Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner says that he has identified a change in the game plan of this afternoon’s opponents Brighton & Hove Albion and that his side will need to be ready for their threats.
The Seagulls have one of the smallest squads in the Barclays Women’s Super League while injuries have further reduced manager Hope Powell’s options.
When speaking in the pre-match press conference, Manchester United boss Skinner said that his side need to be cautious of a tweaked Brighton & Hove Albion game plan with the Sussex club potentially set to be quite expansive.
“This is a difficult one. The Arsenal game was obviously a difficult one but watching them against Reading, it was such an open game,” Skinner said when speaking to FAWSL Full-Time.
“They’re trying something different this year in terms of a rotational back-five where they progress into midfield. When you watch them against Birmingham, it was even more expansive.
“Maybe they are trying something different this season because personnel dictates what Hope will be doing there. I just think they’ve got some very good players in those areas and we are going to have to be super vigilant and super ready for the threats that they can give whilst also exploiting the moments that they give us.”
Manchester United signed Brighton & Hove Albion defender Maya Le Tissier over the summer and Skinner hailed the impact that the player has made at the Leigh Sports Village in such a short space of time.
“I’ve been super impressed with her, she’s playing every minute. She is so mature for someone that is so young but the best thing about her is that she is driven, focused but fun and she remembers her age. She plays above her age but she remembers how old she is, it is a lovely delicate balance.
“Hope and the team at Brighton have done so many wonderful things for her. I was at a team at Birmingham where we produced a lot of younger players who went on to play for different teams and there’s such a great launch pad for careers like that. Brighton have bigger aspirations than that, you can clearly tell that with the club set up, the structure, how Hope is trying to set up the team. They’ve had a massive part in what Maya is so we are reaping the rewards of that and our job is to help her continue that growth. She’s a great character and we are hoping to get very good things out of her this year.”
Manchester United’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion kicks-off at 12pm this afternoon. Tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.
About The Author
