Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner says that his side must be ready to win this season if they are to be successful.
The Red Devils ended the 2022/2023 campaign as Barclays Women’s Super League runners-up while they reached a Women’s FA Cup final for the first time.
After relaunching as a senior team in 2018, Manchester United are still chasing their first major trophy and head coach Skinner says that his team must be ready to win if they are to end that drought this season.
“I’d love us to win something,” Skinner said when speaking to the media in a Manchester United press conference. “Win a trophy, progression in the Champions League, albeit we have an exceptionally difficult opponent. I think that would be a progression because that’s where we aim to be. We want to qualify for the Champions League (again) and also to be in contention for winning the league.
“I’m not scared of saying these things but it is pointless if I don’t prepare the team to do that. We want to be ready to win every game. We won’t win every game, no team will win every game but being ready to win every game will give you the best chance.
“We would love to win things and we are here to win things. That’s this club’s ambition and that’s my players’ ambition but also, you’ve got to be ready and that’s why we’ve invested in the window. We need to keep investing but being ready to win will be a key factor for us.”
Manchester United kick-off the new season with a fixture against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon. Skinner knows that The Villans can match any opponent on their day and he feels that the league is no longer about a ‘top four’.
He said “From my perspective, I have always thought that Villa, on any given day, could beat any one of the top four teams. I still think it is disrespectful to say ‘top four’ based on positional finish. I get that there is an investment gap between teams but actually, if you look below the top four, there is an investment gap that is being reduced rapidly with things like facilities and infrastructure.
“It might be a bit lazy for us to say ‘top four’ but there are a lot of structures around that can bridge gaps between positions.
“When I look at the NWSL and how competitive that league is, I think this league can be that competitive. It’s going to be a very interesting season for many.”
Manchester United’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Aston Villa kicks-off at 12.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
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