Marc Skinner: Man United manager highlights reason behind goal woes

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·21 March 2026

Marc Skinner: Man United manager highlights reason behind goal woes

Manchester United Women take on Everton at the Progress with Unity Stadium this Saturday lunchtime.

After two cup defeats to Chelsea and a frustrating 0-0 draw with West Ham United during midweek, United will be looking to get back to winning ways.

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Head coach Marc Skinner faced the media as usual ahead of the key match.

Injury updates

Skinner provided updates on Dutch defender Dominique Janssen and also Canadian full-back, Jayde Riviere.

He explained, “yeah. So Dom (Janssen) came off with a little bit of a hamstring issue. We’re assessing her this morning. We’ve let them in a little bit later today after getting back late from West Ham. Jayde is out on the field today, I believe—so if it’s not Everton, hopefully it’ll be Bayern. Apart from that, everybody else is a little bit tired but ready to play.”

Everton form

The Toffees come into the game on a good run of form, having won four in a row.

Skinner responded to this by claiming, “when you get a new manager bounce, it shows. Under Brian they had a fantastic period for many years, and now it’s just a different change. They’ve got that buoyancy again and they’re dangerous, with dangerous players. Some are away at the Asia Cup, which affects them slightly, but they’ve got a good rhythm.”

Goal drought

United have found putting the ball into the back of the net a challenge lately, and Skinner tried to pin down the reason why.

He explained, “it’s about supply. Forwards can’t do it on their own. Without Jayde (Riviere) and Anna (Sandberg), our full-backs—who are key to how we play—have been missing, which has affected us. So we need to lean on delivery, make more of set pieces, and use the spaces better. Against West Ham, the pitch was small and bobbly—it affected both teams.”

Skinner continued, “playing against a back five in those conditions is tough. Our pitch is bigger, so we need to use that space. We should have scored against Chelsea and West Ham. I’m happy with the positions we’re getting into—we just need that final touch. I’m sure it’s coming.”

Reflection on West Ham result

Finally, Skinner was once again asked his thoughts on the draw with West Ham. He asserted, “at Manchester United, a draw feels like a loss—I understand that. But we have to stay calm and not react emotionally. Watching it back, we created enough chances to win. If we’d won 1–0, the reaction would be different. So now it’s about resetting. Everton are different, the pitch is different—we adapt and focus on getting the win.”

United kick off later today at 12:00 GMT against Everton before a gigantic clash against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night at Old Trafford.