Man United head coach Marc Skinner says his side are ‘relishing’ in a tough UEFA Women’s Champions League draw.
Preparing for their very first appearance in the Champions League main draw, Manchester United now gear up for six league phases matches starting in October. The side have been drawn against eight-time Champions League winners Lyon at home, as well as Norwegian champions Valerenga. The side will face Juventus, VfL Wolfsburg and Atletico Madrid away, on top of a highly anticipated fixture against former goalkeeper Mary Earps and her Paris Saint-Germain side at Old Trafford.
“When you scan across the board, there’s a lot of juicy fixtures, as you call them,” Skinner said Man United’s draw. “For us, it’s that if you want to be the best, you got to beat the best. So for us, it’s, it’s a difficult challenge, but something we’re going to relish. We all will love to be in there.
“You know, it’s hard. It’ll be late nights, early mornings, all of that stuff. Games thick and fast, but actually, it’s exactly where the players want to be. So if I start moaning towards the end when I’m tired, you have to put me in my place!”
Champions League nights at Old Trafford set to be ‘poetic’ says Skinner
The club have announced that the side will face off against PSG at Old Trafford on November 12, with the rest of the home games set to remain at Leigh Sports Village. Despite Man United’s strong record at Leigh Sports Village, Skinner said a night under the lights at the Theatre of Dreams is “something to celebrate”.
“If you said to me three, four years ago, when I first came into the job, that we were going to have a Champions League night at Manchester United, all the famous nights that we’ve had at Old Trafford that with the men’s team. Then to say that we’re going to have one of those, I think, regardless, it can be treated as an event and a moment to celebrate.
“We’ve got to do a job against an incredible team, but I think that there’s a balance here. So usually I would like that comfortable kind of surrounding [Leigh] – but I think you can also create special memories in those moments too. So I’m hoping that game to PSG, we can create a special moment, but I think for us to be part of it will be an incredible moment and a marker in the women’s history, in this in this wonderful football club.
“So it’s a balance point. I think we’ll strike that balance point with the other five games, obviously, three away, two at Leigh and then and then the other one at Old Trafford. So I think it’s a lovely and hopefully it’s a poetic night, and we’ve just got to make sure we do that with the performance and the result.”
Man United and Liverpool will ‘pay tribute’ to Matt Beard says Skinner
Man United now gear up for a Women’s Super League (WSL) fixture against Liverpool, who have struggled to get off the mark so far this season. Liverpool will return to WSL action after the devastating news of former head coach Matt Beard’s passing last Saturday night. Skinner says both clubs will want to honour his memory this weekend in Merseyside.
“I think [it will be] a game that’s charged with emotion,” Skinner said. “It will be a difficult moment for all. I wasn’t at the game the other night, but that was almost an interlude to this game, and it’s always it’s Liverpool versus Manchester United, so it’s a big game anyway, but I think it’ll be highly charged with emotion, but very respectful, I think from both teams.
“I think there will be a respect for the great man. I think the best kind of tribute we can pay to someone like Matt, knowing his character, is to go and put a fantastic performance in and try and win the game. Because that’s what he always tried to do. He always tried to win the game. And regardless of how he did it, how he adapted, how he evolved, he always tried to win the game. I think to pay him a tribute and credit, we have to go and do the same.”
Skinner will reunite with former City head coach Gareth Taylor this weekend, after years of facing off on the touchline in the Manchester derbies.
“They’ve started games really, really well,” Skinner said on Liverpool. “I know we played them pre-season, and again they did the same. The way Gaz [Gareth Taylor] wants to play in terms of ball possession, he prioritises that. I think they’ve shown really good signs. You can see some of the things they’re trying to build.
“Of course, I think Gaz would like a few more windows in order to build the team that he wants. But I’ve been impressed with parts of their game. They’ve shown moments of fragility, and I’d expect that with a team that’s trying something new. But all in all, it won’t be long before they turn those results around into what I’m sure Gaz wants a little bit more.”
