Manchester United stars Ella Toone and Maya Le Tissier have issued their respective verdicts on the departure of Marc Skinner.
Skinner leaves
On Monday morning, United released a statement confirming Skinner’s shock exit after five years in his role as boss of the women’s team.
He arrived in 2021 as a replacement for Casey Stoney. United said that it was a mutual agreement for Skinner to vacate his position.
While at the helm, Skinner oversaw both United’s Champions League debut and a first major trophy triumph, the 2024 FA Cup victory. However, United finished fourth last season and consequently missed out on Champions League qualification for a second consecutive year.
Skinner’s departure has given rise to extensive discourse regarding the women’s team’s place within Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ overarching project. A prevalent view holds that the manager was insufficiently supported during his tenure at Leigh Sports Village, notwithstanding the team’s periodic lack of consistency.
The recent sale of Melvine Malard to Chelsea is a good example of this. The understanding is that United are placing greater emphasis on bringing through young talent, rather than competing with their rivals in the transfer market’s big-money arms race.
This was reiterated by Le Tissier and Toone as they reacted to Skinner’s exit.
Le Tissier and Toone react
Toone said, “As players, it’s about what we do on the pitch. We don’t focus on the external noise of what’s happening at the club.”
“We’re focussing on ourselves and whatever decisions happen higher up, then that’s on them and we’ve got to remain focussed and ready for the start of the season.”
Asked whether they’ve been given assurances that the hierarchy remains committed amidst suggestions of neglecting the women’s team, Le Tissier answered, “I think the club have been pretty clear with what they’ve said, bringing through the youth. They’ve always done that historically. They’ve been pretty clear with that.”
“When we speak to the new manager, the ambitions will be clear.”
The United skipper continued, “Me and Tooney are at Man United because we want to win and we’ll be doing everything we can to make that happen.”
Toone described the type of manager she wants to see succeed Skinner.
“The club’s ambition now is to bring through the youth, so you need someone who’s going to get the best out of those players, but also look after the older ones in the group.”
“No matter who comes in, we want someone who’s just going to give 100 per cent, improve us as players and as a team and get us playing that attacking football that United wants us to play.”
Toone added about Skinner, “He’s done a lot for both of us as players. No matter who manages at this club, when you don’t get good results or whatever, you come under pressure. That’s because you’re at a big club like Manchester United, we want to win.”
“He was under a lot of scrutiny. But he kept going, he turned up every day. He brought energy. We can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done.”
Le Tissier remarked, “It was obviously not something that you wanted to hear, a manager committing to this club for five years, putting everything in every single day to this club, and now they’re leaving. There’s been a lot of challenges, but also a lot of really nice moments that we’ve had with him as well. It was said but now we move on now onto a new manager.”
United are said to be closing in on the appointment of Eva Olid as their new head coach.
Featured image Maja Hitij via Getty Images
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