Marc Skinner addressed the press on Friday morning ahead of Manchester United’s Barclays Women’s Super League meeting with Everton this Sunday at Walton Hall Park. The Red Devils return off the back of a dominant display at Old Trafford last weekend, triumphing over West Ham United 4-0.
First providing a fitness update for his side set to face the Toffees, Skinner confirmed “The only one, so obviously Evie Rabjohn’s still out, but the only other player is Anna Sandberg, she just has some slight irritation still, so it’s not a long thing. We’re just trying to get that irritation gone, so she may miss this game. Otherwise, everybody else is available, ready for selection.”
Expecting ‘a big reaction’ from upcoming opponents Everton
Manchester United gear up for an away trip to Merseyside this weekend, as they face Brian Sørensen’s Everton side. The Toffees will be eager to bounce back from a heavy defeat, losing 4-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion in their first match of the new campaign. Speaking in regards to Sunday’s opponents, Skinner expressed “Yeah, I’ve always admired the way, in the first phase, where Brian [Sorensen] builds and the way his teams build, because, you know, they try to draw you into traps to be able to spring those traps. I think it’s about knowing when to jump those and when to be patient.”
The Red Devils boss continued, “It’s not necessarily always about having the ball in these games, it’s about utilising the space when you get it and how you use it. But I’d expect a big reaction from Everton. People say about [Everton’s] result at the weekend. Actually, when I watch the game, I felt there were large parts they were in the game. I felt maybe they could have had a penalty before Brighton got theirs, and before they got running in their performance. So, there were factors that affected them, but I expect them to come out and give absolutely everything, as they always do. So, tough game, and we’ve got to prepare for their unique build-up styles, but then also try to hurt them in the ways that we know we can.”
High praise for Lisa Naalsund
Lisa Naalsund has adopted a key role following the departure of former club captain Katie Zelem, now becoming the experienced outlet in central midfield. When asked about how he has seen Naalsund progress over recent months, Skinner packed on the praise for the midfielder, whilst also remaining level-headed in regards to her progress.
He said, “Lisa is one of the players that covers an incredible amount of space on the field. She connects transitional space, so when we go from attacking to defending, that’s the space where it’s harder to control. Lisa has a really good engine to be able to do that. But what Lisa has, that people don’t really know, like you saw it for the goal the other day, for Grace [Clinton]’s goal, she has this finesse and quality, that I need to bring out more by the way, and she needs to, we need to continue to work on it, but she can create a massive influence on how we play.”
“What that means as well, if we’re talking tactically, if we start with a single pivot, she can join from an eight or a 10, she can run from the backline, but she can also recover. She’s a unique player within the game and she’s someone that I identified for that quality. It’s took her a little time to get it right, a little bit more opportunity, but she’s someone I want to help build and continue to build because she’s a huge part of what we’re doing.”
The importance of squad depth
After the game against Everton this Sunday, Manchester United will face a tight turnaround heading into Women’s League Cup action next Wednesday night. When asked how his side adapt to a three-game week, Skinner touched on the importance of squad depth and the ability to adapt under the circumstances.
He said, “The reality is, when you have different options, you can find different solutions. For us though, just to project forward, next week we’ve got a three-game week. So, Everton starts it, we’ve got Liverpool, then we’ve got Chelsea, so the whole squad will be utilised throughout the week.”
Skinner continued further, “So, I’m hoping then, that we see after the first five or six games where we need to get rhythm, then you can start to see where you can adapt and how you can adapt. I’ve still got new players, so they’re still going to take a bit of time. When everyone sees their skillset on the field, you’ve also got to realise they’re a human being trying to settle in.
So, we’ve got those factors, but yes, to answer your question bluntly, yes I would like to do that, to adapt to games quicker based on the skillset that we have. And that’s also part and parcel of the players’ responsibility, right? Because they’ve got to be ready to come in and do the job. But the trust is there, now I’m just looking forward to what they can do in different ways, because the teams we’re playing now have different abilities.”
Manchester United will travel to Walton Hall Park to face Everton this Sunday in the Barclays Women’s Super League. Proceedings are set to head underway at 14:00 BST.
