Manchester United Women begin their WSL 2022/23 season this weekend when they welcome Reading Women to Leigh Sports Village.
Marc Skinner has called on fans to make their home ground a "fortress" this season as United get their campaign up and running on Saturday afternoon. After the Lionesses triumphant victory this summer, the quartet of Mary Earps, Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Nikita Parris could all feature for United this weekend.
United finished four points behind their rivals Manchester City last season, as they just missed out on the final Champions League spot. Skinner knows that a strong start at home will be vital to kickstart their campaign, and he will be looking to continue their end of season form that saw his side win seven consecutive league victories at home.
ALSO READ: Manchester United Women - where they play, how much tickets cost and upcoming fixtures
The Reds' opening game is set to see a record crowd at Leigh Sports Village, as more than 6,500 tickets have already been sold - nearly 2,000 more than the previous attendance record recorded in 2018.
When asked by the press about the home crowd, Skinner said: “[It will be] amazing, and at Leigh, our fans are loud anyway. So, whether there’s 200 for [an] away fixture, they’re super loud. So, to have 6,000 already and who knows, that might grow, it’s going to be fantastic.
“It’s going to be like at the Euros when Leigh hosted the game, it was such a great vibe and a great feeling. Hopefully, we can make it a cauldron and a fortress like we did last year, for all the games to come this year.”
United will be the favourites when they take on Reading on Saturday afternoon. Kelly Chambers' side finished in eighth place last season - 17 points below United, as Skinner's side won both home and away last season against this weekend's opponents.
READ NEXT:
