MANCHESTER, England -- Manchester United manager Marc Skinner admitted a statement win was needed heading into the derby at Manchester City. A big win would have reignited his hopes of clinching a place in Europe for next season and maybe assured his future with the Women's Super League club. But after a lacklustre performance, resulting in a 3-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium, the pressure is piling on the United boss.
"Pressure is something you have to deal with every day at Manchester United; it's everywhere," Skinner said postmatch. "From our perspective, pressure is in everything that is at Manchester United and it makes you better, and it makes you learn, and it makes you stronger.
"As much as it hurts right now, I know that this team, where we're heading, and this club, specifically, will rise to levels that we all want, and we'll be up there for consistencies because there's a real energy behind us."
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Skinner would have needed no reminder of the tightrope he is walking. His record this season, claiming only one point from a possible 15 against the teams in the WSL's top three, proves he is still struggling to find an answer to the question of how to bridge the gap to the WSL top three consistently. And with his contract set to expire at the end of this season, the poor performance will not help his case to United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe that he is the man to lead the team next season.
"If you know anything about my character, I'm a fighter," he continued. "So I'm going to put myself in a position where I can make this team the best in the land. That's my that's my personal responsibility."
Ahead of the derby, Skinner was focused on his future plans for the club. Rather than addressing the issues his players have faced and their apparent lack of conviction on the pitch, his attention turned to the long term, his plans for the transfer windows, and his insistence that he has no doubt about where the team is headed.
"In all honesty, a statement win would be great," he said ahead of the fixture. "We know exactly where the project is going. Everyone judges us against what we did last year, and we were ahead of schedule on that last year. We have no doubt that once we do the recruitment we want to do within the summer and the next window and when we get our players back fit for the whole season, I have no doubt where we will be."