Is it worth playing McTominay up front?

edgecutter

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The question should be is there any point playing him in midfield. Him and Fred were awful before the changes
 

Sylar

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Him up top vs Sociedad would have been better than Maguire for certain.
 

AndySmith1990

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Uh huh that's how we'll close the gap to the top teams; play a mediocre midfielder up front
 

2 man midfield

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Call me crazy but I think it’s worth a go. He’s not a holding player, can’t get a game at 8 and we need a striker. He’s tall, can graft, and is bizarrely probably among the best finishers at the club.

I’m all for it until we try it and it fails miserably, then it’ll be yet more evidence of our slide into incompetence. But yeah full steam ahead Mc9.
 

Nicolarra90

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He's certainly an option for last 10-15 mins if we are looking for a result. But not as a starting 11 striker unless a massive injury crisis. He's a much better option than Maguire though.
 

r0663664

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I thought he used to play as a striker. He can be use like Chris Wood, hold the ball up and let the other attackers create. He can be use as an emergency forward for sure. Much better than Muguire.
 

Mr. MUJAC

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I thought he used to play as a striker. He can be use like Chris Wood, hold the ball up and let the other attackers create. He can be use as an emergency forward for sure. Much better than Muguire.
He played a handful of games for the Reserves up front when we had an injury crisis. He has always played in midfield.
 

Messier1994

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No, never. Criminal he missed that header.
Shaw has a fantastic cross, but when it goes slightly high at that speed you aren’t getting it down. The same with Martial’s header. With a really hard cross, you need to jump over it and header it downwards.
 

TMDaines

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He’s providing more impetus than Ronaldo would as a substitute.
 

Chief123

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Shaw has a fantastic cross, but when it goes slightly high at that speed you aren’t getting it down. The same with Martial’s header. With a really hard cross, you need to jump over it and header it downwards.
There wasn’t really an excuse for that one. He should be getting that on target when he was completely unchallenged. Had plenty of time to see it coming in.
 

Scholsey2004

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He played there as a youth and he could certainly play as a centre forward given the coaching. He's very similar to Connor Wickham (who wasnt great by any means) physically and has good pace and strength. He's probably not that good in front of goal though or he wouldnt have been shifted to midfield. Its not like he's someone the coaching staff havent had the time to assess, he's been here forever.
 

bringbackbebe

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No, never. Criminal he missed that header.
Let's just say we don't have any decent headers of the ball in our team. Rashford, Martial pretty much suck at heading. Sancho, Antony, Elanga - I've never seem them head at all. That said, McTominay is not a forward. He's not going to convert chances created for him, with head or feet.
 
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kouroux

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Let's just saw we don't have any decent headers of the ball in our team. Rashford, Martial pretty much suck at heading. Sancho, Antony, Elanga - I've never seem them head at all. That said, McTominay is not a forward. He's not going to convert chances created for him, with head or feet.
Rashford showed signs of improvements at least. Regarding McT up front, hell no!!
 

Chief123

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Let's just say we don't have any decent headers of the ball in our team. Rashford, Martial pretty much suck at heading. Sancho, Antony, Elanga - I've never seem them head at all. That said, McTominay is not a forward. He's not going to convert chances created for him, with head or feet.
We’ve had the greatest header of the ball ever to play the game yet we still don’t score from crosses.
 

AndySmith1990

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Let's just say we don't have any decent headers of the ball in our team. Rashford, Martial pretty much suck at heading. Sancho, Antony, Elanga - I've never seem them head at all. That said, McTominay is not a forward. He's not going to convert chances created for him, with head or feet.
If we don't have anyone who can head a football in attack then we set the team instructions to only put in low crosses
 

Mr. MUJAC

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He played there as a youth and he could certainly play as a centre forward given the coaching. He's very similar to Connor Wickham (who wasnt great by any means) physically and has good pace and strength. He's probably not that good in front of goal though or he wouldnt have been shifted to midfield. Its not like he's someone the coaching staff havent had the time to assess, he's been here forever.

He wasn't shifted to midfield. He was always a midfielder who played up front for the U/21's when we had an injury crisis. He played about five games....that's it.
 

norm87cro

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I would really love to see him instead of Lindelof since we have a defensive crisis currently and he is stronger and actually has a spine. But ultimatley he is a squad option that can hope for some John Oshea moments (playing a CB or DM or coming in to change the tempo of the game in the last 10 minutes like he did against Fulham) in his future career. IMO there is nothing wrong with that if he wants to play and grind for this club. Oshea did it, Park did it and Fletcher did it and I dont think much of the CAF hates those guys)And if he is ok with that I will have a lot of love for him in the coming years and will be very happy to call him a United squad player
 

Roboc7

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No his movement, positioning and passing are all too poor. He’ll just ball watch and give the ball away a lot.

A midfield position where he plays an advanced role and can arrive in box from slightly deeper is what he’s suited to. If he can find someone in PL to play him there he’ll do pretty well, any other position he’ll struggle.

We need to stop shoehorning people into positions, if players aren’t good enough or don’t suit how we play then move them on.
 

Glorio

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I think it might suit him personally - he times his runs in and around the box well, is strong, has decent pace, a good shot
 

PoTMS

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For all those taking the piss, he's scored double the amount of goals Weghorst has for United in 70 odd minutes. If we're gonna continue to play Rashford off the top of a big man, I'd like to see us at least try McTominay instead of the tried and tested donkey.
 

Glorio

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Of course he should be played up front. He scored 2 goals which proves he's a striker. Proves it i tell you!
Doesn't prove he's a striker, but at the end of the day, he's competing with Weghorst. I suspect McTom could offer more than the Dutchman - obviously just a thought.
 

DWelbz19

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He’s scoring his goals running in from deep. His ideal setting is a midfield 3 at a weaker club who will let him get forward and not worry too much about creativity. Basically like what Gallagher did at Palace

Putting him with his back to goal in front of 2 defenders is a completely different entity
 

hobbers

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I dont think there's anything he's worse than Wout at in fairness.

Better in the air, clearly. Better shot on him. Hold up play probably on a par.

Maybe not as a number 9 but then Wout isn't playing as a number 9 either. Most games he's more like a defensive second striker.
 

Jericho

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For all those taking the piss, he's scored double the amount of goals Weghorst has for United in 70 odd minutes. If we're gonna continue to play Rashford off the top of a big man, I'd like to see us at least try McTominay instead of the tried and tested donkey.
It's not the worst idea to just give it a try. I'd expect a similar goal return with possibly a lower work rate.
 

Brightonian

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See no reason not to try it for one game. Weghorst isn't really playing as a #9 anyway, he's playing as a defensive #10, pressing and tackling and holding up the ball to feed to the actual goalscorers. Every chance McTominay could do all of those things to the same or higher level, and ironically he's probably a more confident finisher than Weghorst appears to be.

No one is arguing for it as a long term solution, just as a better version of the same six month sticking plaster which Weghorst is. Try for 90 minutes, no real loss if he doesn't do a good job; Weghorst isn't doing an especially good job either, really.
 

Rightnr

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McTominay literally said, we've not beaten enough Spanish teams this season
 

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He's always been better playing further fwd than the DM role. When he was shoehorned there with Fred was our very problem for the last few years. He's always been able to do a job up top and I'd like to see him tried out in the wide positions.
 

RuudTom83

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International football…the arena for bang average footballers to get a game.

But if it helps United shift Scotty and Maguire in the summer then it’s a blessing.