Manchester United’s Skinner Details Strategy for Upcoming Chelsea Match

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner expressed confidence in his team’s ability to defeat Chelsea this Sunday, having also commended Chelsea’s new manager, Sonia Bompastor, ahead of their scheduled encounter at 12:00 GMT. Bompastor assumed leadership from Emma Hayes in June and achieved a historic milestone as the first manager in WSL history to secure victories in her initial seven matches at the helm. When questioned about the distinctions between Chelsea under Bompastor and under Hayes, Skinner remarked, “They’ve got that same winning attitude, it’s been born into the players over many years.” He further added, “Sonia is cleverly and subtly trying to change the way Chelsea play. They’re very one-v-one dominant, they’re wide in their build-up so they spread you out as much as possible to create one-v-ones. She’s doing a good job.” Chelsea’s aggressive pressing tactics proved challenging for Manchester City during their 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge on Saturday; however, Skinner indicated he has devised a strategy to counteract this. Skinner stated, “It’s a huge part of their game. But we have to mix our style, know when to play, when to go beyond the press.” He continued, “Having a mix of that is what we’ve been good at. That will keep Chelsea guessing. We’ve got to go into it and just be us. If we do that then we’ve got a good chance of winning the game.” Mayra Ramirez, Chelsea’s striker, netted an exceptional solo goal against City last weekend and was instrumental with a two-goal display at Old Trafford in May. Skinner affirmed that United’s defensive players would draw lessons from these past performances. He concluded, “We need to defend against that huge threat. Mayra is a fantastic footballer, so we’ve got to find a way to stop her. But she’s surrounded by [other] great players.”