‘We are ready to move on’ – West Ham reaction has been good says Skinner | OneFootball

West Ham United manager Rehanne Skinner says that her side are ready to move on from last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Bristol City.

The Hammers suffered a somewhat surprising defeat to the Barclays Women’s Super League newcomers at The Chigwell Construction Stadium. It was Bristol City’s first positive result of the season.

When speaking to the media ahead of this afternoon’s fixture at Manchester United, West Ham United boss Skinner said that her side have had a good week of training and they are ready to move on from the disappointment of last weekend.

“We are a bit disappointed that we have been performing so well, grafting and showing what we are about in terms of intensity but we didn’t quite produce that last weekend,” Skinner said.

“This week, we have reviewed the game, reflected and we have some clear thought processes in terms of what we want to do moving forward into this weekend. The reaction in training has been excellent, the intensity has been superb. It was a learning curve and we are ready to move on to the next game.”

West Ham United’s latest opponents Manchester United have built a reputation for scoring late goals this season. Veteran forward Rachel Williams has been a catalyst for The Red Devils’ late momentum when coming off the bench. Skinner has nothing but praise for what Williams has achieved throughout her career.

She said “I picked up Rachel Williams on an initiative in our community scheme when I was at Leicester and she was 14 years old. She used to run through people then like she does now.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship and to be honest, she has never changed, she is what she is in terms of what she offers in and around the box. She heads a ball like nobody else and she will do anything that she can to score goals.

“She deserves a lot of credit for the career that she has had and the way that she is impacting the games that she is playing in.”

Williams is the ultimate ‘fox in the box’ and Skinner knows that her side will have to be on top form close to their own goal if they are to keep the forward quiet.

“You have to be physically alert and prepared because it is definitely a strong part of her game,” she said. “We have to be ready to be able to compete in every moment that anything comes in and around the box when dealing with Rach.

“She’s an out and out goalscorer, it is what she has made a career out of, so we will be alert and ready.”

West Ham United’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Manchester United kicks-off at 12pm this afternoon.