Marc Skinner: How ‘squeaky voiced’ manager has led Man Utd’s unexpected title bid

Marc Skinner is aware of his shortcomings. When asked how he would manage his Manchester United players during their first Women’s FA Cup final, he admitted there could be issues communicating instructions.

“They aren’t going to hear me on the sidelines,” he said before the 1-0 defeat by Chelsea at Wembley. “It’s hard to hear my squeaky voice anyway.”

Despite the self-deprecation, Skinner has shown himself to be one of the most capable coaches in English football in his rise to becoming manager of the Women’s Super League title contenders.

Never a professional footballer, Skinner became manager of WSL side Birmingham City in December 2016 aged only 33, having worked at the club in various roles including youth team coach.

And striker Lucy Quinn, who Skinner signed from Yeovil Town in 2017, says he was quick to establish his style of tactics and management on the squad – just as he has with United.

“The way he spoke about the game, the way he wanted the team to play and how possession based it was, he was always an advocate for attractive, attacking football,” the Republic of Ireland international tells BBC Sport.

“He was really hands on, he always had his boots on for the drills. He would be walking through the pitches speaking to individuals as training was going on, he never just stood and observed.

“I enjoyed every side of having him as a manager – the meetings, the analysis, he was very clear with what he wanted from us and the role you had in the team. I was young, it was my first professional contract, but I still felt valued even as a substitute.”

Skinner took Birmingham to his first Women’s FA Cup final in 2017, where a 4-1 defeat to Manchester City also proved key in shaping him as a manager.

“What we got wrong at Birmingham was making it a massive event,” he said before the 2023 final. “We made it too big, put quotes on the wall from players and families, so it became an emotional event rather than being clear and business-like.”

Skinner also established major elements of his backroom structure while at Birmingham – sports scientist Carl Green followed him to Orlando Pride, then to United, as assistant manager.