Skinner left red-faced as pressure piles on Man Utd boss after Man City loss

Marc Skinner might have been better off heeding his own words, but hindsight is a privilege not a right.

"If you never want pressure, never come to Manchester United," the Women's head coach said. How the pressure has cranked up.

United suffered a second successive loss in all competitions as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat to rivals Manchester City in the Conti Cup group stages on Wednesday evening. United were awash with chances against City and there was a clear improvement from the insipid first-half against Chelsea.

A late injury-time goal from Nikita Parris following good work from Geyse da Silva Ferreira down the right stirred hope that United, top of their Conti Cup group, might snag a last-gasp equaliser and secure a berth in the competition's knockout stages.

Yet, as the final whistle blew, it was difficult to shake the evocative shades of United's loss to Chelsea over the weekend: ultimately toothless and predictable against a league rival.

Gareth Taylor's side, meanwhile, booked their place in the knockout stages of the competition courtesy of goals from Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp. Taylor, comfortable with the deficit his side at built as time wore on, opted to give his younger players a chance as United plodded on for a goal.

United's Conti Cup campaign should still proceed with results on Thursday likely to fall in the team's favour, though a new hiccup concerning an ineligible player fielded by Aston Villa in Noelle Maritz could have potential unfavourable ramifications for United.

Even without the additional chaos, pressure on Skinner has ratcheted up to fever pitch in a season that has fizzled and slumped in the shadows of the previous one.

Following a sensational second-place finish which saw United push reigning league champions Chelsea to the final day of the season and earn an historic Champions League qualification berth, the Red Devils now sit 10 points adrift of the Blues with a first-ever European jaunt done and dusted after two second-round qualification matches.

The result has been chants levied at Skinner to leave United, the first most notably in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool before the winter break. Next, as fans travelled to the club's winter training camp in Malta.

Since, the situation has only exacerbated, with a lone placard beseeching 'Skinner Out' at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea dished their visitors a humbling 3-1 rout almost deafening.

The loss marked United's third of the season, a record that no team has ever claimed the WSL title with. Skinner's side now sit 10 points behind league leaders Chelsea, seven off Arsenal and Manchester City in the European places.

Following Sunday's defeat, Skinner persisted in his M.O. of deflection, adding he would not let any negativity drip into his psyche. He claimed his hyper-focus on the team inhibits him from being distracted by outside noise.

"The fans are absolutely entitled to do what they want," Skinner said. "We are never going to silence any fan from having their opinion. They pay their hard-earned money.

"Never, ever, will we stop any fans having an opinion, they're absolutely entitled to. My job is to stay focused on what I want to achieve with this team and that is success."

The noise, however, seems to have seeped through as Skinner went on a sensational rant before Wednesday's match in which he questioned the rationale of those shouting for his head.

"We’re not performing badly. Let me be very clear about that," the United boss told BBC Manchester radio.

"Before you look at results and a column that takes three seconds to look at, go back and watch every single 90 minutes and see that Manchester United in all probably bar two were probably the best team statistically and in performance. That is where you get skewed. Do you want fast food information? Or do we now have to dig a little bit deeper into seeing performance?

"And that’s what I do every day. I’m happy with the team’s performance, I’m happy with our energy and I’m happy with what we’re trying to do.”

Calls for Skinner to depart the club have hinged on disapproval with the 40-year-old's tactical acumen, the perceived underperformance from a talented squad and claims of a 'toxic' environment fostered by those from outside the club.

The departure of key figures Ona Batlle and Alessia Russo upon the players' contract expiring over the summer and the protracted negotiation saga with England No 1 Mary Earps has further fuelled the claims.

Skinner's squad underwent some major changes. But despite calls for patience from Skinner to hone inter-squad dynamics, supporters have become disillusioned under the current management.

The club's recent takeover by Ineos has rekindled hope in the future of the women's team, but the noise surrounding Skinner remains fiercely committed.