Is it worth playing McTominay up front?

Borninthe80ts

Full Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2021
Messages
666
Playing him up front negates his best attributes and exposes his weaknesses for me. His better advancing from deep int9 the box late. There’s a role for him if the balance is right.
 

Lee565

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Messages
5,069
Yes, just try it out for a game or two, we literally have nothing to lose when martial and rashford are contributing so little and hojlund is the second coming of weghorst
 

El Zoido

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
12,356
Location
UK
Yes, just try it out for a game or two, we literally have nothing to lose when martial and rashford are contributing so little and hojlund is the second coming of weghorst
Hojlund would’ve scored that chance McTominay just had.
 

dannyrhinos89

OMG socks and sandals lol!
Joined
Nov 24, 2013
Messages
14,445
Yes, just try it out for a game or two, we literally have nothing to lose when martial and rashford are contributing so little and hojlund is the second coming of weghorst

Genuinely forgot all about weghorst until you mentioned him.....Cheers for that.
 

Ayoba

Poster of Noncense.
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
8,517
I genuinely think he'll do a better job that Hojlund right now :nervous:
 

Skills

Snitch
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
42,100
It's basically where he's playing now anyways. He's definitely not playing midfield. He's up front playing like a fox in the box, doing no midfield work or any kind of hold up play as well.
 

El Zoido

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
12,356
Location
UK
Except hojlund always seems to find himself in the wrong position to get such chances, a bit like how weghorst was...
Nah, Weghorst took up good positions but fell over his own feet most of the time.
 

marktan

Full Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
6,933
He's more of a striker than he is a midfielder, for me anyway.

- Big
- Great at finishing with both feet
- Good in the air
- Strong
- Good movement and anticipation
- Played there as a youth player

Really a bit of waste not to transition him, he'll never be a CM for a top 4 team due to his poor passing range.
 

El Zoido

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
12,356
Location
UK
He's more of a striker than he is a midfielder, for me anyway.

- Big
- Great at finishing with both feet
- Good in the air
- Strong
- Good movement and anticipation
- Played there as a youth player

Really a bit of waste not to transition him, he'll never be a CM for a top 4 team due to his poor passing range.
Agreed on most, but it’s a myth he played there as a youth player. He debunked this himself.

“People always said: ‘You played as a striker as a kid.' I never played as a striker.

“I played two games there with [former Reserves coach] Warren Joyce because we had no striker. So, whenever I score a goal, people always say: ‘He used to be a striker, that’s why.’

“I never used to be a striker! I’ve always been a midfield player, a number eight, so it is funny when you hear stuff like that.”
https://www.manutd.com/en/amp/news/...striker-talk-from-his-time-in-man-utd-academy
 

PoTMS

Full Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
16,392
Ok, yeah it is worth playing him up front. Højlund isn't it (yet).
 

Ayoba

Poster of Noncense.
Joined
Feb 2, 2021
Messages
8,517
He's our best striker, no doubt about that.
 

DJ_21

Evens winner of 'Odds or Evens 2022/2023'
Joined
Aug 31, 2015
Messages
12,177
Location
Manchester
It’s clear that he’s at his best when he’s aloud to run forward from midfield
 

samlee86

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jun 1, 2023
Messages
262
He’s our biggest goal threat…

Or maybe not lol… wtf just happened
 

Mike Smalling

Full Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2018
Messages
11,026
It’s clear that he’s at his best when he’s aloud to run forward from midfield
Exactly. Being good at timing late runs into the box from midfield is not at all the same as having good movement as a striker.
 

BuzzKillington

Full Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Messages
1,550
Location
Greater Manchester
He’d have been a decently good number 10 in the late 90’s.

He’s not strong enough, technically good enough, nor quick enough over the first 10 yards, to be a genuine prospect as a striker for us at the moment. But I reckon he’d get you 15-20 goals a season in the right set up.
 

Bobski

Full Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2017
Messages
9,958
Runs from deep are his threat, not playing with his back to goal. He is quick enough over distance and carries great momentum/power in his runs but doesn't have the sharpness from a standing start to create the same space. Great finish for the first, excellent touch and early shot.
 

Borys

Statistics Wizard
Joined
May 10, 2013
Messages
9,094
Location
Bielsko Biala, Poland
Good finisher and actually attracts chances. Worth playing him as Hojlund backup imo, it's not like we're losing anything in midfield anyway.
Actually we might want have him up front instead of Hojlund on current form of both.
 

AndySmith1990

Full Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2021
Messages
6,234
He's a shit midfielder but he scores goals and puts in a shift, which is more than Martial. So yeah, why not have him and Hojlund rotate until we're able to bring in an experienced forward
 

Shane88

Actually Nostradamus
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
35,232
Location
Targaryen loyalist
Packed box, ball ricocheting around, it falls to him and he calmly side foots it in. He is very composed in the box. Can't deny he is our best finisher and biggest threat at the moment.
 

Marwood

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
4,341
Absolutely. You get his goal threat and it allows us to play a proper midfielder.

Side bonus, Martial never has to kick a ball for us again.
 

el3mel

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,735
Location
Egypt
This isn't the right way to build the team on. We have already seen this with Fellaini, sacrificing the midfield for his attacking contributions and we didn't go anywhere.

We have been struggling now so of course any option is fine and credit to him for saving our arse multiple times but if we're planning to keep on with this plan for anything longer than just trying to survive an awful period of form, then we aren't going anywhere long term.

We have seen this before. Hopefully we're not stupid.
 

forevrared

Full Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2009
Messages
5,379
Location
Bay Area
I don’t think this is the answer but I’d sooner see Scott as a false 9 than ever see Martial start another game for us.
 

T00lsh3d

T00ly O' Sh3d
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Messages
8,466
Chuckle every time I see this bumped. All we need is Harry to bag a few from corners now and we’re sorted