Olid had urged her players to be “brave” and have an “attacking mindset” this season.
The Spaniard guided Hearts to their first Scottish Women’s Premier League title last campaign but arrived at United untested in the WSL and in Europe.
And questions will be raised about her appointment if the club fail to recover from this lacklustre start.
Replacing Skinner was never going to be a straightforward task.
The former manager often divided opinion among supporters during his five-year reign, but still led the club to a first major trophy with the FA Cup triumph, three other cup finals, two top-three finishes and the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals last season.
His departure came after hints of frustrations over the lack of investment in the squad – just like his predecessor Casey Stoney who stepped down in 2021.
There is an argument Skinner overachieved, working with fewer resources than United’s rivals.
In recent years, the club has been criticised for its training facilities, while owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments about the women’s team also drew ire.
Olid, who arrived with a remit to develop young players and build an attacking football identity, insisted perspective was needed after a winless start.
“It’s what I said to the players – that it’s just the beginning,” she said.
“It’s just two matches. It’s not how you start but how you finish. Now we need them to learn from the mistakes and grow to go from down to high – that’s our idea.”
