Skinner: Derby defeat can fuel United Women
Manchester United Women head coach Marc Skinner was left disappointed as his side lost 1-0 to local rivals Manchester City on Sunday, with Caroline Weir scoring the winning goal for the hosts.
But while the boss felt the Reds could have performed better, he does not feel that his side will dwell on the result.
Reacting to his team’s performance, Skinner said: “I felt that we were a little bit frustrated with our energy to do the things that we wanted to do.
“We have got to [win] the physical battles and I felt we lost a few of those today. That’s not like us.”Skinner: I have seen massive growth
Despite their loss against Manchester City on Sunday, Marc Skinner feels United Women are continuing to make progress...
Despite the setback, Skinner indicated that he has witnessed progress this season.
“I have seen massive growth,” he said. “But now we have to continue to do that.
“We are growing, we are learning, but we have to continue to work at that, and then we will be where we want to be. I have no doubt about that.”
And the United manager believes that his players should use the disappointment of Sunday to motivate them.
He said: “I’ve said to the players to feel [the pain of defeat]. Feel it because it is fuel.
“It is really important that we put ourselves in a position where we learn from it, and then that fuels you because you don’t want to feel like that again.”
Sunday’s result has left the Reds sitting fourth in the Women’s Super League, two points behind third-placed Tottenham Hotspur who won 2-0 away at Birmingham City.
Looking ahead to United’s remaining matches, Skinner is optimistic, saying: “[The end of the season] is in our control.
“The next game is Manchester City in the FA Cup, that is the next one. I will make sure that my team is focused on that task in hand.
“Today has not gone our way, maybe we didn’t deserve it as much as we have in other games, but we will make sure we do that in the future.”
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