02 February 2024 , 11:12
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Manchester United Women boss Marc Skinner said the club have no scope to challenge the controversial tribunal decision which eliminated them from the Continental Cup.
He also addressed the lack of January signings, underlining a need to not ‘waste money’ in an uncooperative market.
In a confounding series of permutations, United didn’t progress through to the Conti Cup group stages following a decision to dock Aston Villa three points after the club fielded an ineligible player in Noelle Maritz in their 7-0 victory over Sunderland in the final group stage match.
With Maritz having already competed in the competition with Arsenal earlier in the season on three separate occasions, Villa were found in contravention of competition regulations.
However, rather than expelling Villa from the competition as Reading were 10 years ago for the same breach, an independent tribunal ordered Villa to forfeit their three points to Sunderland but issued no further sanctions.
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Villa subsequently progressed through to the quarter-finals as group runners-up behind Sunderland, alongside fellow WSL club Tottenham Hotspur, while United were denied passage based on points-per-game.
Speaking for the first time since the decision, Skinner said: "I don't believe there's scope to challenge it. It's obviously disappointing but it's something you have to take. I don't believe we have the opportunity to have any input in it because we aren’t a team involved within that game. That's all we know.”
He added: "We're disappointed to be out but we will move on very quickly. I think it might inform future rules on the competition, but right here, right now, we're out. We have to move on.”
United made no new signings during the January transfer window despite Skinner’s plea to ownership that recruits were needed to bridge the gap to the league’s top three. United, who were one of the biggest spenders in the summer, currently sit 10 points off leaders Chelsea and seven points off Manchester City and Arsenal.
Aston Villa were docked points - but not eliminated- for playing cup tied Noelle Maritz (Photo by Morgan Harlow - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)Addressing the dearth in incomings, Skinner said: “We always said, it's about bringing the right people in. The team will not spend money that we waste, we don't want to waste money.
“It's about the right people. We don't need to just put people in for the sake of numbers, we never will do that. From our perspective, we're very lasered in on the type of player we need at Manchester United. We're continuing to work on that even when the window shuts. The window is just the moment you reveal your work. We're working behind the scenes every single day."