He is too good to be dropped for Scotland completely and out of the 3 midfielders Mctominay is the most CB like of all of them.
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He is physically well suited to be a centre back, but combined with his ability on the ball improves Scotland's ability to play through the opposition press and means we can control games better. In my eyes it's a clever solution even if it isn't perfect all the time.
It is my view that using the fact that he doesn't always play midfield for Scotland as an argument for him not being a good midfielder is unfair.
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You've already had two rebuttals on your opinion, but I'll add a third just to compound things.
McT has a very good technical ability, which is evident by some of the goals he has scored, it shows that he was a striker in his younger days.
His work ethic is very good, he has a good turn of pace, aggressive in the tackle.
His positioning does need work at times, but in a proper structured team this will improve (he was rarely out of position under Jose for example).
Again, you are saying the managers got sacked, which is correct, however to say this is because they played McT is frankly clutching at straws and inherently incorrect.
you didn't actually name 1 technical attribute. work ethic, good turn of pace, aggressive in a tackle .. none of these are technical attributes.
i didnt claim they got sacked because of McT?
if you're over the age of 30 and have grown up watching some of the best CM's the premier league has seen it baffles me how you try and make a case for a player who is so poor.
if we get De Jong you will finally see what a world class midfielder contributes TECHNICALLY to the team.. none of this " hard work, loves the club" garbage.
Running with the ball (dribbling). When he gets going, he's hard to stop. Such a powerful runner.
Shooting - his technique his very good.
Long range passing, although he needs to do more of it, is good.
What attributes stood out for Darren Fletcher would you say?
do we really have to watch him have 5 good games this season and be utter shite for the rest,??
He runs with the ball well, but his dribbling isn't actually very good. Sounds odd but he is hard to stop when he gets going, but dribbling in tight spaces he isn't good at at all.
His long range passing isn't very good, he has varying success with those passes, is not a consistently good long range passer in the sense you would say Pogba or Eriksen are
I agree he has very good shooting technique and he is a powerful running with the ball (not a good dribbler)
I like him. Not the best player in the world but good to have in the squad, and think he will generally get a lot more respect and improve when he has a role in the squad that suits him more and not starting every game.
Easy to forget that Fletcher got a lot of stick when he first broke into our team (although I believe he was played on the right wing a lot and also I’m not comparing the two players).
Easy to forget that Fletcher got a lot of stick when he first broke into our team (although I believe he was played on the right wing a lot and also I’m not comparing the two players).
That's two things then. Apparently he has none.
What stands out for Fred, or any of our midfielders, for that matter?
Be interesting to see whether @El__Jingo is spending just as much time in the Van de Beek thread, who makes McTominay look like prime Yaya Toure.
No you're so right.
Good finishing is most definitely not a technical ability.
Good at tackling isn't a technical ability.
Despite his woes at times with passing last season, in other seasons he has shown he has a good range of passing.
But.
McT is a poor player and is merely being picked for United and Scotland because of this.
It's all obvious now, these managers are sado masochists and love self sabotage.
I'm sorry, I was wrong.
No one was consistent last season. Actually, when RR came in, you could argue McTominay was one of our most consistent players. Might not be saying much, but no one did themselves any justice in a very poor season.
Fred is actually quite good technically which is why Ten Hag is using him in the Frenkie role at the moment
Darren fletcher has no relevance to the conversation,
one was a PL winner and contributed in a title winning team the other has been in the heart of the midfield for the worst united PL squad of all time.
Oh, I'm not saying he isn't. I'm a big fan of Fred, and I knew ten Hag would use him as the deepest midfielder.
I'm just saying, has he got any stand out techincal attributes, which was the question asked by the other poster?
Great counter argument!
I guess we don't need to sign a midfielder then, we're set with McTominay for the next decade. It's nothing to do with him that even the worst teams played right though the midfield last season and its been our weakest area for years. Champ on redcafe assures us that McTominay is in fact good enough for Manchester United, a club with aspirations of beating teams like Madrid and City to lift the major trophies. Of course McTominay, Scotland's supreme center back, is good enough to compete with the world's best players in midfield for United. It's baffling we're once again playing in the EL when we're blessed with such a technically gifted player running the engine room of the team
For this season I want nothing more than McTominay to kick it up a few gears and rams words down his critics throats.
