Manchester United Women boss Marc Skinner ecstatic with Manchester United Womens FA Cup victory
Wembley Stadium, London, UK
Wembley Stadium, London, UK
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00:00 [LAUGHTER]
00:01 Silver or gold, which one?
00:04 Right.
00:04 Hi, everyone.
00:05 Sorry to keep you waiting.
00:07 Bit busy today, post-match.
00:09 Thank you, my friend.
00:10 Thank you very much.
00:11 Appreciate it.
00:12 Actually feels nice to sit in front of you
00:18 in a positive light.
00:19 OK, hello, everyone.
00:26 Apologies for the delay.
00:27 Welcome to Mark Skinner's post-match press conference.
00:29 Do you want to start us off?
00:31 Yeah, please.
00:31 Hi, Mark.
00:36 How you doing, mate?
00:36 Congratulations.
00:37 Great to see you with the trophy there.
00:38 You just said then it's nice to be able to talk
00:41 to us in a positive way.
00:42 Is there almost like a sense of relief,
00:44 given the season that you've had, that you now--
00:45 Never relief.
00:46 Never.
00:47 Not relief.
00:48 We don't live in that moment.
00:50 I'm happy with the job that I'm doing at Manchester United.
00:54 If we believe that we should be winning everything
00:57 every second of the-- then we're not in the right space
00:59 right now.
01:00 That's what we want to aspire to be.
01:01 But to add this gives the experience for the players
01:05 to build on.
01:07 And so we're not happy with where we're finishing
01:09 or where we will finish in the league.
01:11 But to be history makers for this fantastic club,
01:16 for our fans, I think means more than relief.
01:18 It's actually a really exciting moment.
01:22 Yeah, tell us a bit more about the other emotions
01:24 that you're feeling.
01:25 Obviously, you say they're excitement.
01:26 But what was going through your head
01:28 when that full-time whistle went and you
01:29 were able to run onto the pitch with your players?
01:31 Yeah, I didn't actually run, Emma.
01:33 I think if you've seen me run, you probably wouldn't like it.
01:36 So no, I felt that we were--
01:40 before the game, I felt that we were in a really good space.
01:44 I felt that our players were ready.
01:46 I felt that they didn't overhype it.
01:47 They felt like it was a business job to do.
01:52 And I want to give--
01:54 so we can get out of there, I want
01:55 to give Tottenham a lot of credit for the run
01:57 that they've had, the season that they've had.
02:01 And if they use it like we had to use it last year,
02:03 then it will only serve them for future successes, I'm sure.
02:07 So congratulations to them.
02:10 For us, I think we fast forward far too many times
02:15 beyond the moment for the next thing, the next thing,
02:18 the next thing.
02:18 But actually, it feels really nice to be present.
02:21 I had a chat with Nick Cox at the academy yesterday.
02:25 And he spoke about being present.
02:28 And for me, I feel like I'm present in this moment.
02:32 And I feel like it's a moment to enjoy.
02:34 Congratulations.
02:35 Thank you.
02:35 Thank you, my friend.
02:36 Thank you.
02:37 And before you ask, yes, I'm hot in the turtleneck.
02:40 I am hot.
02:40 It was a bad choice.
02:41 I agree, it was a bad choice.
02:44 Mark, huge congratulations.
02:45 You chose to start a 36-year-old veteran, former plasterer,
02:49 up front.
02:49 It seems to work for you today.
02:51 I wondered if you could just talk a bit about that decision
02:52 and how well Rachel played, and maybe just what
02:54 it will mean to her 12 years on from she's
02:57 scoring in the final in 2012.
02:58 The FA Cup has now got the history like the men's, right,
03:03 in terms of a plasterer scores a winner.
03:06 Yeah, she's a fantastic character.
03:10 I wanted to start the game fast.
03:12 I wanted to make sure Tottenham couldn't get rhythm.
03:16 And Rachel Chaston put her body on the line for everything.
03:19 And Lucia and Leah, I felt that we could start that way.
03:24 And I knew the game was going to finish differently,
03:26 but I wanted to disrupt their rhythm,
03:29 because once they play, Tottenham are a good team.
