In May 2021, just as issue 1 of Barmy Article was going to print, it was announced that Casey Stoney would leave Man Utd. It came as a shock due to its sudden nature, but not a huge surprise with lack of investment touted as high on Casey’s list of frustrations. Zoe Hodges quickly put an article together, later posted here on the Substack, while Casey was kind enough to interview with Barmy Article (You next, Marc?) for issue 4 in January 2022, which you can read here.
In August 2026, a more generous 3 weeks before the issue 27 contribution deadline, it’s been announced that Marc Skinner will leave Man Utd.
The timing here seems a little more telling. In her interview with Barmy Article, Casey revealed she made the decision 6 weeks before it was announced at the end of that season. News of Marc’s departure comes just 4 weeks before the start of the new season, suggesting the decision has been reached pretty quickly. It seems clear the summer’s activity, or lack of it, has been the final straw for a manager who has been calling for investment increasingly publicly over the last 12-18 months.
Like many events around Utd Women, the thing itself isn’t overly concerning; it’s the circumstances leading to the thing that give cause for worry. Few will mourn the departure of Marc Skinner, with some seeing him as the gatekeeper of mediocrity the ownership needed to keep things ticking over at ‘just enough’ to hold back the funds. I hope though, that those who hailed Casey Stoney for walking away will show the same appreciation for Marc Skinner falling on his sword. The timing is more telling. When Casey walked away there was talk of more time to spend with family, quickly contradicted by a move to San Diego. The next few days and weeks may give us more of an insight this time around, with more and better media attention around the women’s game than 5 years ago.
What seems clear though is that both managers walked away frustrated at the lack of ambition shown by the club. A point many in the fan base paper over and excuse with their focus on Marc Skinner as villain of the piece.
In my opinion, Marc Skinner has both underperformed and been undervalued. Football is rarely black and white and the truth even less often lies at one of the extremes. Under Skinner, Utd have finished as high as 2nd and as low as 5th; following a season where 1 flipped result against Chelsea would have seen us finish as champions, with a 5th place finish in a 4 horse race for the top 3.
Marc Skinner did well considering the restraints put on him from the club’s money men, while also falling short considering some of the players he’s had at his disposal. For some it seems impossible to consider that both of those things can be true.
I’m not devastated that Marc Skinner is moving on, but I do fear for what comes next if the club don’t take these next steps seriously. Maybe he’ll be the architect of his doubters’ vindication, with pressure on the board to make some positive moves exacerbated by his decision to walk away. To quote the man himself, “it takes, sometimes, a punch in the face to wake up.”
I didn't see this coming TBH.
Love him or hate him Marc was our gaffer & after the Womens 7's I shook his hand & wished him well for the season ahead.
We all know Jim the Rat didn't care about our Girls & we have sat & watched Arsenal move to the Emirates, Chelsea to the Bridge & seen massive investment in LCL this summer.
In return we watched Millie & Lisa leave for Birmingham & I think though what has brought Marc's resignation about is seeing Melvine walk out the door & sign for one of our biggest rivals, that hurt me, I am sure it hurt all of you & I am convinced that was the last straw & our gaffer has just decided enough is enough & told United to get stuffed.
I was not Marc Skinner's biggest fan either. I felt that the team achieved, in spite of him and his naive/absent tactics, especially against the better teams we faced in his tenure. The FA cup semi-final win against Chelsea being a highlight and our only win against them. However, I agree that the team over achieved in a club that did not (and will not) invest properly in the women's game. I have no idea who is likely to take on the job but I wish them well. We still have some good players but we lack squad depth and unless the club has held off making a move in the transfer window until they resolved the manager situation...but the announcements from the club do not indicate any interest in making big signings. I am in favour of bringing through talent but you need experienced professionals in the squad to guide them, and we lack that so I too fear a turgid season ahead and a mid table finish. I don't even think the Subway cup is a realistic target with our current squad. I will still be there at LSV but with less hope than last season or any previous season. We cannot compete with Chelsea, Arsenal or City and LCL. Plus Liverpool, Tottenham, Villa, Brighton all look like they are investing. It's depressing 😞