[Pogue Mahone]

He's a bit of a conundrum.

He's the only one who plays anywhere near the same style as our best midfielder in Fred, and therefore is the best fit for a midfield two, but he's miles away from the quality needed. He makes it harder for the players around him.

If he wasn't a Scottish academy lad he would get way more stick than he does.

I agree with this. Except the last sentence. I reckon you’d struggle to find a single positive post on each of the last 10 pages of this thread.

Plus I think it’s fair that we cut academy players a bit more slack than someone who cost tens of millions of euros.

 

[RedStarUnited]

He never looks for the ball.

At one stage in the first half he was looking at 30 yards of space in front on De Gea. Instead of moving in and looking for the ball he moved over to cover an Atalanta player. Fred ran in and it was too late, DDG just sent it long.

I cant believe he gets away with this to be honest. A midfielder who constantly hides from the ball.

 

[Rash Decision]

This is so wrong on so many levels. He's a decent midfielder, not good enough to start for United but a million miles away from 'shocking'.

And the CB reference is just weird.

He actually wasn't too bad yesterday on the ball, but he simply doesn't affect the game off the ball. Fred's far superior, it's just that his errors are much more eye-catching and he's an easy scapegoat. (and no, Fred isn't good enough either)

If Fred’s far superior and yet not good enough, what does that say about Scott though?

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t use the word “shocking” on him either, but I really don’t see what he brings to the table apart from the occasional good strike. I guess he’s decent at forward movement. I personally think Fred gets unfair stick and Scott gets undeserved credit, but it’s hard to defend this view when Fred’s errors are, as you said, so eye-catching.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

Burnley player

 

[FootyGirl88]

Yeah but it's not because he's not good enough, just that Southgate's a prat.

Exactly, McTominay can't get ahead of McGinn and Gilmour..

 

[Kaizane]

Would have been a really great player in the Premiership 10 years ago when the game was slower and less technical, just like Carrick wouldn't have been as great as he was, had he been playing today's game.

Still can do a job as a squad player, wouldn't sell him.

 

[Idxomer]

Would have been a really great player in the Premiership 10 years ago when the game was slower and less technical, just like Carrick wouldn't have been as great as he was, had he been playing today's game.

Still can do a job as a squad player, wouldn't sell him.

Nonsense.

 

[Kaizane]

Nonsense.

Thanks for your compelling input, your opinion is greatly valued.

 

[Skills]

Would have been a really great player in the Premiership 10 years ago when the game was slower and less technical, just like Carrick wouldn't have been as great as he was, had he been playing today's game.

Still can do a job as a squad player, wouldn't sell him.

Carrick would've been fine. Jorginho's hardly athletic yet is very good

 

[youmeletsfly]

I agree with this. Except the last sentence. I reckon you’d struggle to find a single positive post on each of the last 10 pages of this thread.

Plus I think it’s fair that we cut academy players a bit more slack than someone who cost tens of millions of euros.

Players should be judged the same. Based on the above logic, it should be the other way around, as academy players are more familiar with the place, the style, etc.

There are only a few Man United players that I've seen play in the last 20 years and I really don't like, he's at the very top of my list. There was a play around the 20th-30th minute in which we wanted to play the ball out of the back:
- he comes close to Lindelof to get the ball, when he sees he has an opponent on him, boom, he goes behind him as if he was fecking marking the Atalanta player, not the other way around - lindelof needs to stop the pass
- Lindelof passes the ball to Fred who gets immediately cornered, Mctominay comes close, notices he has an opponent on him, boom, goes behind him again, hiding like a little fecking prick

I've seen this fecking shit from him a few times a game, it's disgusting. He has the attitude to put a foot in, fight with other players but not the attitude to come out and receive the ball. It's almost 2022, if you can't receive a ball and distribute it further, you have no business playing even for a midtable club.

 

[Idxomer]

Carrick would've been fine. Jorginho's hardly athletic yet is very good

Or Rodri whose style is very similar to Carrick and even Pep compared them both with Busquests, you won't find anyone doing the same with Scott.

 

[Kaizane]

Carrick would've been fine. Jorginho's hardly athletic yet is very good

It's not a matter of athleticism, there are many great footballers who aren't athletic.

