The mark of a Manchester United player folks
He's never been good enough and should have been moved on last year.
McTominay (Out) | announced - signed for Napoli
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He's never been good enough and should have been moved on last year.
A lot of fans seem to want rid but I think it’s a bit shortsighted to want a squad full of small technical players. McTominay has a fairly unique skill set that allows him to affect both boxes.
I think he’d be much more effective in a team without Bruno Fernandes, as the most attacking 8 in a midfield 3. We will miss his ability to defend our box to close out games and I can see why Ten Hag likes him.
Why are we as a fanbase in such a rush to sell players on the cheap and pay whatever fee other clubs and players want? And then we complain about it later. We’re in this restricted financial situation because of exactly that, complete incompetence at the top of the club. Hold out for £30m, a more than fair value for a player at his peak with two years left, off the back of his best ever season for club and country. It will cost us as much if not more to upgrade on him.
I think he’d be much more effective in a team without Bruno Fernandes, as the most attacking 8 in a midfield 3. We will miss his ability to defend our box to close out games and I can see why Ten Hag likes him.
Why are we as a fanbase in such a rush to sell players on the cheap and pay whatever fee other clubs and players want? And then we complain about it later. We’re in this restricted financial situation because of exactly that, complete incompetence at the top of the club. Hold out for £30m, a more than fair value for a player at his peak with two years left, off the back of his best ever season for club and country. It will cost us as much if not more to upgrade on him.
It's because he's not good enough to start and 30m might let us get a starter in.
He is in the right set up. But I agree with letting him go for £30m and holding out for his uppermost value. I don’t agree with those so keen to see the back of him for peanuts
I'm surprised by the amount of fans who want to keep him, even if I understand the emotional connection (as he's an Academy product and seems like a decent lad)
He's the sort of player who has his attributes but doesn't really suit any position.
Doesn't have the creativity for an AM, doesn't have the passing accuracy of a CM. Doesn't have the defensive discipline of a DM. Despite convincing the world he's a warrior, he goes missing in games (I actually think this is due to lack of positioning intelligence rather than a mentality thing like it was for say Lingard) so his 'energy' or strength or speed or whatever doesn't count for a great deal.
He can score goals, yes - but he doesn't have the required attributes eg. hold up play to play up front either. The player I'd most liken him to is Fellaini - someone who can create a bit of chaos and occasionally come up trumps when you need him.
He's a brilliant plan B, and proved that last season - but if we can make a reasonable amount on him and that can go towards a player who can properly fit into our starting eleven somewhere that would be massively preferable.
I don't know enough about Fulham to understand how they would use him, but if they're properly interested we need to sell - this is the last summer we'll get anything halfway reasonable for him.
He's the sort of player who has his attributes but doesn't really suit any position.
Doesn't have the creativity for an AM, doesn't have the passing accuracy of a CM. Doesn't have the defensive discipline of a DM. Despite convincing the world he's a warrior, he goes missing in games (I actually think this is due to lack of positioning intelligence rather than a mentality thing like it was for say Lingard) so his 'energy' or strength or speed or whatever doesn't count for a great deal.
He can score goals, yes - but he doesn't have the required attributes eg. hold up play to play up front either. The player I'd most liken him to is Fellaini - someone who can create a bit of chaos and occasionally come up trumps when you need him.
He's a brilliant plan B, and proved that last season - but if we can make a reasonable amount on him and that can go towards a player who can properly fit into our starting eleven somewhere that would be massively preferable.
I don't know enough about Fulham to understand how they would use him, but if they're properly interested we need to sell - this is the last summer we'll get anything halfway reasonable for him.
Know what you mean but there's a middle ground between playing the transfer game and lavishing a player with praise.
Sounds more to me like ETH genuinely wants to keep him rather than bigging him up to swell the transfer fee.
No way he goes for GBP 20m. With his experience, age, profile and nationality he should be worth more than GBP 30m. If he played for West Ham or Aston Villa today the price potential buyers would pay would be significantly higher. I do not beleive that he fits in the starting team and we definitely need to upgrade him however, we need to get the right offer for our players. While I was dissapointed last year that we didnt manage to sell him I appreicated our approach to stick with our valuation of GBP 40m which at that time to be honest was the fair value for him. Today, where he has had a good season scoring a lot of goals for us and Scotland his value should not have deviated much. The mentioned GBP30m as a required price to me seems a very reasonable and fair price. We should stick to that in worst case get GBP 25m + GBP5 in easy add ons. In worst case, we let him stay in the team and fight from the bench as he still do have a lot of capabilities that we could use
End of the day lads I want him gone so we can bring in a better technical footballer.
