Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner said that he preferred the result to the performance as his side recorded a 3-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur at the Leigh Sports Village on Sunday afternoon.
Elisabeth Terland netted a brace with two clinical finishes before Maya Le Tissier added a third goal from the penalty spot.
When speaking to the media after the match, Skinner admitted that the result was better than the performance but he was impressed by his side’s ruthlessness.
“I prefer the result to the performance,” Skinner said. “I felt that Tottenham were good in the first half, they were sharper than us, especially in the first 25 minutes. I looked down at the clock and there were 30 minutes gone, I didn’t think we’d imposed ourselves on the game at all. Credit to Tottenham, but we were ruthless today.”
Forward Terland opened her Manchester United goal account with a double and Skinner heaped praise on the player.
He said “I just think she’s an incredible talent. The beauty of her is that she slows the moment and sees the opportunity under immense pressure. She is always focused, she doesn’t dip off her focus, whether it’s pressing or whatever the task is, she’s all in. She slows the moment and seizes the opportunity under the most immense pressure, that’s the beauty of her.”
Terland wasn’t the only player that Skinner spoke highly of. Celin Bizet Ildhusøy, who joined Manchester United from Spurs in the summer, impressed on the right.
“I spoke to Celin when she was first coming to Manchester United,” Skinner said. “We spoke about her versatility down the [right] side without diminishing her qualities and she has this. She wants to run all day, she has this fantastic delivery quality which is also one of her best traits, she is defending and she loves to defend.”
Manchester United have now won their first three league games without conceding but Skinner wants his side to avoid complacency.
He said “I feel that we will adapt throughout the season. I feel that we’re learning each other’s traits, but we have to adjust because as soon as we have this one system and one way of playing, the opponent will know exactly what we’re doing and then they can stop it.
“For us, it’s about keeping the opponent guessing for as long as possible and then they must adapt in the game. That’s what modern football is going to be, it’s about knowing what your role and responsibility is, but adapting quickly.”
Manchester United are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion.
