I don't think a single player has ever polarised me more that Mcsauce. I thought we was woeful to begin with and now he's in my top 5 favourite United players.
Ducker: Scott McTominay - the future Manchester United captain rapidly making himself indispensable
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He will probably always fail to get recognition for actually being a technically strong player because his best qualities are his mentality, aggression and physical assets. It's harsh because I actually struggle to pick a significant hole in his technical skills.
-He has a very safe first touch, and shields the ball well under pressure.
-He's a creditable dribbler, and uses it well: he can generally dribble his way out of a group of opposition players trying to dispossess him, and will reliably beat the first man pressing him so that he can stride forward into the space, but he does not try and take on defenders from a standing start, because that it the job of a Rashford or Martial.
-He strikes as clean a shot from distance as almost anyone in our squad. He generally makes this look surprisingly effortless compared to someone like Pogba, who has such a reputation for it but actually based on his United performances is much less successful at it.
-His passing is solid. He has a passing percentage five or six points lower than players like Fred, Mata and Lingard, but around the same as Pogba or Maguire and higher than Wan Bissaka, Pereira, Martial or Fernandes. He does not get involved in much short penetrative passing around the box (and again, nor should he) but he does have an aptitude for long passing, both over the top and diagonally, to match anyone in the squad except, obviously, Pogba.
None of these areas are exceptional enough to match up to his mentality and physicality, both of which are as good as almost any midfielder in the league, and so the implicit assertion in a lot of posts praising the latter is that he's a bit of a water carrier. I don't think this is true. I agree with those above who say that if he played for another PL side we'd be looking at him, and fans would be happy to spend a lot of money on him. Statistically he matches up pretty well with Ndidi, who is regarded by many as so good that he's out of our price range for the position, and with Fabinho, so key at the heart of Liverpool's midfield.
Fletcher is a good comparison but the way one aspect of his game conceals his overall quality also reminds me very strongly of Park.
-He has a very safe first touch, and shields the ball well under pressure.
-He's a creditable dribbler, and uses it well: he can generally dribble his way out of a group of opposition players trying to dispossess him, and will reliably beat the first man pressing him so that he can stride forward into the space, but he does not try and take on defenders from a standing start, because that it the job of a Rashford or Martial.
-He strikes as clean a shot from distance as almost anyone in our squad. He generally makes this look surprisingly effortless compared to someone like Pogba, who has such a reputation for it but actually based on his United performances is much less successful at it.
-His passing is solid. He has a passing percentage five or six points lower than players like Fred, Mata and Lingard, but around the same as Pogba or Maguire and higher than Wan Bissaka, Pereira, Martial or Fernandes. He does not get involved in much short penetrative passing around the box (and again, nor should he) but he does have an aptitude for long passing, both over the top and diagonally, to match anyone in the squad except, obviously, Pogba.
None of these areas are exceptional enough to match up to his mentality and physicality, both of which are as good as almost any midfielder in the league, and so the implicit assertion in a lot of posts praising the latter is that he's a bit of a water carrier. I don't think this is true. I agree with those above who say that if he played for another PL side we'd be looking at him, and fans would be happy to spend a lot of money on him. Statistically he matches up pretty well with Ndidi, who is regarded by many as so good that he's out of our price range for the position, and with Fabinho, so key at the heart of Liverpool's midfield.
Fletcher is a good comparison but the way one aspect of his game conceals his overall quality also reminds me very strongly of Park.
It's a lesson to us all that you have to be patient and it can take players months to really show their full qualities.
I was in a similar mindframe as you, didn't see anything special and just thought Jose was using him as a pawn to make a point.
Funnily enough though ever since Jose left and Ole has given him a chance and belief, he and Fred have transformed into different players. We have to give the coaching staff great credit for that!
