Skinner seeks patience after United slip off pace
Women’s Super League
Head coach Marc Skinner said Manchester United needed to invest for the long term to close the gap on title-chasing Arsenal and Chelsea, after his team slipped 10 points adrift of the leaders.
Skinner, who was appointed in July and has overseen three wins, three draws and two defeats in his first eight matches, is “not concerned” by their home losses against the top two. United took four points from their home games against those sides last season, but Skinner is “realistic” about expectations.
Asked about the gap to unbeaten Arsenal, Skinner said: “There was a gap in moments, but we’ve been in the game long enough to know that comes from continued investment and time. We need to invest in the players and we’ll continue to invest. The club have no bones about that.
“Expectations are super high, and I won’t diminish those expectations, but we have to be realistic. I was never going to come in and wave a magic wand. We lost a lot of forwards in the summer. I’m not overly concerned.”
For Arsenal though, their transformation continued with a seventh win from their eight league games under Jonas Eidevall, thanks to Vivianne Miedema’s classy low finish from outside the box and Katie Mccabe’s well-taken penalty.
The north Londoners also twice
hit the bar, through Beth Mead’s strike and Miedema’s clipped freekick, as they stayed a point clear of Chelsea. Emma Hayes’s team beat struggling Birmingham 5-0, thanks to a first-half hat-trick from Sam Kerr and a brace by Fran Kirby, who reached 100 goals for Chelsea.
The game came three days after Birmingham, who remain one point above the relegation zone, sacked head coach Scott Booth. Shortly after full-time they confirmed the appointment of Darren Carter, their former men’s team midfielder, as interim head coach.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) Earps; Batlle, Mannion, Thorisdottir, Blundell; Zelem (Risa 87), Staniforth; Hanson (Jones 77), Toone, Galton; Russo. Subs Baggaley (g), Ladd, Fuso, Smith, Turner. Booked Blundell.
Arsenal (4-3-3) Zinsberger; Maritz, Beattie, Wubben-moy, Catley; Maanum, Walti, Little (Nobbs 45); Mead, Miedema (Foord 86), Mccabe (Parris 77). Subs Williams (g), Stenson (g), Patten, Goldie, Houssein. Booked Mccabe.
Referee Emily Heaslip (Bury St Edmunds).