03:31 So I thought we did that.
03:33 And then for her, she should have scored in the first half
03:36 time, if we're being critical.
03:38 But she deserves every part of that.
03:40 She's a fantastic human, more importantly than a footballer.
03:43 But I hope she goes down as an iconic player for Manchester
03:46 United.
03:47 Do you remember all that rubbish we got when we signed her?
03:51 Yeah, well, she's turned that round, hasn't she?
03:53 She's a fantastic person.
03:54 And there's obviously a really great story for Toonie,
04:00 for her goal and what it means.
04:02 But for Rachel Williams, it's another FA Cup story.
04:07 And I'm really proud of her.
04:09 That was the next thing I wanted to ask you,
04:10 was for a lifelong fan of the club to score
04:12 the first goal and such a good goal, what will that mean?
04:15 Iconic moment, iconic player, iconic club.
04:19 And I think those are springboards you should use, Tom.
04:24 Yeah, like there's a disappointment of last year,
04:25 but we have to use that springboard to make sure
04:28 this isn't a one-off.
04:29 And we have to compete better in the league on a consistent
04:32 basis for us to be up there again.
04:34 And I believe that we will do that.
04:36 This has to be the impetus and springboard for us to know
04:39 now that we can deliver success for this fantastic club.
04:42 Yeah, in terms of the springboard, what will be your message to the board now
04:45 while you're playing?
04:46 Lots of people pointing out that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Del Baros
04:48 were at the men's game instead of this one.
04:50 I'm just wondering maybe what you think the next step is for the club
04:54 and what you can talk to them about the future of the women's team?
04:56 Yeah, I mean, in all honesty, Tom, it just feels like a really
04:59 positive space to be in.
05:03 You know, we know as a club that we want to be winning titles
05:06 and want to be winning things.
05:08 And obviously the men have the FA Cup to look forward to as well.
05:12 But for us, I've just been really excited by the energy
05:15 that it's driving internally.
05:18 And I think, you know, it won't be long, hopefully, before we're
05:22 in the talk debate in the kind of elite
05:26 winning, especially in the women's team that we've started now, hopefully.
05:30 But it's exciting. I'm really excited.
05:33 And I know what's coming.
05:35 And it's an exciting time to be in Manchester United, Phil.
05:38 Thank you.
05:40 Congratulations. Thank you.
05:47 I just wonder what you've learned about yourself during this season,
05:49 this Cup run in particular, because it feels like in the semi-final
05:52 and the final, we've kind of seen you at your best.
05:54 Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I'm pretty good at times, Dan.
05:58 I know people tell me I'm not, but I'm actually OK.
06:01 Now, I learned a lot about the mental resilience that you need.
06:06 You can't be at Manchester United if you are weak in the mind.
06:10 And we have to deliver.
06:13 We have to deliver trophies for an expectant fan base.
06:16 Our supporters are the best in the world.
06:19 And that's a pressure and a privilege.
06:21 And, you know, today we've done that, but there's so much more to come.
06:26 I'm learning lots about myself every day.
06:28 But if you fast forward, I said, Carl Green, my assistant,
06:31 who's my assistant at Birmingham,
06:32 he said to me around ten minutes ago, seven minutes ago, he said,
06:38 look, remember what it felt like seven years ago at Birmingham
06:41 when I said it was the loneliest place I've ever been when we fall one down
06:45 and that touch on that touch line.
06:47 And he said, just take a moment to feel it.
06:50 And if you look at me towards the end of the game, last couple of minutes,
06:53 only last couple of minutes, I just sat quiet and I felt
06:57 and I stayed present.
06:59 And that's like it's a general life lesson that we just fast forward
07:03 things too quickly and sometimes just spend the time
07:07 looking at people being part of the experience.
07:10 And I'm so proud of all of the players today because, you know,
07:14 they only do it to bring success to this fantastic club.
07:16 I think the game plan was rock solid.
07:19 It was obviously implemented really, really well by the players.
