Midfield: Amrabat or McTominay?

[Fortitude]

Bruno isn't getting dropped. Mainoo offers things nobody else in the squad is capable of and I think we mostly agree should be a lock in the team. We're left with a fight for the third spot between Amrabat and the seeming staple in the side, McTominay.

The former sits deep and offers a double pivot next to Mainoo making us harder to play straight through. He is bumbling, slow and has very poor levels agility. On the flip side, he gives everything he has, always shows for the ball and is capable of solid forward passes.

The latter offers goals and finds himself further forward. He often plays ahead of Bruno and his real strength is timing runs into threatening offensive positions. Is poor at reading the midfield battle, which means he's often on the outside looking in and being seconds behind the play, particularly defensively and also when tasked with showing for the ball to progress play before marauding. McTominay turns us into a single pivot, but supposedly offers us more offensive threat.

Both players are not of the required standard, but both contribute in their own way. Between the two, who would you rather occupy that 3rd midfield spot? Do you want a double or single pivot?

 

[flameinthesun]

Mctominay. Both their passing is not up to standard, neither their ball control and dribbling. Mct however is more versatile and does have some physicality about him and can provide an attacking threat. Neither should ideally be here.

 

[Remember the geese]

I prefer to call them 'Let go and Sell'.

 

[Spaghetti]

Amrabat. Miles better.

 

[Scandi Red]

Amrabat to start. McTominay to come on as a sub if we need a goal.

 

[DWelbz19]

Both have gigantic flaws but Amrabat is a closer representation to a central midfielder.

placeholder until Casemiro is back to play beside Mainoo.

 

[Jeffthered]

Both, with them being told to ' ..just continue to play like you did against Liverpool away..'

 

[Adebisi's Hat]

Amrabat, but 2 very different players, the question should be Mainoo or McTom.

That said we do need to see more from Amrabat but I think he is improving as we go.

 

[bosnian_red]

McTominay. Is at least a player suited to this league, but not good enough for United. I don't think Amrabat next to Mainoo works all that well, they're the same type of player and Mainoo is just a lot better than Amrabat. If you want someone physical in there, McTominay provides way more of that than Amrabat. When fit Casemiro will slot in there anyway.

 

[SoCross]

Amrabat if we are playing Bruno. Can’t deal with a lone single pivot and two number 10s.

 

[Gordon Godot]

Amrabat if we are playing Bruno. Can’t deal with a lone single pivot and two number 10s.

Neither are good enough. Start a youth player.

 

[Giggsy13]

Neither. Start Mainoo and Casemiro, when fit. I said it all summer, everyone clamouring for Amrabat would be disappointed. Classic example of a player having a good World Cup putting blinders on common sense.

 

[Gordon Godot]

Amrabat, but 2 very different players, the question should be Mainoo or McTom.

That said we do need to see more from Amrabat but I think he is improving as we go.

He is not improving, he was truly awful yesterday, terrible pass completion, slow and easily bypassed. Get a grip.

 

[hobbers]

If we want to actually control games and dominate midfield the ideal trio is obviously Casemiro, Mainoo, Eriksen. With Bruno on the right.

Or at least Casemiro and Mainoo in a double pivot with Bruno further forward.

 

[RetroGlory]

Amrabat. Too many blinded by McSauce's goals. Anonymous when he's not scoring.

 

[Borys]

It doesn't matter which one plays if we continue to play one man midfield. If we play two man midfield (Mainoo+1), then what is the point in having McTominay there over anyone else? He's only good at winning headers. I would rather have McTominay as supersub.

Not that I think we're going to play 2 man midfield anyway.

 

[DWelbz19]

Neither are good enough. Start a youth player.

We are. No way we start two. Hannibal is never going to get a serious chance.

 

[fergiewherearethou]

Unless we start playing a proper 3 man midfield we won't start seeing results under ETH.
So it has to be a combination of Case,Mainoo,Amrabat, MCT, Eriksen as starters, with Bruno playing on the right left or whatever other position than CM.

 

[Jeffthered]

I'd prefer a midfield three of Casimero or Amrabat, alongside Mainoo and SMT. SMT gives us a sense of (uh-um) drive, that the rest do not, and he has a goal threat that the others do not. But he is of course, limited on the ball, but what can we do about that right now? Casimero can hardly move, and I think he'll need games to get up to match level anyway, so I am not sure how much we can expect. I want to see Mainoo use his youthful energy and be more like Kante' was for Leicester, shutting players down, whilst also showing composure. Kante defined games and Mainoo hopefully, should see himself in that mold. Mainoo should watch videos of Edgar Davids.

I would play Bruno from the left, like Zidane... deeper, rather than Rashford/Garnacho starting position, from the left-side, with the option to drift. Luke Shaw is competant for our needs on the left.

We don't have the squad for an expansive game, so I think we need to be solid. I don't like Bruno in midfield. He should be just told to create, shoot, cross, etc because he is offers nothing defensively. Nothing wrong with that, but we should not expect nor demand that of him.