I agree, Carrick would've been fine and far from rubbish today, just not a world beater. He was a big reason for our past successes, but he was not a great ball playing footballer, which he got away with back then. He had abundant game intelligence and a brilliant range of passing; streets ahead of Mctominay, but still not enough to be considered great in today's game. No point in comparing Jorghino as he's far technically superior than Carrick ever was and better suited for today's high intensity game.

People who are saying Mctominay is rubbish, he's not - he's just not great.

 

[RedSky]

Exactly, McTominay can't get ahead of McGinn and Gilmour..

Huh? McTominay is pretty much a constant pick for Scotland, be it as a CB or as a DM. In the last 20 games, he's been on the bench twice, out injured for 3 and started and completed the full 90mins in the other 15.

 

[RedSky]

He never looks for the ball.

At one stage in the first half he was looking at 30 yards of space in front on De Gea. Instead of moving in and looking for the ball he moved over to cover an Atalanta player. Fred ran in and it was too late, DDG just sent it long.

Aye, he does this a lot and it's a huge issue when he's playing. I noticed him doing this against Villarreal. It's infuriating.

 

[kouroux]

Aye, he does this a lot and it's a huge issue when he's playing. I noticed him doing this against Villarreal. It's infuriating.

He has massive lack of confidence in his skills in those situations. He hides too much

 

[FootyGirl88]

Huh? McTominay is pretty much a constant pick for Scotland, be it as a CB or as a DM. In the last 20 games, he's been on the bench twice, out injured for 3 and started and completed the full 90mins in the other 15.

And thats my point hes not a regular in midfield for Scotland. He mainly plays CB for them.

 

[lost7]

Putting Carrick and McTominay in the same sentence is criminal. One hides from the ball constantly, the other is like a magnet to it.

Serious question, are there any stats on the average number of passes/touches in the Premier league for a midfielder? Because I'm confident he would be far below that

 

[RedSky]

And thats my point hes not a regular in midfield for Scotland. He mainly plays CB for them.

That's more of a fact that Scotland have zero CB's, they play Tierney as a CB a fair bit too. It's good that he's versatile imo. Their senior CB starter is Hanley at Norwich City! They have nobody back there.

 

[acnumber9]

He was a big reason for our past successes, but he was not a great ball playing footballer, which he got away with back then.

Well that’s absolute nonsense.

 

[RedSky]

Carrick was an excellent player. He was a bit slow, but positionally extremely smart and used the ball expertly. Very Italian style of play.

 

[limerickcitykid]

It's not a matter of athleticism, there are many great footballers who aren't athletic.

I agree, Carrick would've been fine and far from rubbish today, just not a world beater. He was a big reason for our past successes, but he was not a great ball playing footballer, which he got away with back then. He had abundant game intelligence and a brilliant range of passing; streets ahead of Mctominay, but still not enough to be considered great in today's game. No point in comparing Jorghino as he's far technically superior than Carrick ever was and better suited for today's high intensity game.

People who are saying Mctominay is rubbish, he's not - he's just not great.

Jaysus Christ. Carrick not a great ball playing midfield.

Wonder why Guardiola called him one of the best deep midfielders he’s ever seen and put him on level with Xabi Alonso and Busquets.

 

[Kaizane]

Jaysus Christ. Carrick not a great ball playing midfield.

Wonder why Guardiola called him one of the best deep midfielders he’s ever seen and put him on level with Xabi Alonso and Busquets.

Carrick was never on the same level as Alonso. Busquets, maybe.

 

[Bwuk]

And thats my point hes not a regular in midfield for Scotland. He mainly plays CB for them.

Because of Scotlands rubbish CBs.

McTominay is ahead of Gilmour in the pecking order, and McGinn plays further up the park for Scotland.

 

[lawliet354]

Would have been a really great player in the Premiership 10 years ago when the game was slower and less technical, just like Carrick wouldn't have been as great as he was, had he been playing today's game.

Still can do a job as a squad player, wouldn't sell him.

Sure love it when someone make an opinions based on nothing. Mctominay wouldn't even start ahead of Anderson and Cleverley

 

[roonster09]

Carrick was never on the same level as Alonso. Busquets, maybe.

Busquets was on different level to Alonso.

 

[Berbasbullet]

Carrick was never on the same level as Alonso. Busquets, maybe.

Busquets was better than both of them. Strange posts.

