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Manchester United manager Marc Skinner praised Ella Toone after her rocket opened the scoring as United thrashed Newcastle 5-0.
“She received a lot of criticism that she didn’t deserve. What Ella has been doing really well is simplifying: when she puts pressure, she releases. To take advantage of that opportunity…she is right in the top corner!
Skinner gushed that young Leona has been a breath of fresh air recently and praised her attitude towards her own development.
With 15 days off over the Christmas period, it was the first real break Toone had in a long time.
Skinner said: “She’ll tell you, she wants to play every minute of every game forever. “Humans often don’t know what’s best for them, especially players, so sometimes you have to take that into your own hands and give them a little break.”
Toone looked fresh and was United’s best player in the first half as she got into good spaces and created opportunities for her teammates going forward.
Although it took time to break down Newcastle, Toone’s first goal was worth the wait.
“It’s a pleasure to direct someone like Ella,” Skinner continued. “If she doesn’t play football, she watches it. She is very passionate about what she does.”
Toone celebrated in style after her goal, having been forced to wear a mask due to the head injury she suffered in Malta, she adopted her superhero look and her team-mates joined in the celebrations.
Newcastle, two levels below Manchester United, were surprised to see the Reds field such a strong team, but they gave a good account of themselves regardless of the final score.
Newcastle coach Becky Langley said: “It was a joy for us to see them play with their whole team, seeing players like Mary Earps in goal, Ella Toone and Katie Zelem to name a few, it was fantastic. “It was a compliment to us before we even kicked the ball.”
“We were up against a team that played at Wembley last season so we understood the context. “We all dreamed of winning the game, but we also understand where we are.”
The draw for the next round will take place tomorrow and can be heard on BBC Radio 5 Live.
