Manchester United manager Marc Skinner said he feels “supported” by the the club’s ownership while addressing the criticism Sir Jim Ratcliffe has faced following backlash over comments about the women’s team.
Ratcliffe was criticised after saying the “main issue” for the club was the men’s team, telling United We Stand magazine: “There’s only so much that you can do, and our focus has been on the men’s team.”
He has previously come under fire for stating that he did not have a plan for the women’s team following the takeover.
Skinner addressed the criticism over Ratcliffe’s comments, insisting that he feels supported by the ownership but that he would like more from the club.
“Words are cheap, but actions last longer,” he told a news conference on Friday. “For me, I see the actions. It’s hard for me to hear those comments, but actually that’s not what I see from the working group that is every day with us.
“Would I love the biggest budget in the league? Of course I would, I think everyone would. But I think everyone in this room wants a sustainable game. We want to grow, we want women to have the same rights, to grow those rights, to have the finances available for all resources. But unfortunately, we’ve got to work for that because we’re starting from behind.
“The reality is I don’t see it. I see it in support, and support isn’t always finance. Support is actually knowing you’ve got a strategy, you’re going to move to this. But decisions happen in football. I understand it, but that’s not what we see. Our actions are supported and we’d all like more but I feel supported in the fact that everybody in this club wants our team to do well and we’re going to grow towards a sustainable model.”
United also parted ways with sporting director Dan Ashworth after just five months. Ashworth was an advocate for the women’s team, and fans have feared that his exit could further detriment the women’s team, who are aiming to win their first Women’s Super League title by 2028.
Sources told ESPN that Ratcliffe’s comments have disappointed the women’s team, but Skinner insisted that there are different ways to convey support.
“They [the players] have to know that this club really does support them and wants them to achieve great things. You’ve seen our targets. It’s hard, there’s a lot reported about us and I understand why. But when you feel it, when you’re internal, it’s not a lie. We’re not lying. But there are different ways you can show support,” he added.
Skinner defended INEOS’ takeover, saying that the new ownership had changed the way Manchester United want to achieve their goals, with more focus on communication and the process to achieve their ambitions.
“I think they’ve had, whether advertently or inadvertently a direct impact on who we are as well as a club,” he said. “I think the interactions I’ve had when we’re talking about why we are going for that, the goal of winning the league, there was a lot more work done behind that than there is just to put that title up, it’s how we do it. All the heads were put together in meetings, which will continue to happen with the INEOS working group.
“I feel the support from internal every day. And that’s what I mean it’s those conversations, the high-quality conversations of how we’re going to do things and what’s expected of a professional Manchester United, what’s expected of us. We know externally we’re going to have high pressure. So I think the biggest factors are they are clear: we want to win.
“Every conversation is about quality, about how we can be better. Whether it’s from the canteen staff and the cleaning staff all the way up to Sir Dave, Sir Jim, all the people that are driving us forward there feels like there’s more connectivity, and that’s what I would say their influence has been.”
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