07:22 I just wonder how much kind of practice went into kind of the set plays,
07:26 the corners, because, you know, you look really, really dangerous in the first half.
07:29 Yes, I mean, well, I was really disappointed against Liverpool last week.
07:32 We lost the game on a set piece when it was a bit of a concentration
07:36 and we worked hard and obviously Wilco's done a great job.
07:40 We're the goalkeeping coach in Wilco.
07:42 And he's delivered so many quality moments this season
07:47 with his plans and his preparation, but also the players have to concentrate.
07:52 And we worked hard on that this week and, you know, they've delivered it today.
07:56 I felt that we were dominant throughout, I really did.
07:59 I felt it was a really dominant performance and in a really hot day.
08:02 And even at the end, you know, you bring players into control of the game.
08:06 They've done that. So it's a yeah, it's a good game plan and it worked.
08:10 Thank you.
08:13 Catherine?
08:13 Stingray.
08:15 Hello, mate.
08:20 Hi, mate. Can I just ask how Leah Goulton is?
08:23 Just because she was obviously on crutches at the end of the game.
08:25 Yeah, I think obviously precautionary.
08:27 I think she took a knock in the Becky situation.
08:31 And so, yeah, I think she was in a bit of pain.
08:35 We thought we could get her on beyond half time and then it just kind of flared up.
08:39 So we'll assess it this week.
08:41 I honestly don't know right now, but hopefully she's OK because she's obviously a great player for the club.
08:46 And for players like Leah and Ella and everyone else who's been here since the club reformed,
08:51 how special is it for them to have been part of that journey from when the club first started to now?
08:56 In between media, I saw them having a photo as the players from the inception.
09:01 And I felt that it's just special moments.
09:04 You forget those narratives, right?
09:06 You forget those little storylines, the Rachel Williams storyline.
09:09 It's the Ella 2 and the iconic number 7 for Manchester United.
09:14 And then you realise all the hard work that goes behind the scenes and the people that have been here that won the championship
09:20 have now added a moment of history for the club.
09:26 And it feels special and they should.
09:28 They deserve it.
09:29 But we can't rest.
09:30 Not going to rest.
09:31 I will rest for probably tonight and then we're going to crack on.
09:35 And just finally, just to go back to in terms of who was here from the club today,
09:39 is there any disappointment at all that Jim Ratcliffe wasn't here?
09:42 I know other people were here just because he's kind of seen as the face of the club at the minute.
09:46 Yes, but what I'd say is the messages have been passed throughout all the time and it's constant support.
09:52 And the players were messaged.
09:55 I was messaged this morning, yesterday.
09:58 Constant communication.
09:59 So, no, I don't believe that at all.
10:02 We had more than enough representation from our club here.
10:06 And, you know, as I say, I'm only excited about what Sir Jim and everyone's going to bring to Manchester United.
10:13 Hello, mate.
10:17 Hi, Mark.
10:20 Congrats on the win.
10:21 I know you want to live in the moment and just enjoy it for now, but I just wanted to ask,
10:25 how much will you be using this to maybe pressure the board and the higher ups
10:31 in terms of adding or doing what you need to do to take Man United further
10:36 and back to that title challenge that you saw last season?
10:38 Of course. And we're going to plan for that.
10:40 Of course. I don't know if the word is pressured, Sandra, to be honest.
10:44 I think it's, you know, it's just the constant support continue to grow.
10:48 What I feel that INEOS are doing as they've come in is assessing where the club are at.
10:52 They're continuously assessing.
10:54 And I have no doubt that they'll put us in a position,
10:59 not only the women's team,
11:01 you know, the academy and the men's first team in a position for us to be successful.
11:06 And I absolutely believe that.
11:09 That's all that I've seen since I've been in.
11:12 So, yeah, I think it's not about pressure.
11:14 I think they've always been supportive and it's about support and helping what we need to get us to there.
11:20 And I think we've been working on that all year.
11:22 And just in terms of this cup win for you, I mean, what was the initial emotion when you win it, the whistle blew?
11:26 Yeah, I mean, yeah, just I don't know.
