Marc Skinner press conference: Conti Cup team news; Christmas break plans; January transfer window
Manchester United play their final game of the calendar year on Sunday when second tier Sheffield United visit Leigh Sports Village in the Continental Cup.
Neither team can progress to the knockout stages of the competition, with Marc Skinner’s United eliminated last week by Aston Villa and Manchester City wins, despite comfortably beating Everton.
But Skinner, who has overseen significant improvement in the WSL in the first half of this season, is still determined to end 2022 on a high.
At his pre-match press conference, the United boss spoke about potentially bringing some youth team prospects into the squad, the possible return of Aoife Mannion, as well as discussing wider topics such as plans for rest over Christmas and the upcoming January transfer window.
Team news
“I think everyone will be available to pick from. We’ve rotated in this cup before. What I might look at the weekend is potentially bringing a couple of the youth players in, to maybe birth them and give them an opportunity. That depends on [having] a lot of players that are waiting to play anyway.
“I can’t think of one yet that is a doubt for the game.”
Aoife Mannion potentially on the bench
“That’s still an option. She was going to play [for the Under-21s on Wednesday]. It was going to be on 3G so we didn’t take that risk before Christmas because there was no need (note: game was later postponed anyway). She’s trained with the group so there is a possibility of her being on the bench – I wouldn’t bring her into the game, it might just be to get her back involved with the team and so on.
“New Year was always when we were looking to bring Aoife back in and what we were looking for in the fixtures coming up. We’ll have just have to watch where we’re at with the team come Friday and Saturday this week.”
Alyssa Aherne in contention
“She will definitely be one of those in contention. She’s been very good all year, had a little injury but has come back. [She] trained with the group [Wednesday] and I thought she was excellent. She will definitely be one we’re looking at if we do give exposure in this moment.
“Jess Simpson, if she hadn’t been injured, she would have been one as well. Obviously, Saf [Middleton-Patel] would be as well. Ella Kinzett and Keira Barry have been doing well. There are a lot of players doing well that are fitting that next mould we will be looking at into the New Year.”
Approach to Sheffield United game
“This is a big indicator for us. It’s a game that has no consequence in terms of qualification, but it all the consequence in terms of attitude.
“As a group, we have choice – do we put our product and the way that we want to play on every single game? Or do you want to not be successful.
“For future success, we have to put all our energy into putting on a really good performance and making sure we show a professionalism in every moment on the field.”
Is this game still must-win?
“For us, every game is a must-win, right?
“I don’t really need to look at what Sheffield have and haven’t done [in terms of recent results]. I’m sure when they come and play against us, they will put their best efforts forward because they want to finish the year on a high – they’ve had ups and downs.
“It’s about our mentality, how we want to approach games and our choices. In this game, we choose to put all our energy into it and give absolutely everything. These players, whether they’re fighting for three points or not, they’re fighting to get into a competitive team. So it’s really important that they put that out no the field and show us everything they’ve got so that it makes it difficult for me to select the teams going into the New Year.”
Frustration on early Conti Cup exit
“I am [frustrated], but sometimes you have to take a punch in the face to appreciate not getting another one in the future.
“Unfortunately, in life you learn most from the defeats. It was the nature of those [games against Aston Villa and Durham], I don’t want to relive them too much. They were two games we were winning and then drew, and lost on penalties.
“It was the penalty shootout factor that stopped us going through. We played Everton and beat them 4-2 and they were arguably the best other team in the group along with Villa.
“It's just about learning. I had a lot of new players and it was a chance to get them minutes – not that they hadn’t earned them. It was just maybe a lack of cohesion at times, but I would hope that we learn from that going forward.
“I place no undervalue on this competition at all. I would love to win this competition. But the reality is to keep a team fresh for all of the games, I needed to make sure I had rotation opportunity. Unfortunately, we didn’t get through, but next time we’ll make sure we try and fix that.”
How do you reflect on the past few months?
“I’m really proud. We knew we had to transform the team – I never had a chance to last year.
“Bringing seven players in and then seven or so out, that’s a massive transition. The way the girls took that on board, have shown their qualities and kept their consistency really high, I’m really happy.
