Marc Skinner said that he “won’t be having a conversation” about aspects of the fallout from Geyse’s social media post ahead of his team’s tie with **Sunderland**in the **FA Cup**quarter-final.
The manager made clear how he handles player relations in a heated arena. The opposition, qualities of his fellow coach, and updates on the squad were other topics in his latest meeting with the media.
‘It’s about working towards a solution’
**Man United**will want to focus on the task at hand at Leigh Sports Village. But the team also find themselves in the middle of a controversy over the wellbeing of one of their more recent signings.
**Geyse**has been going through a tough time after the death of her brother. She missed four matches at the start of the year and has posted a provocative message to reveal an "agonising and lonely feeling."
These are strong words with which Skinner empathised, but he also attempted to offer more context.
“If a player feels that [and] they write that then you feel a kind of sadness and appreciation. We also appreciate Geyse is in a difficult position in her personal life right now and I think when we have this conversation, we have to understand there is a human at the heart of what we are talking about.”
“From my perspective it’s really clear that Geyse is a fantastic footballer. If she feels like that, then she is expressing her opinion. However, what I can stress is that the club have offered her a fantastic amount of support and will continue to do so. She’s at the centre of it from a wellbeing perspective.”
He then said that the club are seeking ways to work with the Brazilian and come to a resolution.
*“From our perspective, it’s about working towards a solution. I know Manchester United have been speaking to **Gotham*in the NWSL as a potential option for Geyse to go on loan, which then also gives her a chance to look after the wellbeing and how she feels.”
Geyse's agent accused the club of trying to loan her out while she was at the funeral of her brother, fanning the flames of this ordeal. Skinner stood firm in his refusal to reply to those comments.
“I won’t be using this platform to have a conversation about that.”
“I think through action we’ll show that we will continue to support Geyse through an absolutely difficult time. I think the support that has been offered, that is in place is absolutely there for everyone to see. It’s disappointing when you hear that about yourself, but you can see from the interactions I have with almost all of my players that actually it’s really clear that we are there for the players.”
‘There’s always opportunity to discuss’
Skinner stood firm in his belief that he has built a strong camp that he continues to support.
“I must stress that the rest of the team, how they are, they are absolutely one together, sole unit that is absolutely solid. So, from my perspective, as a human, it is sad to hear that a person might feel that way. But what I must stress is this group is a fantastic group, it’s absolutely together and we stay committed to the wellbeing of all our players. So, we’ll find a solution that suits both parties.”
The 41-year-old then faced further scrutiny of his track record with welfare. Spanish World Cup winner Irene Guerrero only spent a season with the squad, going to Mexico after opening up about her struggles with the side. But Skinner still felt that he should not back down to criticism.
“I don’t know if it’s so much as a handful. What I would say is that each player has an opinion and has social media to express that opinion. I’m happy to have an open dialogue with my players. And if any players feel like that then all I can say is there is always opportunity to discuss things with me.”
Emphasising an open door policy, he briefly commented on the power and pitfalls of social media.
“The beauties of social media also have downfalls where you can play out your emotions, thoughts and processes there too. I’ve worked with a lot of players in my time, and I think the majority would have lots of good things to express. I won’t go into anything more. I don’t think I need to, I don’t need to justify myself, I have a really good relationship with my players and my door’s always open.”
Turning attention back towards the cup, Skinner shared news about the fitness of his players.
*“I believe that Elisabeth Terland will be out this weekend. Hopefully, we’ll know more next week if she’ll be back for the **Liverpool*game. Jayde Riviere has been training back on the field. Whether it’s too soon this weekend, only time will tell, so we will a little more over the next couple of days.”
“Lisa Naalsund* has been training in full, and she’s been in contention hopefully and then Anna Sandberg has been back from illness, so she’s been training as well. Simi Ajuwo will miss this one.”*
‘She’s a great role model for women’s football’
Skinner shared his thoughts about the team that the Red Devils will play on Saturday afternoon.
“I think for me, and we talk about this all the time: we want to respect the opponent we’re playing.”
“We will talk this game as seriously as against any other game we play. It’s the quarter-final of the FA Cup and we’re playing against an opponent that people might see are in a lower division but knowing Mel and the way she sets up her teams, they’ll be full of passion and right up for this game.”
He drew inspiration from the answers that the players pulled out in their last WSL game a week ago.
“We had to find a way answer past Leicester who blocked up at times and even when we probably weren’t at our best in the second half, we put in a display of quality in the first half to win the game. We’ll have to be at our best, try and be at our best and we’ll take it seriously going into this game.”
**Sunderland**sit in the second tier, but Skinner still holds the team in high regard. He knows their long-time leader, Melanie Copeland, very well from his days as the manager of Birmingham.
“What I love about Mel is that she’s true to herself, she’s obviously a northern girl who loves the north-east. For me, there’s a little bit more in these games out of respect because we’ve both been at a level where you have to be innovative, you have to create because you don’t have the most resources, and you have to get really creative, and I find that sharpens your coaching edge. I feel with Mel, the role that she’s played and how much she’s done, she is a great role model for women’s football.”
The mutual respect between the two managers moved Skinner to state how he relishes this duel.
*“I have a lot of respect for her teams. There’s a little bit of personal acknowledgement from the both of us. For us, the best respect we can pay is giving the best performance from the **Man United*team.”