A highly competitive match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur saw the Red Devils take all three points in a 3-0 victory at Leigh Sports Village. Summer signing Elisabeth Terland slotted her first Manchester United goal late in the first half, before heading home a second only eight minutes later. The second half would see captain Maya Le Tissier seal the victory through a precisely placed penalty.
Manchester United Manager Marc Skinner reflected on the victory commenting, “Yeah, I prefer the result to the performance. I felt that Tottenham were good first half, they were sharper than us. Especially first twenty-five minutes.
I actually looked down and looked at the clock and there was thirty minutes gone. I didn’t think we’d imposed ourselves on the game at all. So credit to Tottenham, but we were ruthless today and when those chances come in, two fantastic goals from Teri [Elisabeth Terland] and then I felt we got better control second half.”
Despite not being satisfied with the first-half performance, Skinner noted the positives within their first performance when expressing “I felt it was more comfortable second half, but there’s a key moment in the first half I want to single out, and not just the goals. It’s Phallon’s [Tullis-Joyce] save in a one-on-one situation. It was a big moment and she’s showing her growth as a player.”
Manchester United’s key player in their face-off against Tottenham was undoubtedly new signing Elisabeth Terland. Terland joined the side in the summer from Brighton & Hove Albion, and netted her first two goals for the Red Devils in the Women’s Super League against Spurs.
Skinner reflects on Terland’s first goal, saying “The beauty of her is I think she slows the moment and sees the opportunity under the most immense pressure. That’s the beauty of her. If you ever want to watch how to volley a ball, from a side on position under pressure, that goal today, female/male it doesn’t matter, it’s a fantastic hit and if we can get her in those positions she will score many, many goals for us.”
The United manager packed on the praise for Terland even more when expressing “she is a real positive player and someone that I know we can take from strength to strength.”
Skinner also shared the type of player and person that he believes that Terland is, as well as the qualities that she has brought to Manchester United since moving to the side.
He said, “Intense. Intense, in a good way. She is a person that is always focused. She doesn’t dip off her focus. Whether it’s pressing, whatever the task is she’s all in. When we played against her last year, I felt that in the box she was deadly, so we kept her out of the box. What she’s done this year, she’s building on the link game and so, just the way we play.”
Skinner continued, “Brighton this year are playing some expensive football, and nice football as well, but I felt that we could get her into those spaces if we could utilise her and put her in the box she’ll score goals. And there’s not, I mean I think she knows Haaland personally and I don’t want to compare the two but, the immense and intense action of both of them, that’s how she performs. It’s in the box, I need to score. If I don’t score, like she will take that personally but doesn’t let it affect her which is a great trait to have. Just wants more and more and more.”
Skinner spoke further in regards to the areas that he believes that Terland can improve on, noting “Maybe more one-on-one ability, because she has it. But I’ve never seen her play a dispatch with such calmness. Ellen White was the same, in the moments when it counted Ellen had this calmness to finish. I feel that she still has lots to do, we can still finish on the left hand side a little bit better.”
The Norwegian striker made the move to Manchester United from Brighton, something Skinner reflected on when analysing the impact that she had at the Seagulls to put her on United’s radar for the 2024/25 campaign.
He said, “They were ruthless [Brighton]. When those moments came she knew where it needed to be, and even in training I’ve seen that. So when we do extras I can see her, I know she knows what she’s doing. She gives you that reassurance as a coach. She knows what the next picture is beyond the moment and she’s trying to work that moment for herself. And again, there’s not many forwards that have the ability to do that.”
