Manchester United head into their WSL clash with Leicester City looking to strengthen their position near the top of the table.
Marc Skinner’s side have been in fine form as of late. Leicester, meanwhile, are battling at the lower end of the table and will be focused on picking up crucial points as they fight to move clear of danger.
A win for the Red Devils would keep them in second – if Chelsea win their game against Tottenham, they would stay a mere point behind. The Foxes have a game in hand yet are flirting with the relegation playoff spot, currently tenth with nine points, two ahead of bottom-placed Liverpool.
In the first part of his pre-match media conference, United head coach Marc Skinner confirmed that his side would be without England midfielder Ella Toone, as well as Leah Galton.
Skinner knows his side ‘have to’ take it game by game
Ahead of a crucial tie for both teams, The Halfway Line asked Skinner for his thoughts on a close race for the top three Champions League spots, especially with Tottenham and, more surprisingly, Chelsea in the mix too.
“I want to avoid the cliché of taking it game by game, but in reality we have to, because we’re competing in different competitions,” he said, adding that ahead of Saturday’s match, “our focus is on Leicester, as they present a different type of challenge to the one we’ll face on Wednesday.
“When we play London City, that will be another different kind of game altogether, so we need to give full focus to each task.”
Whilst many pundits wondered if a lack of depth across the squad would squander United’s hopes of going far in both the UWCL and the league, they are into the knockout rounds in Europe and still sitting second in the league. However, there is a tough run of games heading towards the end of the season:
With a European knockout tie against Atlético de Madrid coming up, as well as a double against Chelsea in the League and FA cups, United are also still to play against the Blues and league leaders Manchester City in the league. Skinner suggested United are realistic about the challenges ahead.
“It’s really exciting to be in this level of competition at this stage of the season. I wouldn’t swap it for the world even though we’ve got many, many tough asks coming,” he acknowledged.
The head coach went on, “Right now, Chelsea are in that bracket; they are in that bracket for whatever reason. Now, our job is to try and stay above them as best we can.”
Skinner expects ‘three to five players’ in the summer
Skinner was also asked about the January transfer window, with the introduction of Lea Schüller, Ellen Wangerheim, and Hanna Lundkvist adding needed depth to a previously overplayed squad.
“I’m really happy with the work we’ve done,” Skinner praised, “I want to stress that, in terms of player balance, we’re thinking about both the present and the future.”
Whilst Schüller is 28 and an experienced Germany international, Wangerheim and Lundkvist are younger, with Wangerheim just 21. The United boss provided an overview of the club’s approach to the January window, saying that whilst “Lea is here to help us win now,” Lundkvist “has been fantastic support and is more than capable of starting in her own right.”
He was also eager to point out that the club are looking ahead: “We’re still working. I can’t stress enough that our planning goes beyond this window. Even though it’s closed now, we’re only four or five months away from it opening again, and we’re already preparing for that.
We’re doing everything we can to keep building the squad and, looking ahead, if we can add another three to five players in the right areas this summer, I think we’ll be in a really good place going into next season.”
Manchester United ‘have to find ways to overcome’ Leicester
On Sunday, United are expected to dominate possession and apply sustained pressure, while Leicester City are likely to adopt a compact, disciplined approach and look for opportunities on the counterattack in what sets up as a classic test of attacking quality versus defensive resilience.
Skinner highlighted this compactness as a major strength of the Foxes, highlighting that “against Leicester, we expect quick counter-attacks and a compact approach designed to deny us space, so we’ll have to find ways to overcome that.”
He also praised his counterpart in the Leicester dugout and shared his excitement that the match will reunite United with former Red Rachel Williams, who left for Leicester last month.
“I have so much respect for Rick, so much respect, not only now what he’s doing at Leicester, but obviously I’ve known him a long time.
“I know how Rick’s team set up and how difficult they are to play against. I’m also about attacking quality to hurt, especially as [Rachel Williams] has gone there. There’s a lot of love for Rachel as well, so we know how dangerous she can be. So look, we’re going to be ready.”
Skinner says Manchester United ‘is built on ecstasy and tragedy’
The match takes place shortly after the anniversary of the Munich Air disaster that saw eleven members of United — three staff and eight players — perish as their plane ran off the runway following a European Cup game in Belgrade.
Asked about what the anniversary means for his team, Skinner reflected that Bbefore you’re in it, I don’t think you understand the magnitude of it.
“You do probably you understand the tragedy and, you know, you can empathise and sympathise. But when you’re in it, I think you become part of it.”
The head coach was keen to suggest that the tragedy still plays a fundamental role in the club today. “Manchester United is built on ecstasy and tragedy.
“And the biggest tragedies in football, the Munich air disaster was one of those. I think it’s built who Manchester United are today. Our foundations are based upon that.
“I feel absorbed in them now and, you know, I look forward to this moment every year, just to celebrate with everybody else.”