“I know when I get three minutes to switch off at Christmas that I’ll be really, really happy with the group’s progression, the attitude, the personality. But you know I will only look at that in my three minutes and then I’ll be back down to work in the New Year.”
How exciting is the New Year now?
“I’m so excited to see the evolution of this team, more importantly. We all know you can win or lose any game on a given day, dependent on a bit of luck and so on. But, for us, it’s the consistency and nature of our performances that I’m really happy with. That gives us lots and lots of energy.
“If you get to the final of the FA Cup, there’s roughly 17/18 games left for us.
“If we can maximise all of that [energy] next year, we’ll give ourselves a really good run-in and put ourselves where it matters at the end of the season. I’m really looking forward to next year. [But] I think a nice little break for all the players now – they’ve worked hard all year – and then we can re-focus and go again…lots of energy into the New Year.”
Christmas rest & training schedule
“The players will have an off-season [training] schedule. Because we play almost a month later, there is downtime in terms of relaxation and switching off because, for me, it’s part of the balance of life, let alone football. But then they will have programmes to do.
“We’ll go away [for warm weather training] potentially in the New Year – we’re looking at some options there. Then, when we come back, we’ll be ready to go.
“For me, personally, there’s a [transfer] window coming up, so I’ve got work to do. We’re going to look to see if we can manoeuvre the squad, maybe bring some players in if it’s the right option for the club. But we’ll always be looking in windows anyway to see if there is potential to improve the squad. Even with how well we’ve done now, we can’t stand still.”
Christmas plans
“We’ll work up until the 18th [December]. We’ve got a little kind of staff get together after the game, have a little dinner and then will literally let the staff and players go and switch off.
“I will not contact people throughout this period. I will let them switch off. I’ll have probably have two or three or days with the family and then I’ll be working…my phone never goes off.
“We were fortunate enough [as a squad] to go to Manchester Children’s Hospital and see the wonderful people, the kids, the parents, and it just made me want to hug my daughter even more when I got back…so spend a bit of time with her and make sure she feels the love.”
Rest for Man Utd’s Euro 2022 winners
“I don’t want any of our players having mental fatigue that makes them make bad decisions…then, all of a sudden, that could mean injuries.
“The one thing that has happened as we get better, more understanding and more experience, is knowing when and how to treat a team as individuals and when to bring them back together as a team. That’s a hard balance but I always try to treat each player as an individual.
“I think that over this period, they will have enough rest that they will feel like they have had a rest. That’s why it’s important that we then come back into it with fresh ideas, exuberant energy – that’s what I will be looking for in the New Year.
“They have been magnificent. They have had a wonderful year and I’m sure they will want another one. [Man Utd] have done nothing yet, we’re midway, have had a good start but there are things we want to fix within there. We won’t stop.”
How significant is this January transfer window?
“Always [significant] for the right players. If the right player becomes available for the next part of the project, then we have to look to move if it fits right with the club and the team. We always do the work behind the scenes to make sure the individual fits.
“It’s not a necessity – I’m really happy with the group. But I’m not going to stop evolving this team so it keeps our players on their toes. If you go internal with our team, they want better players, even that includes themselves not being in the team. We want to keep progressing.
“They are hungry and ambitious, and if I don’t keep an eye on that and keep pushing our boundaries then I’m not matching their ambitions. I won’t stop until we’re a team linked to constant success.”
Moving for players if they are available
“There are areas of the team I still think we need to improve. The reality is I’ve been really happy with a lot of the performances – I must stress that.
“But when I look at tomorrow’s Manchester United rather than today’s – I mean that figuratively looking ahead – actually, we’ve got lots of areas to keep improving if we want to compete with the teams that are best in our league and the teams that are best in Europe.
“If we’re progressing to a Champions League model because that is our aspirations, then we can’t stand still. It is about the right people at the right time – if they become available, this clubs is able to move.
“We’re able to plan ahead of these windows. Not everybody is going to be at Manchester United for 10 years, probably including myself. My job is to put this team in a space where, even if I wasn’t here, it’s continuing to be successful. That is what we’re going to do and why we stay active in every window.”
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