Marc Skinner urges Manchester United to ‘achieve miracles’ against Juventus | OneFootball

Marc Skinner has challenged his Manchester United team to “achieve miracles” in advance of the club’s Champions League showdown with Juventus.

United touched down in Turin for Wednesday night’s game at the Allianz Stadium in ninth spot in the league standings, just a point shy of their fourth-placed hosts. It means that, depending on results elsewhere, a win could be enough to propel Skinner’s side into the top four, providing automatic qualification for the quarter-finals.

The alternative is that the club will have to negotiate a playoff game, the fate that awaits teams finishing between fifth and 12th. Either way, however, United are guaranteed a shot at reaching the last eight in their debut Champions League campaign – and Skinner, intent on embedding a winning culture at the club, is intent on further progress. 

Skinner: Manchester United-Juventus a time to ‘achieve miracles’

“I want us to achieve miracles here,” said the United head coach. “What I mean by that is that I want us to go and win things on a consistent basis, so that it becomes part of who we are every day, and then that far reach doesn’t seem like a far reach far any more.

“It’s just experience, and the players that we’ve brought in [summer signings Julia Zigiotti Olme from Bayern Munich, former Barcelona winger Fridolina Rolfo, and Jess Park, the attacking midfielder poached from Manchester City on deadline day] have brought that. We need to keep adding to this group, because I think we have a special group.” 

If that came across as a pointed plea for further investment, it was not without cause. The lack of depth in United’s first team squad is glaring, and even last weekend’s remarkable fightback from three goals down to secure a home draw with Tottenham was not enough to paper over the cracks of  a club stretched thin by European competition.

United enter the winter break in fourth place in the Women’s Super League. The three teams above them – leaders Manchester City, second-placed Chelsea, and Arsenal – all benefit from substantially stronger investment.

Manchester United will make it ‘a difficult night for Juve’

Skinner is nonetheless hoping his side can continue to defy the odds, and has called on his players to show the same spirit and resilience in Turin that they displayed in Sunday’s grandstand finish against Tottenham, when they netted three times in 20 minutes.

“If we can get to the level and quality that we showed against Tottenham at the weekend, it’ll be a difficult night for Juve,” said Skinner, whose United side were beaten 3-0 by Lyon last time out.

“I remember the iconic games the men’s team had against Juve on many occasions, and our women’s team want to do the same and take the same kind of positive results.

“Our aim is to focus on trying to win the game, but if we can get to our standard, I don’t think there are many teams that can live with us.”