Man Utd manager Marc Skinner criticises congested international schedule

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.

‘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