Marc Skinner has praised his United side’s progress and for ‘creating history’ on Wednesday night.
Elisabeth Terland’s first half strike was enough for Manchester United to knock Arsenal out of the Subway Women’s League Cup in an ill tempered encounter that saw Arsenal’s Olivia Smith sent off. United can now look forward to their first ever final in the competition.
Marc Skinner spoke to the media after his side booked their place in the final at Ashton Gate to face Chelsea in March and The Halfway Line was there to hear from him.
‘It means the world’ to make first League Cup final says Skinner
On their fourth attempt in a League Cup semi final, United finally made the final of the showpiece event. Marc Skinner’s side remain in with a chance of winning the first domestic silverware of the season, Skinner was asked how it feels to make their first final in the competition,
“It means the world” Skinner said.
“We’re creating history, like with Champions League proper this year proper and then we’ve qualified through that to the knockout stage, and now we’re in a final again.
“Look, I said this before, it was never going to be pretty tonight. There’s a game on this pitch [Meadow Park] last night, and I think it held [up] I’m not going to blame pitch, because it’s held up really well for the 53 games on it already this year.
“But actually, it does affect the way both teams want to play. And you know, Arsenal are more used to it than we are. I know they play at the Emirates it’s not fully always here, but, I felt that we played it right.
“In the first half the wind was blowing in our face, it was blowing a gale, and we just had that spirit. So it’s more that, you get to finals because of the spirit and the connection of your team and the way that you play, and I think that’s what I’m most proud of tonight.
“And when I when I remind the players, it’s just that togetherness and it binds you when you get performance and results like that.”
Skinner delights at keeping the ‘European Champions to a clean sheet’
It was pointed out to Skinner that it had been 225 minutes against Arsenal without a goal this term. That was brought to an end by excellent forward play from Ellen Wangerheim and Elisabeth Terland who applied the finishing touches,
“Yeah I really was [happy to score]” Skinner replied.
“But if you look at Arsenal, they’ve not [scored] in three games. So we’ve kept them, kept the European champions to a clean sheet in every game we’ve played so far.
“So for us, I’m a bit like, I can credit us for that.”
One contentious moment in an all action semi final came when it seemed that Terland was fouled by Katie McCabe in the box. “So I think on another day, I think it’s a penalty, it’s a stone wall penalty.” Skinner affirmed.
Elisabeth [Terland] is not trying to buy a foul there. That would have given us a little bit more comfort, a little bit more breathing space.”
The Halfway Line asked Skinner if he’d spoken to the officials about the incident,
“I didn’t speak to Stacey [Fullicks] direct” Skinner replied.
“But I think the message come through was that she was looking to buy the contact, and she wasn’t, because she’s going in front of goal. Why would she buy contact at that point, she’s got a tap in.
“See for the goal, she’s done exactly it’s a tap in. So for me, it’s frustrating, because I think that gives you a little bit more as say that respite, because Arsenal always gonna come at you in this game.
“But it’s a difficult game. You know, she’s had to ref two very good teams going at each other. And, I mean, for a 1-0 victory, I think it’s pretty entertaining game, end to end.”
Skinner affirms ‘[I] don’t think we stepped over the line’
The match was played with typical Arsenal against Manchester United needle. As well as a physical game on the pitch both benches were vocal, with one of Skinner’s assistants booked by the referee. The Halfway Line asked Marc Skinner if United benefited from that more than Arsenal,
“[It is] two teams that want to win? I don’t think it’s a bad thing” Skinner replied.
“I don’t think we should make that a big issue. Renée [Slegers] and her team want to win. They’re European champions, and they want to chase like we do, and we want to win, so it’s competitive.
“It’s what we all want. You know, we say we want to make it more entertaining. Well, that’s part of it, so I’m happy with it. Don’t think we stepped over the line, either team, just both passionate about wanting to win.”
Marc Skinner confident Wangerheim will ‘frighten and terrorize defences’
One player that started a match in United colours for the first time on Wednesday night was Swedish starlet Ellen Wangerheim. Signed from Hammarby for a club record fee of £560,000, Skinner was asked by The Halfway Line about her performance,
“I thought she was excellent” Skinner beamed.
“There are parts she will want to tidy up but I didn’t really want to push her to 90, to be honest. But because of the way the game panned out and where we were with yellow cards and decisions and stuff, I had to balance it so she saw it through.
“And I can just see the signs of when she knows who we are, how we play fully, that she’s going to frighten and terrorize defences. And I think it’s a real positive sign for us.”
The fans are ‘the heart and soul of what we do’ says Marc Skinner
For Manchester United there were impressive performances across the team, with team spirit flowing through the side. Skinner was asked about how you cultivate team spirit,
“Honestly, I think being honest with them, caring for them” Skinner replied.
“I said this million times my job isn’t to make players happy it’s to give them opportunities. And when they’re not feeling happy, to support them.
“I don’t think every human is happy all the time. I mean, often humans are not happy, right? So for me, I think it’s just about balance, talking to them, giving them support when they need it, and then really leaning into each other.
“Giving them autonomy to lean into each other when they need to, and understand that they’re on the pitch they have to fix problems. And I think those are the key ingredients, but more importantly, treating them like humans, and that’s what I try and do.”
Skinner had one final message for the Manchester United fans who’d travelled to North London on a bitterly cold and rainy evening,
“[The support is] incredible always is, thank you [the fans] very much. You are the heart and soul of what we do. You mean the world to us, and we got you to another final.
“We’re making history, and we’ll give absolutely everything to try and win this Cup for the first time.”
