With
Manchester United a goal down at the Etihad, manager Marc Skinner turned frustratedly to his bench. "Why aren't they keeping the ball?" he asked his coaching staff as his players struggled to repel the sky-blue tidal wave that continued to make advances toward the United penalty area. His agitation, it seems, was entirely justified as, mere minutes later, his side were 2-0 down and staring down the barrel of their fifth Women's Super League (WSL) defeat of the season . "The games that we have left, we will give everything," Skinner vowed to the media in his post-match press conference. "That's what we'll always do, that's what this team is built on, it's what Manchester United is built on." ALSO READ: Exclusive interview with Alexander Buttner ALSO READ: I worked for Ratcliffe and Ineos - he should learn from mistakes In fairness, Skinner could hardly have been expected to say anything else. Saturday's 3-1 defeat in east Manchester means his team are now 15 points worse off than the league leaders - a fact that only becomes more sobering when you consider it is their city rivals who currently occupy that top spot. They are six points adrift of Europe, with that gap likely to widen when third-place
Arsenal face off with Aston Villa tomorrow. In fact, should
Liverpool avoid defeat in the Merseyside derby on Sunday afternoon, United will end the weekend in fifth place. It is quite the fall from grace for a side who missed out on the title by just two points last term and were only narrowly beaten by
Chelsea in the FA Cup final. It is fair to say that if the Reds came into this season riding the crest of a wave sparked by their previous successes, then their tumultuous recent form means the club is now well and truly on the rocks. And perhaps the most frustrating thing about this weekend's defeat is that it was so predictable. Three times since the turn of the year, United have gone into a season-defining game needing to deliver. Three times they have failed to do so. Against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Skinner's side found themselves two goals down inside 23 minutes. Hayley Ladd clawed one back on the stroke of half-time before Lauren James' third of the day made sure of the victory for the hosts. Against Arsenal at the Emirates, United went into the break 3-0 down, with Lucia Garcia's stoppage-time goal proving to be little more than a consolation. That the Reds lost again by the same scoreline at the Etihad is a damning indictment of their ability to step up to the plate when the occasion demands it the most. Maybe the biggest compliment you could pay City on Saturday afternoon, is that they didn't have to play particularly well to get their noses in front. It was United who shaded the first half-hour of the contest before Jess Park's volley gave the hosts the advantage. It must be said that any consternation in United's ranks would have been justified, with replays showing Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw was offside in the build-up. But with no VAR to intervene, the goal stood and, from that moment on, it was hard to imagine the visitors getting back into the game. "I actually felt we played well in large parts of the game," Skinner said. "The first goal shouldn't even exist as a goal, she's offside. The difference between smaller and big stadiums is when there are more fans momentum swings quicker. The second and third goal we've got to be better for." Certainly, it's hard to refute the United manager's assertion that the goal changed the game. And, just eight minutes later, Park had made it two, deftly prodding the ball home after Alanna Kennedy's lofted pass into the box. On that occasion, Skinner and his players only had themselves to blame. That Park - who has proved herself to be one of the most capable players in the league in recent months - was afforded so much time and space in the penalty area will surely be one of the biggest talking points when the Reds begin their post-match post-mortem at Carrington on Monday morning. So too will the fact that City were able to carve United open so easily just seconds into the second half, with Park turning provider this time as Shaw finished coolly past a dejected Mary Earps. Hannah Blundell's strike, which deflected off Kerstin Casparij 17 minutes from time, opened the door for the unlikeliest of late United comebacks. But, as they did against Arsenal and Chelsea, the Reds had left it too late and were left to rue yet another missed opportunity to take their stuttering season off life support. Of course, there are some mitigating factors for this underwhelming campaign. Any team in world
Football would struggle to seamlessly replace the considerable talents of Ona Batlle and Alessia Russo, who left the club last summer for
Barcelona and Arsenal respectively. Injuries have also played their part, with summer signings Gabby George and Hinata Miyazawa both having endured lengthy spells on the sidelines. But ultimately, United have just simply not been good enough. Fingers will rightly be pointed at the manager but the players must also take accountability ahead of a summer that will be crucial in shaping the club's future. Certainly, if the rest of the season is to be viewed as an audition for a long-term place in Sir Jim Ratcliffe's United regime, then Skinner and his squad must now hope for a flawless end to the campaign. "Pressure makes you stronger," the Reds boss said. "This club will rise to the levels we all want. I’m a fighter so I’m going to put myself in a position where I can make this team the best in the land. That’s my personal responsibility." In many ways, Skinner's defiance is admirable and speaks to a manager who has never shied away from the added pressures that come with presiding over a United team. But, no matter how valiantly he is battling to secure his future at the club, it very much feels like he is currently losing the fight.