Manchester United boss Marc Skinner raised concerns over fixture scheduling following his side’s derby defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford.
The two sides occupied the top two spots in the Barclays Women’s Super League ahead of the clash, but the contest proved one-sided as City took another step towards a first league title in a decade.
City’s intensity and control throughout the game highlighted the gap on the day, with Skinner later pointing to scheduling as a contributing factor.
The derby marked United’s fifth game in two weeks, including two Champions League quarter-final ties against Bayern Munich. City, by contrast, have had a lighter schedule in recent weeks, allowing them more time for recovery between fixtures.
After the game, Skinner was asked whether the heavy schedule — including fixtures during the men’s international break — had impacted his side’s performance.
“Honestly, it’s a fact,” he said.
“I think Man City had an advantage with that twice this year.
“We came away at PSG, a night game, and then they turned us straight around to play at the Etihad that quick. We didn’t even train.”
Despite highlighting the issue, Skinner was keen to stress that it should not be seen as a justification for the result.
“It’s not an excuse. We’ve got to deal with what we’ve got,” he added.
“But what happens is, when your squad size shortens and your experience shortens, you have less solutions.”
He also pointed to the nature of United’s injuries, suggesting many had been caused by the intensity of the schedule.
“The injuries we currently have are all game-related. It’s overuse.
“It’s just the amount of games that they’re exposed to.”
Fixture congestion has been a growing topic in the women’s game, particularly with clubs balancing domestic and European competitions.
While acknowledging the challenges, Skinner admitted the issue is not straightforward to resolve.
“They want to maximise the revenue and grow the league, so I understand it,” he said. “Finding the solution is not easy, especially with the time slots we’ve got — but if the league grows, that’s what it’s all about.”
Manchester United return to action in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich, looking to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg at Old Trafford.
United then face a three-week break following their intense run of fixtures.