[gorky_utd]

After watching rashford this season, I am having doubts whether the good speech he makes on camera are also part of PR.

 

[Bosnian_fan]

Convert him to CB? ETH needs ball playing CB. McT also has good attitude.

How is he going to be ball playing centre-back when he is not even ball-playing midfielder?

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

After watching rashford this season, I am having doubts whether the good speech he makes on camera are also part of PR.

It’s great PR for McT. Think about it, no matter how poor you are on the pitch [he’s usually one of the poorest] all you need to do is come out & say a few empty platitudes for a section of the fanbase to lap up.

It’s really come to something when you can be horrendous on the pitch but all some seem to care about is you ‘getting the club’ off it. The guy is as bad a parasite on this club as any, he’s made no real improvement in years of first team football, hides regularly on the pitch & when on the ball struggles to keep &/or pass it but it’s fine lads cause he says what I want to hear in pressers.

 

[Idxomer]

After watching rashford this season, I am having doubts whether the good speech he makes on camera are also part of PR.

They definitely are, it's basically the one thing he got going for him and he makes sure people don't forget his "passion" for the club.

Scott McTominay: "The last four games are about pride for us. Going out on the pitch and showing a bit of balls in your performances and not shying away from the ball or not doing everything right." [BT Sport]

This quote now is more hilarious after not completing a pass for 39 minutes in the 2nd half today.

 

[Oranges038]

I don't get your point. Chelsea dominated the game. Thats what happens when we come up against half decent teams because our structure on and off the ball is awful.

Also, the disappearing bit is a little overstated for me. Its the typical thing where something gets said and everyone runs with it.

When we were going through an awful time of the season under Ole, McTominay was one of a very few players who stepped up and certainly didn't "disappear".

Point is that Chelsea's full back had 4 times as much of the ball as Utds centre mid. That's just appalling.

Regardless of structure off the ball, he's just not good enough on it. Doesn't look for it, doesn't demand it, doesn't want it and when he gets it his touch, vision and awareness is poor and his passing range is extremely limited.

He's just not very good, and his and Fred's lack of ability on the ball is a massive reason why this team cannot hold onto possession to build and maintain pressure in games.

 

[AFC NimbleThumb]

How is he going to be ball playing centre-back when he is not even ball-playing midfielder?

Because McTominay the player isn’t actually important. It’s all about the idea of McTominay to some at this point. Like you point out he struggles to be a ball playing midfielder but some would convert him to a CB & give the young man another 5 years to disappoint.

 

[cesc's_mullet]

I think I'd actually prefer El Neny, just. Which is really an indictment on both players.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Point is that Chelsea's full back had 4 times as much of the ball as Utds centre mid. That's just appalling.

Regardless of structure off the ball, he's just not good enough on it. Doesn't look for it, doesn't demand it, doesn't want it and when he gets it his touch, vision and awareness is poor and his passing range is extremely limited.

He's just not very good, and his and Fred's lack of ability on the ball is a massive reason why this team cannot hold onto possession to build and maintain pressure in games.

Not one peep about how the manager set us up today? Did you watch the game? We sat back behind the ball in the second half and let them have it. We looked like Villarreal at Anfield.

 

[Rightnr]

I’m as shocked in what I’m reading too. The thing that gets me is that if another player had put up those numbers the same posters would berate them. There’s this weird thing about McTominay, lots of posters have at some point tied their flag to him so to step down & admit he’s crap is a step too far for some.

I tried tying an anchor on him on several occasions but he just doesn't sink.

You can guess why.

This quote now is more hilarious after not completing a pass for 39 minutes in the 2nd half today.

After that retort about back passes ('he said once!') early on in Ralf's reign, it's quite clear the guy lacks self-awareness of his (lack of) football ability.

Cannot blame him too much. After all, Marcus fecking Rashford is the face of our club and is earning 200k/week for warm-up jogging in a competitive game.

 

[Footyislife]

He's a backup CB in a back 3 at best. Let's move on from wasting time talking about him. We have no one else to play so he's playing.

 

[DRJosh]

The million dollar question: will he be starting for us next season? A real travesty if he is

 

[city-puma]

You guys still pick out single players to blame? Amazing! Ralf kept using the setup we all know not working during Ole’s spell. It’s just the repeat of all the unsuccessful pairings and setup again and again. 30+% possession in home game. Amazing!

 

[shahzy]

The fans are easy to please. Look like you're running around and trying hard and you could be shit in a bag and they'd love you. That's what United fans are now.

 

[Chripper]

How do you think a team as a whole generates possession?

By having the ball.

If you look all over the first XI, none of them had that many chances or touches of the ball.

Chelsea's defenders had between 77 and 93 touches of the ball. And between 61 and 69 passes. Ours had between 33 and 39 touches with 20 and 26 passes.

You build from the back.

