a backdrop of jubilant United fans clad in red at Wembley. It is a spectacle he earnestly desires to witness once again.