Always liked Scotty from the word go. Started steadily rather than spectacularly, which is all,you can really expect breaking through. Certainly made a better start than Fletcher did at the same stage. Hard to know how he will develop as he becomes more experienced. He might plateau at a respectable level and be replaced by another player, like Butt was. He uses his physique well to impose himself and shows confidence in his all round game. I think the least we can expect is that he’ll be a good squaddie for years to come but he shows an aptitude to push himself and an eye for a chance that might just elevate his game a couple of notches.
I love Scotty's animal spirit. I've never seen him put in a dirty tackle but he's tough in the tackle and always looking to make himself relevant on both sides of the ball.
Of the three positions we could use some help in -- RW, CB and DM -- the one I'd be happy us not addressing if it means bringing in near world class players in the others is DM. Scott can do the job there. There's a Fred v McTominay thread (or maybe earlier in this thread) and it's safe to happy most United supporters are thrilled we've got both.
What price a midfielder?
Of the three positions we could use some help in -- RW, CB and DM -- the one I'd be happy us not addressing if it means bringing in near world class players in the others is DM. Scott can do the job there. There's a Fred v McTominay thread (or maybe earlier in this thread) and it's safe to happy most United supporters are thrilled we've got both.
What price a midfielder?
How can you be indispensable if your not the best. Let’s not gas this too much.
I like the way the guys going though. Always rated his ability to do the basics well. Classic old school CM, like the old Milan midfielders.
I like the way the guys going though. Always rated his ability to do the basics well. Classic old school CM, like the old Milan midfielders.
Another player that is good for Man United to have in the squad. Don’t get me wrong you need world class ability as well but you also need some good players, and McT certainly is that, who have the clubs DNA. He could go on to become a top player.
Scott is 3 1/2 years on from a 10'' gain in height over an 18 month span. He's had to learn a new position in a new body. I can't imagine how much hard work it takes to accomplish what he's done. If Carrick could teach him all the finer points of the position, I think he's got the tools to be a good DM for Ole for many years.
i feel like at DM you might be wasting one of his best attributes, his shooting. Aside from Bruno he is maybe the best long shot taker at the club.
good point!
I agree with everything, but in my opinion this is his biggest limitation. But if he play next to Bruno, and is supported by a good passer at DM (a Carrick type, hopefully Garner) it will not matter much.
Better than pogba at long shots?
The passion merchants love him because of his work rate & leadership. I think he’s a good player, but I’ll be disappointed if he’s starting every game. He’s a great Nicky Butt, squad player who plays 30+ games a season.
He's someone that should start every important game. We're building a squad that is oozing technical ability; having someone who can do the dirty work under immense pressure is usually the difference in those games against the very best teams. We've seen it with Herrera, Park, and even O'Shea. Not the best players on the pitch, but so often the most influential when it's seat of the pants time.
This is underselling him. Problem with him being Scottish is he gets labelled as nothing more than a workhorse. If he was Spanish he’d be rated so much more highly. His technical ability is excellent, his close control/dribbling, and passing range all superb. Alongside the less glamorous attributes he possesses, such as work rate, using his physicality, and tackling. He’s improved massively, reckon Carrick is having a big influence on him and he still can step up another level. On this trajectory he’s going to be a big player for us in years to come.
I don’t know about every important game. Tough away games where we could get overran in midfield, sure. He’s a good option to have around, but you need more than fire and desire to start every game for Manchester United if we want to be back where we belong. He absolutely has a place in the squad, I’m not remotely doubting that, and I do think he’s a good footballer, I just don’t see him starting every week for a PL/CL winning team. Although, Jordan Henderson, so what do I know haha.
A player like Scott is very crucial for us. Liverpool have Henderson, look at the job he does for them. Scott can become a vital part of this team if he keeps improving.
What I have seen from him is his desire to improve, on and off the pitch he keeps improving. Why spend £80m on a Declan Rice when this lad is getting better and better, let him show us how much he can improve and then we can make a decision whether to replace him or not.
On current evidence he starts most games for me.
He is an impressive player. Although, I think his lack of technical ability hurts us in games where we have lots of territory.
He has more than just fire in his belly though, right? Is he any less technically gifted than Park, for example?
so he's basically Xavi?
