Manchester United have bowed out of the Continental Cup in the group stages despite reaching the quarter-finals last year. Their two wins over Everton and Sheffield United came too late to save them as they fell to the wayside due to points, but Manager Marc Skinner continues to praise the attributes of his squad.
He made nine changes to his starting line from the derby day clash at the Etihad for the final fixture of the calendar year but denied the accusations of it being due to resting legs, he said: “This is not about [squad] rotation this is about opportunity and I’ve given the players the opportunity to show their qualities and they’ve done that."
One such player is Rachel Williams.
She started her season injured after she made a 'full-blooded' tackle that resulted in a knee injury that in-house media said: "It’s just as Rachel Williams does, it’s the whole reason we signed her."
Post-injury, Williams has showcased her quality, and her appearance at the Theatre of Dreams was rewarded with the fifth goal in front of a record crowd after being subbed on in the 85th minute. She went on to deliver two energetic performances at Leigh Sports Village in sub-zero temperatures against Everton and Sheffield from the first whistle, proving age is just a number.
Skinner said: “She's unbelievable, at first I'm not sure our fans understood maybe the reason why we signed Rachel but not only does she show that to us on the field but she shows it in the changing room he leads by example.
“And of course, she has the threat - she can hold the ball up perfectly and score goals too.”
The 34-year-old put in performances working the Everton back line tirelessly, her high press and chase demonstrated how the striker is the first defender when out of possession, and again was rewarded early on with United’s second goal within 12 minutes of play and her second goal in a Manchester United shirt.
Williams joined the Reds in the summer from Tottenham Hotspur where she started all but one league game and netted four goals in the 22 games and is familiar to Skinner. Prior to her stint at Spurs, Williams played for Birmingham City under Skinner from 2017 to the 2020-21 season.
He said: “She's got a little but of what I would class as, I’m not going to say old school but her mentality is that whatever she gets she rides with and doesn't knock her off track and so for me ill take those people everyday cause she has the best character.”
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