Marc Skinner: Everything You Should Know About the Manchester United Manager
The Manchester United women’s team was relaunched in 2018, and they have quickly established themselves as one of the most formidable teams in the WSL.
United has been runners-up in the WSL, participated in Champions League football, and, for the first time last year, triumphed in the Women’s FA Cup at Wembley.
Marc Skinner has been at the helm during these successes; he has managed women’s teams on both sides of the Atlantic. But who is Marc Skinner, and how did he become the manager to guide Manchester United women to their first significant trophy?
Marc Skinner: His career thus far
Skinner has been leading Manchester United for more than three years, but his first foray into professional coaching came at Birmingham City.
Hailing from Birmingham, he received an invitation to work with the Blues after serving as an academy manager at Solihull College & University.
After serving as the first-team goalkeeper coach, he was elevated to head coach in 2016 just before the WSL Spring Series, guiding the Blues to a commendable seventh-place finish and an FA Cup final match.
In the subsequent season, Birmingham improved to fifth place, which attracted attention from the NWSL franchise Orlando Pride.
For many English coaches in women’s football, experience in America plays a critical role in their growth.
However, his tenure didn’t begin smoothly. Skinner faced significant challenges in his first season, as the Pride failed to win any of their first nine matches, ultimately finishing at the bottom of the standings.
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Nonetheless, Skinner turned the situation around in 2021, leading the Pride to a seven-game unbeaten start, marking the longest such streak in the club’s history at that time.
Despite this promising start, Skinner was drawn to Manchester United in July when he agreed to take over from Casey Stoney, who had secured promotion to the WSL.
Skinner made an immediate impact at United, matching the club’s previous fourth-place finish in his debut season, followed by a surprising title challenge in 2022-23. His team captivated fans with a dynamic attacking style, led by players such as Ella Toone, Alessia Russo, and Leah Galton.
In the end, they narrowly missed out on the title to Chelsea on the last day of the season, where losses in their two encounters with the Blues ultimately proved detrimental.
A week before the conclusion of the league season, Chelsea also became United’s adversary in the Women’s FA Cup final, where a goal from Sam Kerr clinched the victory in a closely-fought match after United had a goal ruled out in the first half.
However, 12 months later, despite facing scrutiny from some fans regarding perceived shortcomings and selection decisions, Skinner successfully led his team back to the Wembley showpiece final.
This time, glory awaited, as England star Ella Toone netted a spectacular goal, helping United to a 4-0 victory over Tottenham and delivering their first major trophy.
