Skinner aims to use hurt of last year as motivation to beat Spurs

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner has stressed tomorrow’s FA Cup final against Tottenham is an “equal playing field” and that his side will not underestimate their task at Wembley.

On Thursday, Skinner’s Spurs counterpart Robert Vilahamn said United were favourites but that first-time finalists Spurs “feel like we have everything to win in this game”.

United played their first final last year, losing 1-0 to Chelsea – they were also runners-up to the Blues in the WSL.

This term United are fifth and Tottenham sixth, and last month they drew 2-2 at Leigh Sports Village, United scoring a late equaliser.

Skinner said: “Tottenham deserve to be in the final, not having the underdog status - if you get to a final, you deserve to be in a final.

“This is an equal playing field going into it, and we cannot and will not underestimate it. Whatever tag people add to it, we know the job we have to do. “You’d be a fool to go in super, super-confident that you’re going to walk this final, because Tottenham are a very, very good team. On their day they can beat anyone in this league.

“It’s about living in the space in between where you’re confident, you know what you can do – but you also have the hurt of last year that you have to push through and make sure Tottenham feel.

“If we put that mindset into place in this game, I feel we can be successful.”

Skinner said memories of last year can be “an extra driving, motivating factor – hopefully that will give us a little edge”. The FA Cup would be United’s first major trophy since the team’s launch in 2018 and Skinner said: “I think there’s things we’ll learn from this season that I already know the answers to, that we can fix in the summer.

“If we can add silverware I think, more importantly for our fans, that will be hugely important going forwards.” United are now in the Ineos era after Sir Jim Ratcliffe became minority owner of the club in February, and Skinner added: “Regardless of Sunday, the impetus and desire to win is there and Ineos coming in has only reflected that even more. “So it will be a really exciting time regardless – but hopefully we can add the trophy to start that era.”