In April, Skinner faced questions about his future, insisting he had “no doubts” that he remained the best person for the job.
There had been no internal discussions about his position going into the World Sevens tournament in May – and the club were satisfied with results.
The expectation was to challenge for silverware and try to qualify for Europe again. United lost the League Cup final to Chelsea, missed out on a top-three finish by nine points but had reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
All in all, given their budget was considerably lower than their top-three rivals (their wage bill was £5.9m in 2024-25, while Chelsea’s was £14.5m), Skinner had done a good job in the face of widespread scrutiny from fans.
But United sources say as the new season approached, discussions took place and it was clear Skinner and the club were not aligned on the direction they were going.
As United moved towards a sustainable model, focused on youth development, Skinner had become increasingly frustrated at a lack of squad investment.
Following their 3-0 defeat by rivals Manchester City in March, Skinner said: “The team are giving absolutely everything they can. It’s clear to me that if we get the right investment in the right areas, then we can meet those expectations.”
He echoed the sentiment following their cup final defeat by Chelsea and again on the final day of the season as they looked ahead to the summer transfer window.
Yet despite a quiet January window, United have not acted with pace this summer, instead signing 22-year-old defender Andrea Medina and goalkeeper Janina Leitzig, who is presumably back-up to the established Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
While United remain cagey in the market, their rivals are spending big with Arsenal bringing in the likes of England international Georgia Stanway and Spain full-back Ona Batlle, while Chelsea paid £850,000 for one of United’s key players, Melvine Malard.
Skinner had struggled to win over supporters, so faced with intense external scrutiny, limited squad depth and clear disagreements over the club’s lack of spending, his position became untenable for both parties.