Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier has backed her team to respond positively to the departure of head coach Marc Skinner, insisting the squad will "stick together" and be ready for the new Women's Super League season.
Skinner informed the playing squad of his exit in a meeting on Monday morning, shortly before the news was made public. On Tuesday, Le Tissier and England teammate Ella Toone paid tribute to Skinner for his contribution over five years in charge, which included winning the 2024 Women's FA Cup.
Praise for Skinner
Le Tissier highlighted the "energy he brought to the club was amazing," while Toone told reporters: "He wanted to tell the team before it came out. It was nice that he was able to tell us [and] he was able to say goodbye, because he's done a lot for the club. We can't thank him enough for everything he's done, the hard work and the passion that he's put into leading this team."
No consultation on successor
Le Tissier said that neither she nor Toone had been consulted on who the next head coach should be, but they expect an appointment to be made quickly. When asked about assurances regarding the club's ambition for the women's programme, she said the club has been clear about its commitment to youth development.
"I think the club have been pretty clear with what they've said, bringing through the youth, that's what something Manchester United has been kind of made for, and they've always done that historically," she said. "I think they've been pretty clear with that. When we speak to the new manager, the ambitions will be clear."
Togetherness and fight
Le Tissier emphasised the team's unity: "Me and Tooney are at Man United because we want to win and we'll be doing everything we can to make that happen. We've got a great team, a great squad, great girls. I'm ready to do that."
"No matter who comes and goes, we've always had that togetherness and that fight for each other and we stick together in tough moments. There's been a few over the years and we've always come through as a team, and, yeah, this one might be difficult right now, we're in the start of pre-season and we want to make sure that we're 100% ready for the start of the season."
She added: "We spoke to the girls today, we'll stick together, we always do. We've got to go out on the pitch, enjoy playing football and being with each other and we'll get through it."