 

[Kaizane]

Sure love it when someone make an opinions based on nothing. Mctominay wouldn't even start ahead of Anderson and Cleverley

Says he "loves it when someone makes an opinion based on nothing." Makes an opinion based on nothing.

 

[lawliet354]

Says he "loves it when someone makes an opinion based on nothing." Makes an opinion based on nothing.

Exactly, I love it that's why I do it, too hard to understand? I'm just doing what you did

 

[FriedClams]

The results of a poll on “would you swap Scott Mctominay for John Mcginn” would tell you everything you need to know about his ability level. As a first XI player going on 3 years, that poll should be 100% in his favour, but I suspect he wouldn’t come close to winning it.

 

[Kaizane]

Exactly, I love it that's why I do it, too hard to understand? I'm just doing what you did

Bamboozled, again. Damn you, Sun Tzu!

Nice try, though.

 

[rooney2009]

McT is scared of receiving the ball and losing it in our half so continues to hide
This is a confidence thing and hopefully He will get his confidence back soon as He was out for a long time
you cant have a midfielder who doesn't want the ball
we already have a midfielder in Pogba who refuses to tackle

 

[arnie_ni]

Carrick was never on the same level as Alonso. Busquets, maybe.

You must be the only person in the world that thinks alonso was better than busquets.

Not that alonso wasn't class either

 

[Ayoba]

Surely Donny can play in his position and offer better?? Surely??

 

[Sviken]

Surely Donny can play in his position and offer better?? Surely??

Doesn't matter if he can or cannot. Ole is never gonna use him regardless.

 

[Ayoba]

Would have been a really great player in the Premiership 10 years ago when the game was slower and less technical, just like Carrick wouldn't have been as great as he was, had he been playing today's game.

Still can do a job as a squad player, wouldn't sell him.

I disagree completely. The game today isn't any slower or less technical than it was 10 years ago. You had midfielders like cesc, xani, iniesta, scholes, busquests, Gerrard, lampard, kaka, pirlo, xabi Alonso, mascherano, de Rossi, modric, basti etc.

You can tell me those are less technical players than today, In fact I'm struggling to think of many midfielders in the game now who would match anyone from that list.

 

[elmo]

Would have been a really great player in the Premiership 10 years ago when the game was slower and less technical, just like Carrick wouldn't have been as great as he was, had he been playing today's game.

Still can do a job as a squad player, wouldn't sell him.

Would do a job for Pulis's Stoke alright. He doesn't need football players just large athletic players who can clear the ball once they get the ball in their own half.

Even if we wanted to sell him, we'll struggle to find any buyers.

 

[Kaizane]

You must be the only person in the world that thinks alonso was better than busquets.

Not that alonso wasn't class either

Well, for one, I'm not sure why Busquets is being mentioned, as he's solely a defensive midfielder, and Alonso more a deep lying playmaker like Carrick.

But seeing as I was dragged into the comparison, between Busquets, who is the best off the ball player I've ever seen, and Alonso, the more complete midfielder of the two, then it's Alonso all day long, in my opinion.

 

[Kaizane]

I disagree completely. The game today isn't any slower or less technical than it was 10 years ago. You had midfielders like cesc, xani, iniesta, scholes, busquests, Gerrard, lampard, kaka, pirlo, xabi Alonso, mascherano, de Rossi, modric, basti etc.

You can tell me those are less technical players than today, In fact I'm struggling to think of many midfielders in the game now who would match anyone from that list.

Just because you've cherry picked a small sample of very technically gifted and talented players, doesn't mean the overall game back then was as quick and technical as it is today.

 

[RooneyLegend]

It's not a matter of athleticism, there are many great footballers who aren't athletic.

I agree, Carrick would've been fine and far from rubbish today, just not a world beater. He was a big reason for our past successes, but he was not a great ball playing footballer, which he got away with back then. He had abundant game intelligence and a brilliant range of passing; streets ahead of Mctominay, but still not enough to be considered great in today's game. No point in comparing Jorghino as he's far technically superior than Carrick ever was and better suited for today's high intensity game.

People who are saying Mctominay is rubbish, he's not - he's just not great.

Posts like that make you look like you've never seen Carrick play a single match.

 

[RooneyLegend]

Just because you've cherry picked a small sample of very technically gifted and talented players, doesn't mean the overall game back then was as quick and technical as it is today.

Make the same list with players from today then, I mean, what while watching Henderson and co makes you think you're watching more technical football?