11:30 I was there was a I held back tears
11:32 just because it was like a feeling of emotion that,
11:38 you know, it's one of them where something hits you and you're just like,
11:42 I know what I should react like, but it just hit me.
11:45 And it was a nice moment.
11:47 It was something that I'll share with my family later.
11:49 And, yeah, I'll make sure my my five year old gets this winner's medal
11:55 because I got a lot of stick for throwing the last one away last year.
11:58 So what we want gold here, not silver.
12:00 Hi, Mike. Congratulations.
12:06 You're obviously talking about the future and how excited you are for the future,
12:09 because you are out of contract this summer.
12:11 Are you confident that you will be leading this club forward?
12:14 I mean, I hope so. Right.
12:16 But but we've created history and I've got to live in that moment, to be honest.
12:23 I believe in myself fully.
12:25 And I'm still only I'm still a baby in terms of my career.
12:30 So I've got lots and lots to achieve in this game.
12:33 But from my perspective, I feel the club is in fantastic hands
12:38 and hopefully I'm here to be able to do that and push forward with them.
12:41 Thank you. Thank you.
12:43 OK, last couple.
12:45 We'll just do here, here and then we'll wrap it up.
12:52 I've got to get this turtle neck off.
12:55 Sweltering. Hey, Mike.
12:58 Congrats again.
12:59 But way back when, when you guys beat Bristol City,
13:03 you had mentioned that you were hoping that by the time summer came along,
13:07 the squad was going to be where you wanted it to be, that the puzzle pieces
13:10 were going to fit. A lot of people were upset about that.
13:13 They felt like it was going to be too long, that it needed to happen now.
13:15 Do you feel like this game, the puzzle pieces have fit?
13:19 Do you feel like the squad is where it needs to be?
13:22 Yeah, I mean, the squad needs to keep improving.
13:26 We've shown that within the league.
13:28 The consistency has not been as thorough as we wanted it to be.
13:31 In bigger moments, we fell a little bit short.
13:35 But what I'd say is if, for example, we welcome Gabby George back.
13:38 I had a left footed player at left back for six games of the season,
13:44 almost since I've been here.
13:47 And the balance in a team is really hugely important for us to invade
13:50 the sides of the pitch.
13:52 Emma Watson, I think you'll love watching.
13:54 Henate, we lost for a long time in the season.
13:56 So I feel like getting those will be new players coming in anyway.
13:59 But we need to, no, no, we need to keep going.
14:02 We can't stop. We can't stand still. No chance.
14:04 I'm not going to stand still.
14:05 We have to keep finding the right players to push Manchester United forward.
14:09 Mark, congratulations.
14:13 Thank you.
14:15 Question I was going to ask as well.
14:16 So we saw the likes of Mary Epps and Ella Toon, obviously.
14:18 Toon's scoring a great goal today, and they've obviously been winners of
14:21 being one here in the Women's European Championship.
14:23 How much inspiration do you think they may have taken here?
14:25 And the experience that they've added from a couple of years ago,
14:28 from the Women's Euros added to here to help you guys?
14:29 Yeah, I think it's a really good question.
14:31 I think it's a huge factor, because what only allows you to do is
14:35 if you've not done that before, you...
14:38 And maybe it happened to Tottenham a little bit today.
14:41 If you've not been at this, it's experience.
14:45 You calm your thought process.
14:47 So Mary's calm.
14:49 Decisions can be made clearer when you don't have emotions
14:52 blocking up that decision.
14:53 I've spoken about this a lot.
14:56 Toonie obviously scored a fantastic goal in the final.
14:58 She's been here, done it before.
15:00 She's focused.
15:01 So in that moment, when it comes, she calms her body down
15:04 to select the right technique, the right weight, the right power.
15:07 That's why it's important, because it allows you to think
15:10 in key moments and if gains are made on key moments,
15:13 you know that we've got to do the best to make them for us today.
15:17 Thanks, everyone.
15:20 Team, thank you very much.
15:21 I'll see you next week, hopefully.
15:23 Thank you very much. Thank you.
15:25 [Clanking]
15:27 [BLANK_AUDIO]