I agree. If you look at the top teams even their combative/defensive/deep lying midfielders have an extra skill set when it comes to ball retention, passing etc. I think the days are long gone when someone with McTominay’s footballing ability would get into a title challenging team.
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I actually misread what you said. My bad.
Fair enough
Think he’d do well for the likes of Leeds, Burnley or Everton, where they’d appreciate his pace and robustness.
because in his " best position" we have players who are arguably world class, and he wouldnt ever get a look in, the lad cant even get a game there for his country.
So if we buy a proper CDM then he will go to where he belongs, a squad player.
‘Well’ in the sense that he would join the rest of a group that fights relegation annually and fit right in?
Is McTominay just Darren Fletcher 2.0 ?
Flecther was much better technically, better ability on the ball and in his passing options. Also supremely fit and active in the press, covered huge ground at high intensity, a bit more like Fred in that than McT.
My point is about his lack of quality and how he wouldn't play week in week out for a proper top club. McTominay hardly puts a shift in. He usually drifts out of games/goes missing as he doesn't always make himself available for the ball.
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He puts a shift in if the only comparison is some of our other players, if you compare his effort levels outside the club they are very ordinary. As you say he regularly goes missing for long spells and his ball watching for first two City goals are good example of him not doing basics which is what someone of his limited ability should be concentrating on.
That's an insult to fletcher
Agreed!
Excellent today. Played on his best position and midfield worked
He needs to play this position more!
Are we going to pretend that Utd played really well today?
Some comedians in this thread as if midfield wasn't problematic today
Refreshing to see us put out a starting XI without McTominay.
midfield is a problem without him and is also a problem with him on the pitch. We just seem to know how to control games. Matic is good but his best days are behind him, Scot has the future ahead but is just an average player (love his passion - but he’s an average player).
We had a midfield today?
Yes we had. Not some great performance but without McT our midfield at least create something.
Matic with 56y old (
) is doing better job than McTominayFred had a very good game in a balanced midfield. I suspect if you had swapped him for McTominay, he would have had a similarly good game. It’s a very different proposition to play in a proper midfield three with a DM, to a two man midfield with no DM, which is where McTominay seems to get used.
McT can never work in any midfield and in any role. Simply because he lacks any trait which midfielder must have. You mentioned Fred; look how he plays with players who know to play football. He does simple, quick and short passes. For McT, quick and short passing means having at least 2 touches for controling the ball, then at least 3 more for running with the ball and then few more when he is thinking what to do with the ball. Not to mention that he needs to concentrate on that pass and puts his body in specific position to do simple pass.
McT is not a midfielder. I mean, he is hardly a football player but regarding this topic; he is not a midfielder.
Wish we have a 26/27 years old Matic now. McTominay can never make that pass that set up our 2nd goal.
It is infuriating to watch McTominay to stand still and refusing to show up for the ball, and when he gets the ball, he either makes 3-4 touches before making that simple 10 yard pass or spend 5 seconds shielding the ball from opponents with his back in our own half (and losing it on some occasions)
It is infuriating to watch McTominay to stand still and refusing to show up for the ball, and when he gets the ball, he either makes 3-4 touches before making that simple 10 yard pass or spend 5 seconds shielding the ball from opponents with his back in our own half (and losing it on some occasions)
Fred was immense
I don't know why anyone would choose McTominay to play further up the pitch at the expense of Fred and Pogba.
Fred and Pogba are in the top 5 for assists in central midfield this season (combined 14 assists). Pogba is top and Fred is joint second with Henderson and Kovacic.
He is not better than either Pogba or Fred in that role, so his only position is defensive midfield, where he is not good enough. Matic was decent against Tottenham, but his age shows with his lack of energy. We need a replacement for both him and McTominay in that role. It will make a massive difference if we managed to get a younger, and more energetic, version of Matic.
Fred and Pogba are in the top 5 for assists in central midfield this season (combined 14 assists). Pogba is top and Fred is joint second with Henderson and Kovacic.
He is not better than either Pogba or Fred in that role, so his only position is defensive midfield, where he is not good enough. Matic was decent against Tottenham, but his age shows with his lack of energy. We need a replacement for both him and McTominay in that role. It will make a massive difference if we managed to get a younger, and more energetic, version of Matic.
Not a chance McTominay could have done what Fred did today
Nice joke, considering he already did it in the reverse fixture earlier this season when we beat them 3-0.
so refreshing to see the midfield without him in it. fred had his best game too. long may it continue .
Exactly. Imagine McT doing that assist to Ronaldo.
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Burnley ask a ton of their midfielders in terms of positioning and concentration for long periods, which isn't his strong suit, but Leeds would be perfect now that Marsch is there and apparently going to play 4-2-2-2.
In the championship
Yeah but Pogba was objectively trash and Matic dropped a 5 or 6 out of ten.
You’re gonna be posting these sharp “quips” for ages because he’s not going anywhere any time soon.
Maybe in his dreams
If we are able to get a new 6 and an 8 this summer then i'd sell him. He offers absolutely nothing and i'd much prefer Fred and Garner as the squad players in midfield.
Maybe. Doesn't make him anywhere near as good though which he's not. The bloke can barely pass the football.
Because Fred makes these passes all the time...
These passes aren't everything. Fred is erratic himself but a much better footballer and passer than Mctominay. The latter's passing is like that of an old school CB.
McTominay plays in defence for Scotland because they have better midfielders, says it all.
I think McTominay's passing is massively underrated on here. He is never going to be a playmaker or a truly creative passer of course, but he is very good and effective at playing a fast, simple passing game - the type that a City midfielder would probably be encouraged to do. Dictate the tempo, keep it simple, play those fast balls into the feet of the attacking players (which is something he does very well).
And yes, I think McTominay is a better passer than Fred, given the above. Fred has a strong tendency to either overhit or underhit passing, putting teammates under unnecessary pressure. Fred has done increasingly well in recent games at his passing in the final third, evidenced by his assists, but his basic midfield passing is really subpar and erratic.
As with Fred, Scot's natural position should be a more advanced #8. I truly believe that if we got a proper DM behind both him and Fred, we would have a very capable midfield. They just need to be freed up - we have seen this time and time again.
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