Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner believes that fixtures against Liverpool will become as rivalled in the women’s game as they are in the men’s game.
The Red Devils will face Liverpool for the first time in the Barclays Women’s Super League in three years when the pair meet at the Leigh Sports Village on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United fans have expressed plenty of excitement ahead of the match and head coach Skinner believes that the women’s team’s rivalry with the Merseyside club will go from strength-to-strength in the coming years.
“I hope that this is as rivalled as the men’s fixture going forward,” Skinner said when speaking in the pre-match press conference.
“We know what a good team Liverpool are, how well Matt (Beard) has them organised, their togetherness, they’ve got a good group.
“This could be a really huge fixture. It’s not just about being geographically close to create a tightness, actually, the more and more games that you play against each other builds that history. We are still building that history but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a game that we look forward to, it’s a game that we have to give absolutely everything for because Liverpool are a good team and we won’t take our eyes off that.
“I believe that in the future, the game will be very much the same as the men’s rivalry and for Matt and myself, it is about making sure that we put performances in that maintain that standard of an ‘almost’ derby game.”
It has been a little under a month since Manchester United last played a competitive match. Skinner said that his side have been appreciative of the break, although they are now ready to return to action.
He said “It has been a welcome break because we have had a heavy summer with a lot of our international players.
“We are raring to go with the challenges that are coming up with Reading and Sunderland in the cup, we are relishing that but I think it was welcomed by our players. What we have to have is a foresight as well because in the summer, we could have three quarters of our squad, if not more, going to a World Cup. I’m trying to protect them because when you have international players, you have to look after them to the best of your ability.
“For us, it has been a bit of both – it has been nice to have the break but now we are ready to go.”
Manchester United’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Liverpool is scheduled to kick-off at 2.05pm on Sunday afternoon. Limited tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.
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