I'm not willing to throw any individual player under the bus till we have a real manager. Seems like I'm in the minority.

 

[Varun]

He's tragically mediocre to put it kindly. Had less passes in the entire game than Ronaldo.

 

[Abhinav]

Leaving aside how bad he is on the ball, what about his lack of impact off the ball? He was always chasing shadows, never in the correct position, very low intensity and half hearted attempts to get near the opposition. Just look at the difference between what he was doing and how Ronaldo was closing down the players.
This guy is just shocking at the moment.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

How do you think a team as a whole generates possession?

Exactly. Having a manager implement and coach possesion football is important but so is having footballers who can pass the football. Pep isn't going to get a team of Mctominays to dominate the ball 70 per centof the time. He's a terrible passer of the ball and aside from the odd dribble, mediocre on the ball in general. This one moment where Rashford found space in between Chelsea's defence summed it up well. The pass was easy, and could have created a good chance but Mctominay over hit it and dragged Rashford towards the corner flag.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Leaving aside how bad he is on the ball, what about his lack of impact off the ball? He was always chasing shadows, never in the correct position, very low intensity and half hearted attempts to get near the opposition. Just look at the difference between what he was doing and how Ronaldo was closing down the players.
This guy is just shocking at the moment.

That's the problem. He's neither a good defensive midfielder nor is he good on the ball. He's basically a physically imposing player who can disrupt opponents and provide moments here and there. Basically Ole's Fellaini.

 

[Bebestation]

That's the problem. He's neither a good defensive midfielder nor is he good on the ball. He's basically a physically imposing player who can disrupt opponents and provide moments here and there. Basically Ole's Fellaini.

Why is he Ole's Fellaini and not Jose' Fellaini?

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Why is he Ole's Fellaini and not Jose' Fellaini?

Okay both of their Fellaini. I was under the impression that Fellaini was still relevant under Mourinho but not under Ole.

 

[ash_86]

He does not bring anything to the table for a team aspiring to win anything. Defensively he's very gullible. He gets pulled apart to the right wing very easily and doesn't have the positioning to show the attacker to the byline, instead creates a gaping hole in the middle. I have seem to see this again and again and not sure if he even realizes this.

 

[Glorio]

He's terrible but there should be threads about Rashford and Bruno who at least have some talent. Both said players are embarrassing themselves.

Scott is not or ever will be good in the midfield. Hence his CB position for Scotland.

Regarding Bruno, he was terrible on the ball, but off he ball, he was the one trying (oddly enough with Ronaldo) to win it back more than anyone else when it was with the opposition - particularly in the second half. Problem is the more desperate he gets to affect the game, the more erratic his play becomes.

McTominay however, brings almost nothing - once in a very long while, he does this thing we're he turns brilliantly away from the opposition or runs powerfully past a couple of players into space, and you think, wow, there's perhaps a player there. But that is all.

He must be the world's highest paid 'escort' as he just escorts the opposition when they have the ball, and then does that annoying half hop when they pass the ball elsewhere and repeats. He's not a great tackler when he has to anyway, quite a few result in fouls.

 

[Jeppers7]

He’s a fraud and I don’t say that lightly. Players run off him for fun every single game. He ambles about the pitch in weird positions and doesn’t want the ball…then comes out with the big man interviews after loses he was largely responsible for. A lot of fans lap it up too. Fraud.

 

[VidaRed]

The fans are easy to please. Look like you're running around and trying hard and you could be shit in a bag and they'd love you. That's what United fans are now.

Rashford doesn't even run and has been shitting the bed for ages now yet some of the fans still love him.

 

[jackal&hyde]

He’s so shit it’s unbelievable. I actually said to my son, imagine how that game would have panned out if Kante and McT had swapped teams? It actually makes me hopeful. We might not need a load of new signings. Once we replace the a completely hopeless players like him with someone genuinely good it will improve the whole team to a ridiculous extent.

I tend to agree. A couple of competent midfielders could have a transformative effect on this team both defensively and in possession. Along with a system of play and a pre season to implement it.

On McTom, he is not a very good player and in games like this he can be at his worst. I still think he can play a role in the squad in the right games at the right time. We've seen him boss games against Leeds and be very useful against even City in seasons past, just not the player to be first 11; does not have the talent to be consistent. Same goes for Fred.

 

[devilish]

A worse version of Darren Fletcher. They both punched above their weight due to their Scottish nationality.

 

[jackal&hyde]

A worse version of Darren Fletcher. They both punched above their weight due to their Scottish nationality.

Scot was promoted by Mourinho. With Fletcher is debatable but McTom benefits from very poor options; kind of like Smalling did after Rio and Vidic were done and we failed to bring in quality alternatives.

 

[Kaushal]

Brutal footballer. Not one redeeming quality in him. I can’t even say jack of all trades master of none about him. Absolute lack of quality. He is nowhere to be found. Neither in defence nor in midfield nor in attack. A complete disappearing job. Houdini would be proud.