Its actually worrying that as a Man united fan i have to explain myself for wanting better players in the team. McT is the biggest weakness in this team by far and i'm sick of watching teams coming to Old Trafford and us getting played off the park.The Fletcher comparisons are ridiculous, the whole point of him having this good shot after scoring a couple of goals against Leeds is a complete myth.. if you actually look at the stats Fred averaged more Shots on target than Scott did last season and Fred is woeful at shooting.
( Fred17 shots 10 on target. 4 goals . Scott 27 shots 6 on target 1 Goal)
i seen someone asking if Fred had any technical qualities and the answer is no .. we don't have any player in this squad capable of playing as a #6 and thats why its vital we get FDJ in. Fred/McT are dreadful when it comes to press resistance, both cant play between the lines, cant dictate the tempo of play and off the ball they are all over the place.if you watched any of the games against City/Liverpool last season i don't even know why this convo needs to be had.
Fred though will be valuable for the way ETH wants to play with pressing further up the pitch. One of his best qualities is his ball retention, very tenacious and i dont have any problems with him playing a role in the squad. Donny hasn't filled me with any confidence and as a player who actually posses technical capabilities its baffling to know where they've gone since he's joined, time will tell on him .
There’s a bunch of fans that think it’s bloody Mctominay’s fault that he’s one of our starting midfielders.
It’s not his fault that we haven’t bought anyone good for a decade.
Complaining about Mctominay for arguably not signing a player like De Jong is just a criminal level of IQ.
It’s not his fault that we haven’t bought anyone good for a decade.
Complaining about Mctominay for arguably not signing a player like De Jong is just a criminal level of IQ.
A poor man's Abdoulaye Doucoure.
I have no idead why there are some fans who watch football alot (looking at you @Champ) would say McTominay has good abilities:
- Passing: hit and miss, many sideway pass, no left foot, occasional long switchs to wingers.
- Tackling: always the ramping into opponents body or wrestling, no technique whatsoever
- Shooting: not as good as some posters mentioned, just decent, on par with Gibson.
- Dribbing: I would call it powerful running with the ball, not really dribbling as there's mostly no technique involved.
- Press resistance: average, use his big body well sometimes.
- Positioning awareness: bad.
- Football IQ: low.
No wonder we always got dominated against decent teams.
I repeat for the 1000th time, McTominay would not start for upper half teams in the PL, yet he's mainstay in MU midfield. Shake my head.
- Passing: hit and miss, many sideway pass, no left foot, occasional long switchs to wingers.
- Tackling: always the ramping into opponents body or wrestling, no technique whatsoever
- Shooting: not as good as some posters mentioned, just decent, on par with Gibson.
- Dribbing: I would call it powerful running with the ball, not really dribbling as there's mostly no technique involved.
- Press resistance: average, use his big body well sometimes.
- Positioning awareness: bad.
- Football IQ: low.
No wonder we always got dominated against decent teams.
I repeat for the 1000th time, McTominay would not start for upper half teams in the PL, yet he's mainstay in MU midfield. Shake my head.
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This is the point. People keep saying the same old thing over and over and over and over again.
What's it going to achieve?
Here's a crazy notion: back the players who are at the club.
The season hasn't even started and yet some United fans are forming snot bubbles as they sob uncontrollably.
Sick and tired of people pining after De Jong, etc, too.
To the bolded part....so does Sir Alex, so does Jose, So does Ole, so does Carrick, so does EtH, etc etc etc ad infinitum.
I'd rely on their opinions higher than most others.
Face it, he's a squad player and has shown he's good enough, otherwise why is he still picked despite the changes in coaching teams?
This is correct. He's not fancy and most likely not the quality needed for a mainstay in our midfield if we want to win a lot of stuff, but people pretending he never had a good game or dominated strong opponents are just weird. He's a good player and I'm happy we have him in our squad, he just shouldn't be an automatic starter due to lack to quality competition
This is also ridiculous, Gibson was a below average footballer, his shooting was outrageous though
He has zero technical attributes to be a CM, pace and aggressiveness is not technical attributes. He might be better as a number 10 thinking he can score, but as a CM, he is useless.
