Skinner has multiple headaches as Man Utd make poor WSL start
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Marc Skinner's Manchester United have regressed this season
Marc Skinner's Manchester United have regressed this season

Manchester United have made a disappointing start to the season, with manager Marc Skinner needing to solve multiple issues.

The Red Devils finished second in the Women's Super League in 2022-23, fighting for the title until the last day of the campaign. 

Yet they are already seven points behind leaders Chelsea this season and have been knocked out of the Champions League. 

Ahead of United's Conti Cup tie against Liverpool tonight, we take a look at what has gone wrong. 

Key departures

United gave a poor performance in their 3-1 home loss to rivals Manchester City last Sunday, surrendering a lead and gifting the last two goals with unnecessary errors. 

The defeat leaves Skinner's side in fourth with a huge gap to overturn when nearly a third of the way into a 22-match season. 

It will leave a lot of fans wondering what has changed to make a successful team regress so quickly. 

A key loss was Skinner's assistant manager Martin Ho, who departed in the summer to take charge of Norwegian club Brann. 

On the field, United have also lost right-back Ona Batlle to Barcelona and striker Alessia Russo to Arsenal. 

Both are among the best players in the world in their positions and left Old Trafford at the end of their contracts on free transfers. 

Alessia Russo left Manchester United for Arsenal in July
Alessia Russo left Manchester United for Arsenal in July

Sucker punch

After the defeat to City, Skinner spoke about how he expects his team to respond. 

He said: "The players were very good in the debrief and the analysis. 

"Basically, we have allowed Manchester City to dictate play. That is something we don't let any team do. 

"We are very disappointed in the performance and as always, we will own that as a collective. 

"People will talk regardless. Even if we win 5-0, someone will say we can tactically do something even better. 

"The reality is the players are the people I listen to and we have assessed the game. It was an excellent learning [experience]. 

"We are very, very disappointed with the performance that led to the loss but from our point of view it's about growing from that game and making sure we don't play like that again. 

"There's lots to learn and we will keep doing that. Sometimes you need a punch in the mouth and we got that against Manchester City." 

Skinner headaches

Geyse has replaced Alessia Russo as Manchester United's striker
Geyse has replaced Alessia Russo as Manchester United's striker

Brazilian Geyse was signed as a replacement for Russo, despite being a different type of player who often drifts wide. 

This creates space for the wingers and Ella Toone to move into but the new-look forward line has yet to gel. 

A player that could have made a difference in this area was 17-year-old summer signing Emma Watson. 

Instead, the Scottish prodigy became the latest high-profile women's player to suffer an ACL injury and could be out for the season. 

No one is able to play the inverted full-back role quite like Batlle could and Skinner has struggled to find the right balance in his midfield three. 

A further headache awaits, with goalkeeper Mary Earps' contract expiring in the summer. United may be forced to sell in January or risk losing another star player for nothing.

Skinner has plenty to think about. Not least the potential threat to his own job, if results do not improve.

Tags

Manchester United WomenWomen's Super LeagueWomen’s League Cup
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