 

[dannyrhinos89]

he’s just another one of many in our squad that’s mid table to lower table level.

 

[Skills]

Is he the least talented footballer to make 100 appearances for us?

For all the slack Fellaini got, one of his chest hairs had more footballing talent/ability than McTominay

 

[Skills]

He’s so shit it’s unbelievable. I actually said to my son, imagine how that game would have panned out if Kante and McT had swapped teams? It actually makes me hopeful. We might not need a load of new signings. Once we replace the a completely hopeless players like him with someone genuinely good it will improve the whole team to a ridiculous extent.

Unfortunately, the likes of Fletcher will be campaigning for him as soon as ETH arrives for having the right character.

He'll be around for a while.

 

[justboy68]

Fred is the one who you can make a case for as a squad option. McTominay just needs to go. He's not a player that should be playing in any meaningful games for United. I suspect when he does finally leave he will gradually be handed down to worse and worse teams too.

 

[devilish]

Scot was promoted by Mourinho. With Fletcher is debatable but McTom benefits from very poor options; kind of like Smalling did after Rio and Vidic were done and we failed to bring in quality alternatives.

There is nothing wrong in giving academy players their shot especially at a time when Matic was still a very decent player. What's almost criminal is insisting on McT when it was evident that he wasn't good enough and at a time when Matic's career was close to an end. Which is exactly what happened under Ole/Phelan administration. This obsession with turning McT into the player he is clearly not had costed us big time. Its time for United employees to put their preferences and their passions aside and put United's interests first.

 

[Judas]

He cares. But that simply isn't enough to be a Man Utd player.

 

[Amar__]

Our midfield's passing stats tonight:

McTominay - 27 Passes 85.2%
Matic - 42 Passes 81%
Bruno 37 Passes 73%

Fact is, 1) we're not set up to keep the ball as our movement is so stagnant, 2) none of midfielders are known to keep possession of the ball anyway.

The title obviously makes it sound worse than it is, but during the season so far, McTominay, when it comes to our midfielders, is second after Matic, with a passing percentage of 84.7%, which is better than Pogba, Bruno and Fred, who are meant to better passers of the ball, especially the former two.

Some may argue this is because they are more adventurous, but sometimes we just need someone to get their foot on the ball and dictate the pace of the game. Unfortunately, with our mdifielders, we've either got players who are too safe or too adventurous - no one in between.

We need at least two midfielders in the summer who will be able to do that. That being said, you could argue that in a more possession based system, such as the one we're expecting to see under ten Hag, passing stats would naturally go up as they'd be more players in support, we'd dominate the pitch high up, more movement, etc.

His passing percentage is decent because he makes short and backward passes most of the time. You need to look number of passes to see the big picture, quite often he makes same number of passes as attacking players which is criminal.

And that's still least of his worries, without the ball he is literally our worst player, he has no.idea how to defend or move when he doesn't have the ball.

I beg you to concentrate on him and watch him individually during our games and you'll see what I am talking about.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

He’s so shit it’s unbelievable. I actually said to my son, imagine how that game would have panned out if Kante and McT had swapped teams? It actually makes me hopeful. We might not need a load of new signings. Once we replace the a completely hopeless players like him with someone genuinely good it will improve the whole team to a ridiculous extent.

Absolutely. People think he can be improved by leaps and bounds and we all hope so, but based on what I see, he's one of the players the upgrading of whom should make a big difference to the team.

 

[Devil may care]

Only his physical attributes are keeping him in the mix, he's no better than Academy midfielders we've sold in the past, in fact I'd argue he's a poorer footballer than Cleverley.

 

[CallyRed]

Okay both of their Fellaini. I was under the impression that Fellaini was still relevant under Mourinho but not under Ole.

He could decent in a more attacking role at another club. He just doesn't have the ability to be a centre midfielder. Just like Fellaini.

 

[Champ]

By having the ball.

If you look all over the first XI, none of them had that many chances or touches of the ball.

Chelsea's defenders had between 77 and 93 touches of the ball. And between 61 and 69 passes. Ours had between 33 and 39 touches with 20 and 26 passes.

You build from the back.

I'm not willing to throw any individual player under the bus till we have a real manager. Seems like I'm in the minority.

I agree with you here.

I actually thought McT was combative and looked like he actually wanted the ball in the first half, the second half he was quite obviously told to hold his position a bit more which led to the stat, of which I haven't seen published anywhere else.

The teams performance in the second half was the cause of it rather than any individuals,

 

[AndySmith1990]

He's a really terrible player. If we'd have signed him from another club for actual money he'd be getting slammed as one of our worst ever buys, up there with Bebe and Obertan. But for a long time he received the same sentimental favouritism that Solskjaer received simply because he's "one of our own"

Seriously let's stop tolerating rubbish players for years and move them on already