At the risk of repeating myself, It must baffle you then that the likes of Sir Alex, and the list of managers and coaches both in United and Scotland all rate McTominay too.
Some people on here have let their personal feelings and opinions cloud what makes a good and useful football player,
think it's time some on here actually stop with the hatred for certain players.
I'd say its McT's attitude that managers love. Plus he is built like a brick shithouse which always appeals
We are here in this forum to evaluate our players and their performance for Manchester United.
I always cheer for our team and players in our games, but that will not shy me away to critically assess them.
My assessment of McTominay is there for you to refute, or we can end the discussion. No hard feelings.
Btw, I was buffled by many of Sir Alex's decisions, he's a great great man, but who's without flaws.
Is it critically assessing a player when your mind is already made up?
Surely that's called judging?
Just a question, Do you watch a United game hoping McTominay makes a mistake?
Everyone has flaws, that's for sure. Sir Alex wasn't right about everything, but when it's countless managers and coaches who all say the same thing about McTominay, it begins to look a little more clear that maybe Sir Alex was right on this occasion.
McTominay actually has a decent technique, passing and shooting. That's not a problem at all. All of those attributes he's better than Fred, but Scott is not a better midfielder.
His issue is he has zero awareness (both on and off the ball), doesn't know what's happening around and doesn't see passing options unless there's a clear lane. He just doesn't have a midfielder brain. I've always maintained he is a CB playing in midfield.
His issue is he has zero awareness (both on and off the ball), doesn't know what's happening around and doesn't see passing options unless there's a clear lane. He just doesn't have a midfielder brain. I've always maintained he is a CB playing in midfield.
I don’t understand what you mean by saying my mind was made up.
His abilities have been evaluated for a while now, I didn’t base my opinion on him for this game or that game. Check his stats or, funnily, other people outside of Man Utd’s circle for more objective assessment.
He’s gonna be 26 soon, and that’s not an age players improve their technical abilities.
You are probably the one who use “feelings” to judge player in this case. Is this because he’s from the academy, or Scottish, or having passun?
I will support him as long as he plays for us, but again, in my humble 1001th time opinion, he should be upgraded, this season or next.
Because of the bolded part, I'm out.
Fed up of people having nothing constructive to actually bring to the discussion.
Anyone that resorts to the word 'passun' (sic) appears to be lacking any more constructive arguements to bring to the table.
I use stats, eyes and knowledge of the game to assess a player, also I am willing to listen to other opinions, especially those of professional managers and coaches who are, all told, the experts both from United and also elsewhere. Majority of them have had nothing but good words to say regarding McTominay.
You clearly have made up your mind, which makes it difficult, actually near impossible, to critically assess, which is what you said you were doing on this thread.
His stats are pretty decent all told, and is the Scotland contingent affiliated with United in any way? So not sure what you are getting at there.
I Gave you plenty of constructive criticism which all you did was come back with your usual waffle about sir alex and other managers rating him.
Sir Alex said Phil Jones was the next Duncan Edwards..would you bring that up to defend Phil Jones? McTominay wouldnt get near any Ferguson team and the fact you keep bringing him up is clutching at straws.
you are yet to counter the argument with anything to make it into a debate.
this will come as no surprise but I don't rate him, and unless he miraculously develops his game which at 26 later this year is very very unlikely you wont ever see me wanting to watch him hiding in the middle of the park but the greatest club in the country.
McTominays weakness is not technical attributes, it’s his awareness and positioning, especially in the defensive third. The memery about his passing and technique are just standard Caf groupthink, and not actually based in truth.
Gibson had a rocket of a shot to be fair! Shite at everything else mind.
Other than that, very accurate of McTominay's attributes or lack thereof.
The prospect of yet another season of McTominay as a regular United midfielder has dampened my enthusiasm for the new campaign I must say. When is it going to end? Players like him have often had their spells, but you would think he was top class the way we are going season after season with him as a first choice central midfielder at Manchester United.
He's the perfect counter when McGuire tells the whole world he's good because many managers pick him.
Seems pretty straight forward to me that he is happy with what we've got in terms of McFred given they were the first choice midfielders with a defensive role in pre-season.
Indeed. His first touch might be an issue on a very high level, but usually it's fine. It's his lack of awareness and a bit slow brain that make him very limited player.
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