Above: United celebrating last season’s 1-0 win. Photo: Matt McNulty / Getty.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will meet this weekend in the WSL as they fight to keep their places in the top three and top five respectively.
With both sides having won their last WSL fixtures after losses and draws, they are hoping to start a new winning streak in the league.
United are currently in third place in the table, they hold a one point lead on Arsenal and Spurs and trail slightly behind Chelsea who sit in second. In fifth, Spurs have the same number of points as Arsenal with goal difference dragging them down.
The Reds are striving to keep their place in the top three with Spurs aiming to score goals and stay in the top five.
Ahead of their clash this weekend, Impetus heard from both clubs’ managers.
Marc Skinner: United need to be “aggressive”
Coming off the back of a Champions League loss, United’s manager, Mark Skinner, hopes to take “learnings” from playing against this top side into Sunday’s match against Spurs.
Skinner recognises that these lessons from the loss to Lyon “will be immense in the future” and is proud of the way his team moved the ball during key moments in the match.
Taking this pride in positive moments of play with them, Skinner’s side aims to “be really aggressive with and without the ball” when faced with Spurs this weekend.
United know that they must be “alive” with Spurs having been in “good form” this season.
The focus will be on defensive solidity with Skinner emphasising the need to keep a solid backline.
Facing criticism for his squad rotation against Lyon, Skinner was keen to clear the air.
“I see the players day in and day out. I see who’s physically at it, who’s mentally at it,” said Skinner.
He uses these observations to decide who he will choose to play stating that he does not think his “job is to necessarily make the players happy”.
Rather it is to “keep them focused and ready so they can make their impact when they get the opportunity”.
It is this focus and alertness that will allow the Reds to be “aggressive with and without the ball” this weekend.
Against Spurs they will “not be passive in any moment” and remember that as a team they “can hurt anyone”.
Tomorrow’s match will be “a tough task” for United but one that they are “looking forward to”.
Martin Ho’s “full focus” has been on this game
Spurs’ manager, Martin Ho, knows that United are “competing for the title”, that they “have word class players and they’re playing the big stages of the Champions League”. However, he also knows that “with the right attitude” and correct application his team could take away a win.
This league game has the team’s “full focus”, and he will not “rest or rotate players for the sake of it”.
Ho want to win every game and recognises that his job is “to put out the team most competitive to start the game”.
Coming off a big with last weekend against Aston Villa was “huge” for Spurs. In this fixture the side had excellent “attitude and resilience” while being faced with adversity from international break injuries.
One of the squad’s recent injuries was to Jess Naz, a strong and dependable forward. Ho said that her ACL injury is “disappointing and frustrating, especially when she has done one before, but she’s been in good spirits the last few days”.
Even with the injury to Naz, and other long-term injuries to his players, Spurs “can be competitive” – Ho has “full faith in the group” who will “go in with confidence and the belief” that they can win.
If Spurs to get the win tomorrow, they will see their best ever start in the WSL after eleven games.
This is exciting for Ho, but his focus is on development with an emphasis on improving “every week, every session, every game”.
There is a focus on the players and the staff and if that elicits points and is “written in the books” then that is “brilliant” for all involved.
This week, focusing on the players and staff involves keeping a strong mentality and remembering that the team have the capability to beat United.
Aiming to control the game on and off the ball, Ho’s side are feeling prepared for tomorrow’s fixture.
Manchester United v Tottenham kicks off at Leigh Sports Village at 14.30 UK time and can be watched on YouTube.
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