Someone offer us more on the ball when we have it.
He only does well when he comes on as a sub. We need more then that.
Someone offer us more on the ball when we have it.
He only does well when he comes on as a sub. We need more then that.
Would be sad to see him go.
Should never be a starter but a good squad option imo and his eye for goal always handy off the bench.
Seems like one of the good 'characters' Ferguson would keep around despite his limitations.
Should never be a starter but a good squad option imo and his eye for goal always handy off the bench.
Seems like one of the good 'characters' Ferguson would keep around despite his limitations.
Who wants a squad of small technical players. I think most would just like to see players that have a higher technical floor than McTominay and recognise we need players with height and strength as well. And really you want players with all those things, though it's hard to get a great combination of all three.
It's odd to me that we spent years seeing McTominay not really being able to perform to an expected standard in midfield, but now people want to keep him because he found some success for one season in a very specialised and limited role (from the bench), which still shows up flaws in his game that we've known about for years.
I'm far from a hater, and as grateful as anyone can be for what McTominay did against Brentford, but the club needs to move forward. Unless they plan to extend McTominay's contract, which I think we can all agree is probably a bad decision, now is the best time to sell and try and fix areas of the pitch we clearly have big issues in. One would hope that starting to fix those areas negates the need for a McTominay, though I doubt it'll be smooth sailing to begin with, but you have to cut the cord at some point and try to build a better overall team.
Alternatively, we just give him a chance to actually show what he can do before we judge him....
I didn't want us to sign Mount and I certainly have my doubts over him in the future as well, but I find it ridiculous how many people just write him off entirely already.
Where are the supposed Saudi offers for Casemiro?
Where are the offers for Sancho?
Surely someone wants Lindelof?
Antony is just a lost cause so no hope of getting rid.
Scott is well down the list of players we should be wanting to shift.
Where are the offers for Sancho?
Surely someone wants Lindelof?
Antony is just a lost cause so no hope of getting rid.
Scott is well down the list of players we should be wanting to shift.
The context for McTominay playing so many minutes last season and having the attacking impact he did was the injuries to Mainoo & Mount.
Assuming both those players stay fit this season, McTominay will see reduced minutes in those advanced attacking positions and less scope to have the same attacking output. And at DM (where we could do with someone to play instead of Casemiro) he is much less effective.
External and rather arbitrary arguments about the price we "should" get for him are neither here nor there, especially when the difference is a few million. What matters is how much we need to get for him to fund a replacement that will upgrade the squad in terms of quality and/or composition. If can upgrade the DM position by selling McTominay for 23m, then costing ourselves that opportunity by trying hold out for a few million more would be extremely self-defeating.
Of course we're not privy to those more practical internal calculations on the club's part, but they're what should be driving the approach to negotiations rather than more abstract evaluations of worth.
Assuming both those players stay fit this season, McTominay will see reduced minutes in those advanced attacking positions and less scope to have the same attacking output. And at DM (where we could do with someone to play instead of Casemiro) he is much less effective.
External and rather arbitrary arguments about the price we "should" get for him are neither here nor there, especially when the difference is a few million. What matters is how much we need to get for him to fund a replacement that will upgrade the squad in terms of quality and/or composition. If can upgrade the DM position by selling McTominay for 23m, then costing ourselves that opportunity by trying hold out for a few million more would be extremely self-defeating.
Of course we're not privy to those more practical internal calculations on the club's part, but they're what should be driving the approach to negotiations rather than more abstract evaluations of worth.
Has he got great character though? He’s come out after big losses talking the talking but half the time he’s hiding in midfield. He’s not a CM and that’s what we need him to be. If we can push them to £25m, provided that gets us a specialist DM I’m happy with the deal.
I don’t think many fans would be loathed to move him on for the right price, but he is a useful squad player. The fact that he’s our most sellable asset (of those we seem to want to sell) and he’s not a starting player speaks volumes of our starting eleven and incompetent management at all levels. I’d rather sell Casemiro for a huge loss and keep McTominay personally because his legs have gone. But it looks inevitable that McTominay will leave now so we have to get a good price for him. £5m is a massive deal now with ffp, some supporters are just impatient
Luckily for us there is people above EtH now that know the crack.
In fairness, we did keep him around. We let O'Shea, Butt and P. Neville go between the ages of 28-30. McTominay turns 28 in December, so he's on course for a move.