I'd agree with him on that. Pogba has a reputation for long shots but hasn't actually backed it up at United, whereas McTominay has scored a handful of real peaches from very few attempts.
Jose's kid.
I think he’s a good footballer yeah. We need good footballers we squad players, he fits the bill perfectly.
Better accuracy no doubt.
Pogba definitely have the better techniques and power but almost always skied over.
Rashford is the second best after Bruno.
Scott is one of the teams 3 best midfielders and he's good at long shots and long passes, which is a great quality for a DM to have. With better ball possession in the attacking third due to better attacking players, he should still get opportunities for long shots from a DM position. Scott's physical abilities, technical skills and mentality are well suited to DM. If you told him he could play 3600 minutes a season at DM in a midfield 3 or double pivot, he'd jump at the chance and exceed expectations as he has since joining the first team, imo.
Genuinely don’t know what people see in this guy.
He seems like a nice kid. I just don’t rate him footballing wise
Pogba, Bruno, Fred are all better. Even Matic is arguably better
He seems like a nice kid. I just don’t rate him footballing wise
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what?
Pogba, Bruno, Fred are all better. Even Matic is arguably better
McTominay has 4 goals and 1 assist to his name in 1550 PL minutes. Fred has 0 goals and 0 assists to his name in 2057 PL minutes.
McTominay's productivity has literally been an infinite number of times better.
McTominay's productivity has literally been an infinite number of times better.
He's not a DM, not sure if he has ambitions to play there either. He's more box to box, he makes some great late runs and therefore probably a bit more comfortable when there's someone defensive next to him.
Yeah that goal against City in the last minute, any League 2 player could have done that right?
That's not how you judge CM/DM performance anyway.
"Even Bruno know McTominay is ass with the ball"
The feck is this noise? He's no world beater, but he's clearly not "ass". And it's a supposed United fan saying this.
Our fanbase really does hate its own players.
McT is a solid player. I guess it's going to take him half a decade to win people over, like Fletcher did.
The feck is this noise? He's no world beater, but he's clearly not "ass". And it's a supposed United fan saying this.
Our fanbase really does hate its own players.
McT is a solid player. I guess it's going to take him half a decade to win people over, like Fletcher did.
If you don't see it then that's quite astonishing considering many of his best games have come up against the stronger teams in the league. He may not be a permanent fixture for the future but who knows? He's been proving people wrong his whole career thus far.
Seems Bruno is not very impressed with Mctominay in training for him to make such a joke. I dont think he should be making those kind of jokes to be honest. Still its the truth. Mctominay has to develop a better technical side to his game other than the energy he brings to the middle. If he wants to displace Fred he has to at least improve his passing consistency.
I think people are reading too much into Bruno’s joke, I doubt he meant anything by it.
It's a joke about Scott's obsession with his physique. That's all.
If you're going to use that Bruno tweet as proof of anything, I dread to think how your opinions on race relations have been informed by Bernardo Silva.
Exactly.
People who read anything else into it are projecting their own opinions onto Bruno.
I watched a replay of MU vs Chelsea in the first PL match of the season yesterday, a 4-0 win. Scott and PP looked like they could form a very good partnership in the 4-2-3-1 Ole likes to play. Scott has exceeded expectations since he joined the first team. Playing in midfield 2 with PP or a midfield 3 with PP and Bruno, Scott would keep exceeding expectations, imo. Not that it means anything to his doubters, but WhoScored gave Scott a 7.3 rating playing DM and a 6.96 rating playing CM.
you’ll find that even league 2 players can score when the opposing keeper is in no man’s land.Yeah that goal against City in the last minute, any League 2 player could have done that right?
Me not rating Mctominay shouldn’t be seen as a personal insult/attack to you. Breathe, relax, you’ll be alright, I promise.
He could have made a joke about mctominays physical appearance which was what the instagram post was about but decided to make one about him concentrating on his footballing skills. We arent really projecting anything. Bruno doesn't rate mctominay and wants him to improve.