‘I’m really proud of them’ – Manchester United boss Skinner reflects on victory over Burnley | OneFootball

Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner said that he was proud of his side after they defeated Burnley 5-0 in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup in Leigh on Sunday.

Maya Le Tissier opened the scoring with a thunderbolt before Julia Zigiotti Olme, Simi Awujo, Lea Schüller and Layla Drury all netted their first goals for the club.

When speaking to the media after the match, Manchester United boss Skinner said that he was proud of the team on an afternoon of firsts.

“It wasn’t flawless by any means,” Skinner said. “We could have been more aggressive first off, but there are so many firsts today. I’m really proud of them because even Millie Turner, it’s her first minute back since her injury, so lots of positives. I’m happy that we progress into the next round with a performance like that.”

Awujo’s first goal came almost 18 months after joining Manchester United. Skinner wants the player to believe in herself and take future opportunities that come her way.

He said “It’s now Simi’s chance to realise her potential. She is fantastic and I want her to start realising [that]. I’m just going to keep challenging her to keep producing that.

“When she scored the goal, she could do it again because she’s a unique character and a unique player that can do that, but she needs to start to realise it’s on her now. I can give her the opportunity, but she’s got to start taking it more often.”

It’s a quick turnaround for The Red Devils as they face Arsenal in the Subway Women’s League Cup on Wednesday night. Manchester United only played The Gunners a little over a week ago and Skinner is hoping that the familiarity will benefit his side.

He said “It’s slightly better for us that we’ve just played them given the quick turnaround and we’re away, so we have to travel on Tuesday. I’ll look at how the team fit, see how they recover and then see what’s the best to try and beat Arsenal.

“I expect a different game, there may be rotations, but we’ll wait and see what the game plan needs. 
The one thing is that we’ve got to give everything. We’ve got to try and get our fans into another final.”

Manchester United’s next fixture against Arsenal in the Subway Women’s League Cup kicks-off at 7pm on Wednesday evening.