Manchester United manager Marc Skinner said the final 20 minutes of this weekend’s Women’s Super League matches could resemble ‘walking football’ with players fatigued after a demanding international schedule.
Several of Skinner’s squad were involved in mid-week matches, with the likes of Ella Toone and Mary Earps playing in England’s Nations League fixtures just five weeks after the World Cup final.
Millie Bright had complained about the fixture scheduling after England’s 2-1 defeat by the Netherlands this week and said that ‘standards may slip’ due to the demands on players.
Skinner shared those thoughts said the short turnaround could have a significant impact on matches in the first few weeks of the campaign.
‘I just hope it doesn’t have a lag into the season,’ Skinner said. ‘We all want this energetic start. I might be predicting the future and I might get it wrong but I imagine every game this weekend will end with walking football.
Man United boss Marc Skinner criticised the scheduling of Women’s Super League return this weekend
Several of Skinner’s players including Ella Toone featured in England’s defeat against the Netherlands on Tuesday
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‘By the last 20 minutes it will probably be like walking football because there will be people that are fatigued, not up to scratch, not up to the minutes they need. From my perspective it’s a crazy way to just shovel games in.
‘I get the format, I get the intent but I’m not even sure the international managers were happy with it.
‘Some might have been that didn’t compete in the World Cup but others won’t be so from my perspective it’s a strange window and will definitely lead to a lack of cohesion for a lot of teams going into all of their markets, not just England.It definitely wasn’t ideal.’
Leicester City manager Willie Kirk echoed Skinner’s sentiments. ‘It’s a pain in the backside, I hate the international window,’ Kirk said.
‘I like it in terms of the players getting a little break, in terms of a change of scenery. Not break as a physical break, but just a mental break. So you load them for five, six weeks, with new information – especially the new signings.
Leicester manager Willie Kirk agreed with Skinner’s sentiments claiming that he hates the international window
‘So sometimes it’s nice to go back to an environment that they’ve been in before. But you’re constantly checking your phone, you’re checking lineups, you’re checking substitutions.
‘If somebody comes off you’re worried they’ve got a knock, if somebody’s not playing you’re wondering why they’re not playing. Yeah, it’s just a really unsettling time.
‘I was a little bit frustrated we never started before in the Nations League. I think every major league in Europe did apart from us. I don’t know why we are any different. Supposedly that was voted on by the clubs – I know what we voted.’
‘I just felt that the nerves and the excitement that’s attached to the first game of the season it would have been better to go out the way before the international break.’