In the last two years the only teams that have been in for him are as follows:
West Ham
Fulham
Everton
Give me a smaller squad of 18 players with ability on the ball any day of the week.
I am sorry to tell you, what you are waiting for is not worth it.
I wouldn't read too much into it, I wouldn't expect ten Hag to downplay his abilities in the press, as we might have to play him if Fulham don't pay what we want.
But that 'right set up' is not a team who want to be challenging for major trophies. I agree with your point that he'd probably do better getting the free role without a Bruno Fernandes in the side and players to complement his style. But why would we do that? Whilst McTominay might improve on an individual level, the general level of the team would probably go down.
It’s laughable isn’t it.The mark of a Manchester United player folks
He's never been good enough and should have been moved on last year.
Most of us on this forum could do the things he stated. Run. Communicate. Never give up. Hype up the crowd ffs
It’s the rest of it we’d (and McT) struggle with
In an ideal world we wouldn't sell McT. Academy product, can contribute goals and a useful squad option.But he's the only midfielder who generating interest to the point that bids are being lodged.
No Saudi clubs want a DM like Casemiro this summer, plus his wages and transfer fee would limit what other clubs outside Saudi would be able to offer him financially.
Sancho is on huge wages, seems to be generating some interest but isn't the top priority on who's radar he is on i.e. PSG.
It's just one of those summers where transfer fees are down on last summer. Saudi clubs have wised up on their spending and aren't just buying an old castoff's. Add to that PL PSR and UEFA FSR has meant clubs can't spend recklessly.
If don't sell McT we cant fix the glaring issue in our midfield which the club have identified which is a lack of combatness and intensity. Ugarte will hopefully fix that (until he gets injured no doubt).
It's a shame he will have to be sacrificed but it will allow us to bring in a better player.
McTominay is pretty terrible , his goal threat is the only good thing about him
Will take £25m for him all day.(Rumoured to be what the club will sell for)
It's not like we haven't seen him play loads of games for us , we know exactly thow good he is.
Not my money , but a much needed cash income in the days of PSR.
Don't think we can buy Ugarte without it.
Will take £25m for him all day.(Rumoured to be what the club will sell for)
It's not like we haven't seen him play loads of games for us , we know exactly thow good he is.
Not my money , but a much needed cash income in the days of PSR.
Don't think we can buy Ugarte without it.
Hate to see academy lads leave, but for how many years have we said that Mctominay is not good enough in midfield?
Besides, we’ve already got mount who does similar things.
Time to sell him at the peak and replace with another type of player that actually fits the set up.
Besides, we’ve already got mount who does similar things.
Time to sell him at the peak and replace with another type of player that actually fits the set up.
It would be good if the club just told this players they are surplus to requirements, have them train on there own
What's the point of taking them on tour and then selling them, what benefits is it to us if we training them and keep them fit?
What's the point of taking them on tour and then selling them, what benefits is it to us if we training them and keep them fit?
Another glaring difference was a lack of goals and that is what wins games and Scott has got pretty good at that recently.
I watched Ugarte in the Copa and was not hugely impressed.
Have you watched him regularly for PSG?
He’s a goal scoring #10 and we saw his best position in the side towards the end of last season. It’s a very fine option to have in the squad, especially when you have young, inexperienced strikers and few other goalscoring options.
Good solid player, sadly not something United can rely on. He came in very handy with those goals, but you cannot rely on him to score always.
The best thing about him is that he is passionate. And I love that. And I will bloody miss him.
The best thing about him is that he is passionate. And I love that. And I will bloody miss him.
£20 million+ for a player who is not good enough to start for a side aiming for the top; a player who is approaching 28 year old and has a year left on his contract.
If we don’t get rid then it’s a worrying sign that little has really changed.
If we don’t get rid then it’s a worrying sign that little has really changed.
I don't hate the idea in the case of a really bad injury crisis, but considering we have 3 strikers now, as well as Bruno and Sancho both being able to play false 9, and then Rashford can play striker as well on top of all these options (albeit only against big teams IMO who won't deploy a low block against us so they'll play to Rashford's biggest strengths), I think we'd need to have a really bad injury crisis for McTominay to have to play up top.
Sancho has never worked out there imo, and hasn't worked out overall. He's just too anonymous. Bruno has to an extend worked out as a striker against big teams like in the FA Cup final, but he's needed for creativity further back.
