Ella Toone's gradual decline at Manchester United is gnawing

Manchester United may have fallen two goals short in their inaugural quest for a Champions League run-out but domestically the Reds have yet to falter. They’re four games into the Women’s Super League and sit in fourth spot of the table rankings on eight points, two behind leaders and local rival Manchester City.

There is no question players have stepped up to the plate in a Red shirt but there is a gnawing feeling that others are yet to show their true talent, Ella Toone being one of them.

There’s no doubt you’re familiar with the name, but are you familiar with her performances thus far in the 2023/24 campaign? To date, she has played two full clashes against Paris Saint Germain, and 282 minutes split between four top-tier games, averaging out 70 minutes per match.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's WSL clash with Brighton, Reds manager Marc Skinner said: "Ella would judge herself on assists and goals because that's the type of person and player that she is. But still, you can also support, like assist the assist. She can find other spaces to get in.

"I'm absolutely happy with Ella and where she's at there's always work to do. We have to keep reinventing ourselves, she'll keep adapting, keep evolving that's the type of character she is and you can expect lots and lots of quality things going forward."

But, Toone has yet to hit the target or create an assist, which begs the question if the 24-year-old needs some rest.

She’s had three full-on seasons performing for United. In the 2020/21 season, she netted nine goals and provided five assists. The following year saw seven goals and eight assists and last season Toone scored three goals yet provided another eight assists - are we seeing a slight decline in the number 10?

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