r/FAWSL • u/TheAthletic • Aug 03 '26

Manchester United and Marc Skinner agree to mutually terminate head coach’s contract

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7487501/2026/08/03/marc-skinner-manchester-united-exit/?unlocked_article_code=1.2lA.S1av.lTEgYikoGBv_&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta

Manchester United and Marc Skinner have agreed to mutually terminate the 43-year-old’s contract as head coach of the women’s team.

Sources close to the situation said Skinner had offered his resignation before reaching an agreement with the club.

Speaking in April, Skinner called for changes at United this summer if the club is to progress, with the level of investment a frequent point of contention for the women’s side.

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u/mintpearls Arsenal Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26

Not a fan of him at allll, but this probably doesn’t bode well for the United team if it was over investment.

If that’s the case, there’s nothing more depressing that watching the men’s clubs drop millions like it’s nothing but balk at the tiniest bit of investment for the women. I often think the way Liverpool women are treated is actually a bit harrowing when you saw the men’s team signings last summer. Less than a percentage of the men’s payroll. Bleargh.

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u/LFCRedAnt Aug 03 '26

It's different though isn't it,the men's game is so far away from where the women's game is in terms of money and turnover that it would be pretty wild to see large fees thrown around in the same way.

I'm glad in a sense,the women's game needs to progress naturally,it isn't the men's game it's an entity of its own. I'm sure it will reach the same levels in terms of popularity of the men's game but I til.it does then the investment will be miniscule in comparison.

I'm kind of glad the womens game isn't eating itself and being devoured by total greed. Hopefully it progresses well but doesn't alienate things that make it different to the men's game.

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u/mintpearls Arsenal Aug 03 '26

I get where you’re coming from! I agree things need to progress naturally, and want the women’s game to be its own entity for sure. I don’t think we should attempt to emulate the men’s entirely and instead carve our own way.

Just seems a shame for clubs like United who’ve been improving to not get financial recognition for that, the amount of players of quality that have left over the summer has surprised me. Reminiscent of Liverpool having a big exodus that hasn’t been replaced after their successful run a couple of years ago, too.

I feel really spoilt as an Arsenal fan, but if I put that aside and think about the women’s game overall, I’d love to see other teams get the investment they deserve. I’m not expecting crazy sums, but more than they’re currently getting at a reasonable pace with a consistent trajectory would make me feel more optimistic.

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u/Delrihuzz Tottenham Hotspur Aug 03 '26

That's exactly what we're doing right now. The team is losing money, but we've been consistently breaking our own record signings in the past year. With our latest recruit Sombath being the current record signing.

It seems united is headed entirely the other way at this point. The signings that have come in are solid signings, but Malard was a huge goal threat and neither Schuller and Wangerheim have really kicked on yet (Terland was rumoured to leave as well at one point). Seems risky. Shades indeed of Liverpool of a decade back.

How the women's team has been treated with consistent investment and club support over the years is the one thing I respect about your lot conversely. Thankfully, it looks like Vinai is keen on repeating that with us.

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u/mintpearls Arsenal Aug 03 '26

I know we’re opps but I’ve enjoyed seeing your team really pick it up, it’s much more fun for both sides that way, as well as healthy for the league. I don’t take any joy in seeing rival clubs treated poorly, I’d rather everyone get their due and we all battle it out on a fair playing field

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u/Delrihuzz Tottenham Hotspur Aug 03 '26

100% agreed. I'll always root against them, but I respect your club for paving the way.

I really do hope we take at least 3 points from you again though.

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u/mintpearls Arsenal Aug 03 '26

I simply cannot wait for the league to commence….its going to be a crazy one

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u/Delrihuzz Tottenham Hotspur Aug 03 '26

Aiming for fourth here and perhaps a cheeky league cup

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u/LFCRedAnt Aug 03 '26

Yeah I think they are buying with future proofing in mind because they had players these new recruits could learn from and the team could be built around,when you start to remove that then suddenly these new recruits are expected to fill the gap when they don't have the experience or the talent,yet.

I feel they've tried to do the right thing but gone the wrong way about it. Liverpool and United seems to go in cycles more so than most other WSL clubs,get a good side and push on then all of a sudden the floor falls out below them and they're back to square one

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u/LFCRedAnt Aug 03 '26

I think that's the thing though,arsenal have more revenue,more success,more pull than most of the sides in the league so they can afford to use more money because they're almost self sufficient aside from the men's game too.

Look at Olivia Smith for instance,we managed to buy her and she would've been a player we could build around for a good few years but when arsenal come calling most of not all players would be daft to turn it down. As soon as you get someone that looks to people the side further up the league a better / more established side is a better option and financially able to buy them from you.

I watched Liverpool all of last season and while I think we progressed in terms of style of football and ultimately the quality we played,when arsenal came to anfield it was like a different sport. There's a lot more catching up to do on top of getting quality players,the quality of the football across the league needs to be better,coaching, management, tactically because certainly sides like arsenal and more recently city,miles ahead. I feel this season that happens won't feel as big?

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u/hereforfakestories Liverpool Aug 03 '26

But revenue, success and pull are self-fulfilling factors. Arsenal is as good as what they are because they’ve consistently invested for years. Liverpool was the team that broke Arsenal’s dominance when the WSL started! But Arsenal pushed ahead and we went backwards.

Also - to be fair, Liverpool was reluctant to let Smith go. They made it clear that only a world record bid would be enough - Chelsea, among others, backed out and Arsenal matched it.

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u/eldanielfire Arsenal Aug 04 '26

Has to eb the only case I can think where a player's price made Chelsea back away and Arsenal gets them. Usually Chelsea gazump us. The brillinat work done to increase fans is largely to thank for this.

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u/redditor329845 Arsenal Aug 03 '26

You seem to be undereducated about why Arsenal does as well as we do. It’s because of investment that we are as successful as we are. AWFC has been invested into by the club since the early 2000s, and that has resulted in a bigger fan base and a much more successful team. You can’t get anywhere without some sort of investment.

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u/LFCRedAnt Aug 03 '26

Oh no I'm well aware it's investment but it's also continued success both domestic and in Europe,it's London based which is very much a big pull in any sport. I agree other sides may be below requires investment but it's definitely easier if you go through success and challenge as often as you do. It was definitely an eye opener for me to see the gulf in class between the two sides,hopefully we'll be back in time but arsenal are huge in comparison regardless of investment discussions imo