Is it worth playing McTominay up front?

PoTMS

Full Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
16,392
Ok, hear me out first before the inevitable pelters.

What we should do is buy a striker in January but with the expenditure laid out in the summer, and the Glazers unlikely to dip into their own pockets, it looks like the funds aren't gonna be available.

With Martial being a sick note, Rashford being better out wide and Ronaldo out of form/suspended/shite/leaving/all of the above, surely we can't do worse than him. ETH obviously doesn't trust any of the youth and after Greenwood, McTominay is probably the best finisher in the team.
 

wangyu

Full Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2022
Messages
1,351
I know in times of need thinking out of the box happens faster. I personally think Antony as a makeshift 9 would work better. Mctominay is not nimble enough to work in small spaces for me.

Bruno is also an option but he simply can't stay upfront, he will always drop back to feel the ball.

But honestly dropping Ronaldo for McTominay would be the harshest punishment of all time. That is completely degradation for him. Not an option...
 

OleGunnar20

Full Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
2,191
I think he was a striker for much of his youth right?

Having said that, no, I wouldn't say its a good idea personally. He's a decent destroyer who also happens to have a decent shot. I don't think he'd do well up top.
 

Fully Fledged

Full Member
Joined
May 23, 2013
Messages
16,206
Location
Midlands UK
I would play him more as a box to box player who can come into the box late and score. He is not now and never will be a CDMF. He's not a striker either.
 

Lentwood

Full Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
6,837
Location
West Didsbury, Manchester
Whilst I am definitely not advocating for this idea (because I think there are other, better options) I do feel he'd do a better job than this version of Ronaldo...
 

Okey

Full Member
Joined
May 11, 2017
Messages
2,436
Oh dear! Just buy a striker. Actual ones exist.
 

Robbo*

Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2013
Messages
672
Ok, hear me out first before the inevitable pelters.

What we should do is buy a striker in January but with the expenditure laid out in the summer, and the Glazers unlikely to dip into their own pockets, it looks like the funds aren't gonna be available.

With Martial being a sick note, Rashford being better out wide and Ronaldo out of form/suspended/shite/leaving/all of the above, surely we can't do worse than him. ETH obviously doesn't trust any of the youth and after Greenwood, McTominay is probably the best finisher in the team.
Great stuff mate
 

MZX7

@Vato @Varun @moses @Hectic @Solius
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
1,975
Location
New York
I'll have what the OG poster is having...make that two!
 

Siorac

Full Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
23,815
He doesn't have the pace, technique, movement, hold-up play or link-up play you'd want from a striker.

But apart from that, great idea!
 

Abraxas

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
6,062
The idea we can't do worse than Scott McTominay as a striker features some very peculiar logic.

We have a (very) faded version of one of the best forwards of all time. He ought to be a better option than a midfielder that's already failed as a centre back for Scotland and now we want to take him from his natural position again and play him as a goalscorer.

Scott wouldn't have scored the goal Ronaldo put in versus Everton. He's decent at arriving in the box but let's not stretch the point.
 

Messier1994

The Swedish Rumble
Joined
Oct 7, 2022
Messages
1,368
Aye, Luke Shaw & Martinez at DM, Sancho at wing back & McTominay up top :drool:

Love me some caf.
Maybe I am colored watching his dad (Joseph, who for example played in the 1998 World Cup for Camerun) playing wing back a lot, but I wonder if Antony Elanga couldn’t turn into a pretty good wing back.

With Ethan Laird being as impressive as he is, it’s a bit of ‘crossing the creek just to fetch water’ — but Elanga’s quickness is pretty unique and he is tremendously active on the field which is a big reason for why guys like Davies for Bayern being so successful.
 

elmo

Can never have too many Eevees
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
13,395
Location
AKA: Slapanut Goat Smuggla
Just a few games ago Scott was having a fine run at midfield and here we have people thinking that he can’t do worse than Ronaldo upfront….
 

Red Rash

Full Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2019
Messages
2,168
Whilst I am definitely not advocating for this idea (because I think there are other, better options) I do feel he'd do a better job than this version of Ronaldo...
Imagine going back even just 3 months ago and making this statement
 

Bondi77

Full Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2019
Messages
7,324
And we can play AWB on the wing as he played there when he was younger and we can play Sancho as a playmaker as some idiot said he can play in any attacking role :houllier: :houllier:
Genius work.
 

UpWithRivers

Full Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2013
Messages
3,651
I think we need a thread entitled, Tales from the crack den where we can put all these ideas.
 

Nordmore

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 28, 2021
Messages
336
He doesn't have the pace, technique, movement, hold-up play or link-up play you'd want from a striker.

But apart from that, great idea!
Ronaldo has none of those either. OP was simply trying to say McT is the best option if Martial is injured I think.

Personally I don't think this is a bad idea. At least McT is stronger, probably faster and definitely work much harder.
 

Olecurls99

Full Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2021
Messages
2,168
Poor awareness, poor technique, no top speed, no heading ability. No

Sancho would be better, like Firmino without the effort.
 

Pickle85

Full Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2021
Messages
6,537
Whilst I am definitely not advocating for this idea (because I think there are other, better options) I do feel he'd do a better job than this version of Ronaldo...
Tell me you have an anti-Ronaldo agenda without saying you have an anti-Ronaldo agenda...
 

OrcaFat

Full Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
5,672
I would have no expectation of it being anything but a disaster but would love to see it. I don’t think he’d touch the ball.
 

arnie_ni

Full Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2014
Messages
15,200
People think just because someone has a decent shot means they can play up front and don't realise there's a hell of a lot more to it than that.

He can't find space in the middle of pitch, how do you except him to find it 2v1 against him around the box?

Can he control the ball back to goal and bring in our midfield runners?

Does he know what runs to make when the midfield have it?

Etc etc
 

wolvored

Full Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Messages
9,947
If he was a striker but is now a midfielder speaks volumes. He is not a good enough striker.
 

Maticmaker

Full Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Messages
4,691
The idea we can't do worse than Scott McTominay as a striker features some very peculiar logic.

We have a (very) faded version of one of the best forwards of all time. He ought to be a better option than a midfielder that's already failed as a centre back for Scotland and now we want to take him from his natural position again and play him as a goalscorer.

Scott wouldn't have scored the goal Ronaldo put in versus Everton. He's decent at arriving in the box but let's not stretch the point.
This says it all, in attacking terms McT's strength is arriving late in the box, nearly all his goals have arrived in this manner. I have no doubt if asked to play as a CF then Scott would make a 'fist' of it... but that's not what we want is it?
 

JJ12

Predicted Portugal, Italy to win Euro 2016, 2020
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
10,888
Location
Wales
Poor awareness, poor technique, no top speed, no heading ability. No

Sancho would be better, like Firmino without the effort.
I think your last point is as egregious as this thread idea :lol:
 

Oranges038

Full Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2020
Messages
12,208
Yeah, sure why not.

He clearly can't play in midfield, shove him up top out of harms way.