In short we're currently left with Zirkzee. (Højlund+Rashford out)
He is definitely not the worst player we have in the team, but if our aspirations are top 4 (we won't be challenging for the league title anytime soon), then we need to get rid of him.
He'll be a good option for a mid-lower table team, but there won't be any top 4 teams wanting to sign him, even for a lower price.
He'll be a good option for a mid-lower table team, but there won't be any top 4 teams wanting to sign him, even for a lower price.
I agree, I’m not saying we should, but at least it’s an option. I’m only arguing for his positive traits because I feel he’s been unfairly dismissed by much of our fanbase. He’s a good squad player with good qualities that we might miss at certain points in the season. I think we should sell, but I’d certainly want closer to £30m than £20m. Ultimately, we need a better #6 for the first.team so if this is the only way to raise the funds, so be it
Think if he's kept he should be at centre half, has all the attributes to play there
Emile Smith Rowe somehow commanding a higher fee than a player who is proven at Premier League level will be the sticking point, here.
McTominay is an international who scores useful goals and stays fit give or take the usual knocks. Smith Rowe is a maybe. United will be wanting 28 million at the very least, and that's fair enough. They don't really need to sell McTominay, he's a decent player to have around in my opinion.
McTominay is an international who scores useful goals and stays fit give or take the usual knocks. Smith Rowe is a maybe. United will be wanting 28 million at the very least, and that's fair enough. They don't really need to sell McTominay, he's a decent player to have around in my opinion.
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Yeah maybe but I just think in this instance it's what it sounds and looks like. The manager does in fact like the player and doesn't want him to leave.
Which wouldn't bother me. There are three or four other players who should be out the door before McTominay.
Surprisingly many here who still see a future with McTominay at United.
He is 28 this season, 2 years left on his contract so now is the time to sell. He won't command the same fee as Smith-Rowe because ESR is younger and there is a chance of selling him with a profit for Fulham if he works out.
He doesn't show for the ball in midfield. He doesn't chase runners and is positionally suspect. He lacks the passing attributes to play there or as a 10 which is his best position. To keep him because of injury to Hojlund is just ridiculous. Zirkzee was added and Rashford can play there in an emergency. I struggle to comprehend those who like him because he gives it his all but the reality is he doesn't, he doesn't show himself for the ball or track runners so he chooses the moments where he gives effort.
His best role is as a sub but managers have been very inclined to start him which leads us to the purgatory of lack of playing style of which we have been struggling to create for years now. If we want to progress as a team we shouldn't have to count on the McTominays of this world, none of bigger clubs have these types for a reason.
The 10 goals he scored should be replaced by a better playing style by adding better players. Creating more by having better midfielders. The time to sell him is now, I will be bitterly disappointed by the new regime if they fail to recognize the opportunity to move on from him.
He is 28 this season, 2 years left on his contract so now is the time to sell. He won't command the same fee as Smith-Rowe because ESR is younger and there is a chance of selling him with a profit for Fulham if he works out.
He doesn't show for the ball in midfield. He doesn't chase runners and is positionally suspect. He lacks the passing attributes to play there or as a 10 which is his best position. To keep him because of injury to Hojlund is just ridiculous. Zirkzee was added and Rashford can play there in an emergency. I struggle to comprehend those who like him because he gives it his all but the reality is he doesn't, he doesn't show himself for the ball or track runners so he chooses the moments where he gives effort.
His best role is as a sub but managers have been very inclined to start him which leads us to the purgatory of lack of playing style of which we have been struggling to create for years now. If we want to progress as a team we shouldn't have to count on the McTominays of this world, none of bigger clubs have these types for a reason.
The 10 goals he scored should be replaced by a better playing style by adding better players. Creating more by having better midfielders. The time to sell him is now, I will be bitterly disappointed by the new regime if they fail to recognize the opportunity to move on from him.
Erik would have gladly kept McT if club were able to sell Casemiro/Eriksen, maybe even Sancho, but that seems impossible and we do need to sell somebody to keep buying necessities. McT is not a necessity so if we cannot raise money on anybody else, he is the one that has to go
The people defending mctominay and wanting to keep him are definitely people who judge footballers off stats alone.
Forget his 10 goals, eye test alone watching him should tell you he doesn't have the ability to play for a top 4 club as a starting central midfielder.
30 million to invest on a more suitable starter would be good business.
Forget his 10 goals, eye test alone watching him should tell you he doesn't have the ability to play for a top 4 club as a starting central midfielder.
30 million to invest on a more suitable starter would be good business.
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