Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner says that his side can beat any team if they perform like they did in the 4-1 victory against Everton.
The Red Devils got off to the worst possible start against The Blue Girls as they gave away a sloppy early goal. Yet, Skinner’s side were able to produce an emphatic comeback as they scored four second half goals to turn the contest around. Ella Toone netted a brace while Millie Turner and Leah Galton were also on target for Manchester United.
When speaking to the media after the match, Manchester United boss Skinner praised his team for their efforts.
“I’m hugely pleased with the players’ reaction,” Skinner said. “When they score from a mistake, it obviously gives them confidence. I don’t think they created too much but I felt that we helped them a little bit.
“I’m proud of their reaction at half-time, I’m proud of the conversations at half-time, I’m proud of the resilience shown in the second half.”
With UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification seemingly beyond Manchester United’s reach, the focus has now turned to finishing the league season on the strongest possible note.
“For us, it’s about maximising as many points as possible,” Skinner said. “We know how many games we’ve got left and we’ve got to try and win all of them.”
If Manchester United are to win all of their remaining games, they will need to rely on their star players such as Toone. It has been a slightly disappointing season for the England international, however, she stepped up when her team needed her to put them in the driving seat against Everton. In doing so, she also reached a significant milestone as she became the first Manchester United player to reach half-a-century of goals for the club and Skinner hailed her all-round performance.
He said “It shows the special person that she is and the player that she is for Manchester United. It’s fitting that she’s the one that does that and gets 50 and 51.
“She hasn’t got the goals that she has deserved [this season]. Goals make headlines but actually, her performance today, she was twisting and turning and making herself less predictable. They didn’t know if she was going left or right and that’s an adaptation that she continues to add.
“She’s an unbelievable player and once she gets into that groove, she will hopefully score 100 goals plus for this team.”
After the international break, Manchester United will turn their attention towards an Adobe Women’s FA Cup semi-final clash against trophy holders Chelsea. Skinner says that having the correct mentality is the most important aspect going into that tie.
He said “For us, it’s about going in with the right mindset; if you’re willing to put your body, mind and spirit on the line, then you can achieve great things.
“It’s going to be hard, we know that but if we do what we’ve done today, we can beat any team.
“I want to see my players give everything because our fans deserve that.”
Manchester United’s Adobe Women’s FA Cup semi-final tie against Chelsea takes place at the Leigh Sports Village on Sunday 14 April 2024.