Manchester United boss dubs Ella Toone 'breath of fresh air' after criticism

Ella Toone looked back to her best for Manchester United in Sunday's 5-0 FA Cup win over Newcastle United and manager Marc Skinner has backed his star after criticism of her recent form

With 28 minutes on the clock at Leigh Sports Village, Ella Toone cut the figure of a footballing superhero.

The England international had just put Manchester United 1-0 up in their FA Cup fourth-round tie with third-tier Newcastle United. She celebrated by standing, hands planted on hips, and basking in the adulation of the home support.

The Zorro-esque mask she wore - a precautionary measure to protect the facial injury she sustained during a training match last week - only served to further enhance her celestial likeness. All that was missing, in fact, was a cape.

From the moment the first whistle blew in Greater Manchester, Toone looked for all the world like a woman on a mission. She saw her goal-bound shot deflect wide inside the first five minutes before Newcastle goalkeeper Grace Donnelly lunged to acrobatically tip her fine effort from range onto the bar.

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And, as the game ebbed toward the half-hour mark, United's no. 7 finally made the breakthrough, lashing a ferocious left-footed strike into the roof of Donnelly's net. It was a goal that set Marc Skinner's side on their way to a crucial win and perhaps set the wheels in motion for Toone's own personal resurgence.

The 24-year-old established herself as one of the most exciting prospects in the women's game at the European Championships in 2022, adopting the role of super-sub alongside best friend and former clubmate Alessia Russo. She came off the bench to inspire England's quarter-final comeback against Spain before her exquisite lobbed finish helped the Lionesses topple Germany in the final.

Her antics on the pitch have since led to her assuming superstar status off it but, while her star has continued to rise outside of football, her form for both club and country over the past 18 months has failed to hit her previously lofty heights. Last term, she managed three goals for United in the Women's Super League (WSL) - a tally she has already matched after just 10 games this season.

At last summer's Women's World Cup, all of Toone's key metrics - from touches, to chances created, to successful passes - were down compared to her displays at the Euros while, to the naked eye, she lacked the vim and vigour that helped propel England to European glory. The scintillating form of Chelsea's Lauren James saw the United midfielder lose her starting spot in the Lionesses' midfield part-way through the tournament, leading some to question her credentials as a regular fixture in Sarina Wiegman's side.

But, against Newcastle on Sunday afternoon, Toone looked back to her best, adding a fine assist to her superb goal and ensuring she was at the centre of almost all of United's positive play.

“She took a lot of criticism that I thought she didn’t deserve, because everyone has high standards of her,” Skinner said of Toone after the game. “It’s like Manchester United, everyone always has high standards and if you don’t match that there’s a crisis.

“But what Ella has been doing really well is simplifying her game. When she draws pressure, she releases, but she releases it with quality and she moves again. She’s been a breath of fresh air. Her attitude towards her own development again is right back in where it needs to be and it’s only a good sign.”

The United boss also attributed Toone's sublime display to the remedial nature of the WSL's winter break. Sunday's clash constituted the Red Devils' first competitive game in almost a month and some time off seemingly acted as a welcome tonic for their midfield maestro, who has been close to an ever-present for both club and country over the past two seasons.

Last term, Toone featured in every one of United's WSL games as Skinner's side pushed Chelsea all the way in the title race. Add to that the fact she played more minutes for England than any other player during the year between the Euros ending and the World Cup beginning and it's unsurprising the midfielder's form took a bit of a dip.

“I think she was able to get away (in the winter break), she went on holiday with her family and that enabled her to refresh,” Skinner said.. “Tooney will tell you, she wants to play every minute of every game forever, but the reality is, humans often don’t know what’s best for them.

"It’s also a pleasure to manage someone who wants to play every second. She loves football. If she’s not playing it, she’ll watch it, she’ll be at Manchester United men’s games if she’s not playing at Manchester United Women.”

While Toone's passion for the game has never been in doubt, her showing against Newcastle offered a potent reminder of her irrefutable quality. Speaking after the game, the midfielder told club media: "It was nice to get on the scoresheet and it was a good time to score before half-time. We knew what we had to do today. We knew we had to break them down and I thought we did that really well."

On her celebration, Toone quipped: "It was Batman. I was wearing a mask because I broke my nose in Malta so I was Batman and then a few of the girls jumped on it as well."

With United currently fourth in the WSL, it looks unlikely they will go on to claim the league title this term. But, with Toone looking to have recovered her superpowers on the pitch, the Reds at least stand half a chance of picking up some silverware in the coming months.