Skinner: We've reflected and we are ready
Manchester United Women are determined to get back to winning ways after Sunday's defeat to Chelsea, says Marc Skinner, as the Reds prepare to face Manchester City in the Continental League Cup on Wednesday.
Kick-off at the Joie Stadium is set for 19:00 GMT, live on MUTV, and Skinner spoke to the press to preview the fixture on Tuesday morning.
Discussing squad rotation, past defeats and the games ahead, the boss believes that the Conti Cup derby against City is the perfect opportunity for his side put Sunday's 3-1 loss at Chelsea behind us.
Preview: City v United Women
ArticleOur guide to Wednesday’s Conti Cup derby includes TV and ticket info, qualification permutations, team news + more.
WE ARE TRYING TO ALWAYS BETTER OURSELVES
“Last season we were almost perfect. We were sitting here, we were winning almost every game. It’s a tough comparison but that’s the reality of football. We are trying to always better ourselves. I think Manchester City have one of the most consistent squads now. That helps and that’s what you need. That’s what will happen to our team, we will get more consistent as we play more games together. I think that they are a good team but we have our own aspirations and our own way of doing things and we must stay true to that. We are going to put all our energy to win every game, that’s all we ever did and that’s all we will ever do.”
WE HAVE TO UTILISE THE FULL TEAM
“We have a smaller squad. We have taken a few injuries so we will have to utilise the team and we will have to do that. The qualities we have will be able to add much to the game against Manchester City. I think it’s about knowing who and when. I am going to try and use all the squad and still get the job done. That’s the important part, it’s not just about putting a team out. It’s about winning the game with the players we put on the field.”
“Last season we were almost perfect. We were sitting here, we were winning almost every game. It’s a tough comparison but that’s the reality of football. We are trying to always better ourselves. I think Manchester City have one of the most consistent squads now. That helps and that’s what you need. That’s what will happen to our team, we will get more consistent as we play more games together. I think that they are a good team but we have our own aspirations and our own way of doing things and we must stay true to that. We are going to put all our energy to win every game, that’s all we ever did and that’s all we will ever do.”
WE HAVE TO UTILISE THE FULL TEAM
“We have a smaller squad. We have taken a few injuries so we will have to utilise the team and we will have to do that. The qualities we have will be able to add much to the game against Manchester City. I think it’s about knowing who and when. I am going to try and use all the squad and still get the job done. That’s the important part, it’s not just about putting a team out. It’s about winning the game with the players we put on the field.”
WE ARE SOLELY FOCUSED ON THIS GAME
“The reality is that we go into every game to try and win it. We shift to Man City now. It’s a tough away task. We want to progress in this competition, we want to add silverware. I think the sole focus will move to this game and then we will go back to Villa. As much as we are behind, we have to chase. That is the reality of the situation, we have to chase. We don’t look at anything other than a challenge. We are going to go and give ourselves the best chance to go through in this competition and try and win a cup. Then in the league we will shift our focus back to winning games of football.”
WHEN YOU DON’T WIN GAMES, YOU REFLECT
“When you win, you kind of move and you don’t really learn but when you don’t win you have a chance to reflect. We had a really good meeting yesterday with the players as a collective and we looked at what it was in that game that we needed to fix. There were moments in that game that if they fell our way, we could win the game and that’s the difference. The goals we conceded, we were not happy with but Manchester United has the biggest fan base in the world. You are always going to have some opinions that they are not always the same and that is welcome. I am a big believer that pressure is what you make of it. You can’t get absorbed with pressure. You are driven everyday to drive your own standards and that is that I do every day. The opinions outside is absolutely welcome but my mind is focused on my team.”
“The reality is that we go into every game to try and win it. We shift to Man City now. It’s a tough away task. We want to progress in this competition, we want to add silverware. I think the sole focus will move to this game and then we will go back to Villa. As much as we are behind, we have to chase. That is the reality of the situation, we have to chase. We don’t look at anything other than a challenge. We are going to go and give ourselves the best chance to go through in this competition and try and win a cup. Then in the league we will shift our focus back to winning games of football.”
WHEN YOU DON’T WIN GAMES, YOU REFLECT
“When you win, you kind of move and you don’t really learn but when you don’t win you have a chance to reflect. We had a really good meeting yesterday with the players as a collective and we looked at what it was in that game that we needed to fix. There were moments in that game that if they fell our way, we could win the game and that’s the difference. The goals we conceded, we were not happy with but Manchester United has the biggest fan base in the world. You are always going to have some opinions that they are not always the same and that is welcome. I am a big believer that pressure is what you make of it. You can’t get absorbed with pressure. You are driven everyday to drive your own standards and that is that I do every day. The opinions outside is absolutely welcome but my mind is focused on my team.”
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