Bruno isn't good enough to have the whole team built around him. We can play without any of our squad members.

 

[arthurka]

Amrabat. Miles better.

The word better should not be used in association with Amrabat.

 

[Rossa]

Amrabat is a much better midfielder than McTominay. That isn't to say he's good enough as he clearly isn't. Both need to be upgraded on, but McTominay just isn't a midfielder. Amrabat can at least pass the ball and is decent in posession, and he makes himself available for a pass.

 

[The Purley King]

Neither.
Would rather Hannibal.

 

[spiriticon]

McT just isn't a midfielder. He's a forward. Amrabat isn't very good, but at least he can do the basics of CM.

At the end of the day, it should be Casemiro and Mainoo 1st choice.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Amrabat is a better DM, McT is a better 8 or 10. Neither is good enough for United.

 

[sammyhol]

McT just isn't a midfielder. He's a forward. Amrabat isn't very good, but at least he can do the basics of CM.

At the end of the day, it should be Casemiro and Mainoo 1st choice.

This perfectly articulates my thoughts on things.

 

[#07]

Neither. Go buy a proper box to box midfielder in a couple of weeks time.

Honestly, you don't need Yves Bissouma to upgrade on either of these guys. McTominay can't pass or position, Amrabat is too slow in his decision making and movement.

Go out and get someone who can actually help us, not just someone we need to compensate for.

 

[Sarni]

We will start both as long as Casemiro is out and then Casemiro will replace Amrabat. When Mount is healthy he will replace McTominay.

There's no competition, just injuries.

 

[Lee565]

Mctominay as false 9

 

[Jingaling7]

ABM

anyone
but
Mctominay


and we might actual start controlling games again

 

[Borninthe80ts]

I think for now it’ll be a horses for courses. I’d maybe start Amrabat as I think he is better deeper to support Mainoo and bring Scott on if a goal is needed or energy and physicality.

Hopefully though as was mentioned with players returning and hopefully bringing the little bit of quality when needed, ie an in form Casimero and Eriksen can change a game and hopefully bring stability we haven’t had all season.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

McTominay can’t really play as a proper central midfielder - either an attacking player or in central defence like he has for Scotland

 

[kouroux]

As bad as he was in that first half and in general, I'd still go for Amrabat.

 

[Stobzilla]

Given that McTominay isn't a central midfielder then Amrabat.

 

[JPRouve]

As bad as he was in that first half and in general, I'd still go for Amrabat.

Amrabat is one of the worst CM I have ever seen play for United

I don't know how McTominay is supposed to react.

 

[Gator Nate]

Once Casemiro is back, I'd rather see Cas-Mainoo-Bruno (and Amrabat and McTominay on the bench as relief or tactical change), with Shaw at LB and Dalot at RB. A more pragmatic ETH would see the Liverpool match tactics as a base to build from, but he hasn't shown that much pragmatism in his tenure.

 

[Maluco]

McTominey is like playing with ten men. He doesn’t show for the ball, usually has a very low number of completed passes because of this and has poor positioning.

He shouldn’t be starting in any functional midfield.

 

[Jeffthered]

McTominay can’t really play as a proper central midfielder - either an attacking player or in central defence like he has for Scotland

But he plays neither as a defender or attacker for Scotland. He is an attacking-ish midfielder. SMT is not a forward, no way. He is just a very limited (and rather tepid..) midfielder... but he is a midfielder. What he does offer, are goals from midfield, and in any team, especially a team like our current line-up(s), this is something we cannot to discard.

 

[neon_badger]

Amrabat with McTominay coming of the bench, let Amrabat do the running and graft breaking up play and generally being a nuisance, which I think he did effectively yesterday (admittedly he needs to build up a bit chemistry with his teammates, hes a bit lost on tbe ball, but thats to be expected with our revolving door of players) then if we're chasing the game with 20mins to go we have the option to throw McTominay on for a bit of smash and grab, play for set pieces and hope McTominay/Maguire/Varane can do something.

 

[bstb3]

With who we have and where we are right now, Amrabat. I really think we should be playing with two deeper in midfield until someone can lock down that CDM role solo, a la Kante or someone like that, or until the team learn properly to play that way with movement inside from the CB/FB. Anything else and we are far too vulnerable.

We have to start from a solid base and honestly, despite the limitations, Amrabat is head and shoulders above McTominay in that role. Scott's abilities put him further forward, and he should be competing with Bruno and Mount for that attacking midfield type role. Surely we have all seen enough from McTom in that deep midfield role now to know it's not what he is suited to?

Casemiro coming back, unless his legs are fully gone or his head is turned, should be competing with Amrabat & Mainoo, and I'd expect Bruno or Mount to be replacing Scott.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

McTominay has a purpose, but it’s not from the start in all games.

Amrabat is absolutely horrendous as a Premier League midfielder, but I’d rather have him running around aimlessly and winning a few duels in our half.

Bruno, Casemiro, Eriksen and Mainoo are our best 4 footballers in the middle. They just don’t look like they will gel or bond in any kind of trio due to their vastly different skill sets.