Lingard always had the ability as we saw him play at United and England before. He simply lost his form and his enthusiasm. He was terrible before he went to West Ham. Scott never showed that kind of ability. Maybe under a better coach he may get better.
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Lingard always had the ability as we saw him play at United and England before. He simply lost his form and his enthusiasm. He was terrible before he went to West Ham. Scott never showed that kind of ability. Maybe under a better coach he may get better.
McTominay would have a fighting chance to leave a positive impact in each game if he weren't always paired up with Fred.
They seem to cancel eachother out in some strange way... Am I the only person who sees this?
They seem to cancel eachother out in some strange way... Am I the only person who sees this?
They aren't good partners for each other. The problem is that Pogba and Matic are even worse partners for either of them.
How do they achieve this in your opinion? I don't see it personally.
I see McTominay as the one who's usually out of position and failing to make himself available, forcing the more mobile Fred to take on more responsibility, make almost twice the touches on average than McTominay in each game and generally more visible.
That's why Fred gets butchered on this forum and by journos and pundits alike while McTominay largely survives the most scathing criticism in comparison.
I wouldn't call it cancelling each other out but I know what you mean and it runs throughout the team.
I'd call it players whose games don't compliment each other.
We had a similar problem playing Carrick and Fletcher as a two. Fine players individually but it didn't work as a pair.
Same issue with Maguire and Lindelof, Greenwood and AWB. Possibly Rashford and Ronaldo.
How long before we can finally be unanimous in the opinion that he’s no way near good enough to start in the midfield for this club?
Mctom, Fred, Maguire, Shaw (this season) are the weak links in this team. The first 3 need selling sooner rather than later.
Mctom, Fred, Maguire, Shaw (this season) are the weak links in this team. The first 3 need selling sooner rather than later.
I personally Think Donnie and Pogba would complement one another more so in our mid-field, they attack and backtrack well, including the raw talent they both possess, what do you think?
None of them will with the current setup
They'd be far too weak defensively and would be cut through with ease. Pogba can't consistently play in a midfield two no matter who his partner is, let alone VDB who (despite improving his aggression and ball-winning ability) is somebody more focused on performing when we do have possession. Pogba is 'ok' defensively when the opposition have the ball in front of him, but the instant they get around him or behind him he has no idea how to position himself. He tends to either be lazy and let runners go anywhere they want without doing his part to help cover them, or he tries too hard and over-compensates then makes a mistake.
With VDB showing that improvement towards the end of last season and the few chances he's had this season, what I would like to see is him next to Fred in particular, or at least Matic or Scott. They've all been against weaker opposition, but from memory his best three matches for us have all been in that position, once with Fred and twice with Matic. If he were given a chance he might, unlike Pogba, be able to provide enough defensive ability to actually make it work in a two man midfield, while also providing more ability in possession than Fred and especially Scott. I'm not sure if VDB-Scott would work as the latter's tendency to constantly hide and not make himself available might be the absolute worst partner for VDB, as he seems to rely more on lots of interplay, short passing and quick one-twos. That's why I think Fred would probably be his best partner, or maybe Matic if he can get into form and then not get overplayed which tends to happen any time he does actually perform well for a while.
It might work, it might not. The frustrating thing is we don't actually know as we have given it the chance.
yes like in cricket. If your go for a catch and no matter how difficult it is and if you get your fingers to it and if it is dropped then it becomes a dropped catch. If you do not go for it then it never becomes a dropped catch.
That's a good way to look at it. McTominay's tendency to hide seems to absolve him of a lot of blame for his shortcomings.
Perhaps as a two, weirdly enough I felt Fletcher-Carrick-Anderson (yes Anderson!!) was one of our most balanced midfield combos and gave us unbelievable control in games, particularly in the Champions League - they complimented each other so well both offensively and defensively, and it felt so comfortable watching us play with them. Incidentally Fletch got a red card just before the final and the balance went out of whack.
With Scholes and Carrick, sometimes you did feel if teams were bold enough to run through the heart of our team, they cut through us like butter due to our lack of mobility in that area, especially as Scholes was slowing down at the time.
Keano and Scholes I'm not mentioning simply because individually talent-wise, they were both frankly incredible and levels above most, so it's no wonder they dominated.
Back to Carrick-Fletcher-Ando though, they just seemed to gel - we'd go away in Europe and just strangle teams. It helps of course when you have the likes of peak Rooney, Ronaldo, and Tevez up front!
I don't think so. Even if he is paired with a good DM, he does not make himself available for the ball often. Seems to go hiding. Can be easily beaten by opposition players on the ground. Sometimes his passing is good, his shooting is good but other than that he is a poor player. if he was not an academy lad, he would have been sold yesterday.
Sent home from the Scotland camp with a throat virus.
Increasingly less likely to start in midfield for Scotland now, as he's fallen behind Gilmour and McGinn, with Celtic's McGregor the most likely person he'd replace - not sure that says united standard to me.
Increasingly less likely to start in midfield for Scotland now, as he's fallen behind Gilmour and McGinn, with Celtic's McGregor the most likely person he'd replace - not sure that says united standard to me.
He's clearly not United standard. Has about 1 decent game every 6 matches but as we know with Ole, he has his favourites. So he'll always start in midfield if fit.
Don’t feel good saying this about an academy player but he is the most frustrating player in the squad for me. No disrespect but it is mind boggling that he can’t get into Scotland’s midfield but is an undisputed starter for United. This is what we have to put up with after growing up with a Keane/Scholes midfield.
And Rio, Vidic and Evra behind.Back to Carrick-Fletcher-Ando though, they just seemed to gel - we'd go away in Europe and just strangle teams. It helps of course when you have the likes of peak Rooney, Ronaldo, and Tevez up front!
God what a team that was.
He should watch hours and hours of Busquets footage.
Perhaps as a two, weirdly enough I felt Fletcher-Carrick-Anderson (yes Anderson!!) was one of our most balanced midfield combos and gave us unbelievable control in games, particularly in the Champions League - they complimented each other so well both offensively and defensively, and it felt so comfortable watching us play with them. Incidentally Fletch got a red card just before the final and the balance went out of whack.
With Scholes and Carrick, sometimes you did feel if teams were bold enough to run through the heart of our team, they cut through us like butter due to our lack of mobility in that area, especially as Scholes was slowing down at the time.
Keano and Scholes I'm not mentioning simply because individually talent-wise, they were both frankly incredible and levels above most, so it's no wonder they dominated.
Back to Carrick-Fletcher-Ando though, they just seemed to gel - we'd go away in Europe and just strangle teams. It helps of course when you have the likes of peak Rooney, Ronaldo, and Tevez up front!
Anderson is a very good player early on. He is extremely difficult to dispossess, he is very quick and he has very good vision. He simply is horrible in shooting. And he runs out of gas in second half. We don't have anyone even close to him in Fred and McTominay.
I was listening to Ben Foster, yeah he seems a bit of an enfant, but he says McTominay is a proper baller and its just the partnership that's the problem.
Did he give more context? Which partnership in particular did he mention? McTominay is problematic all by himself.
He can't play with Pogba and he can't play with Matic either. Pogba plays deep with McTominay as it's suicide to leave him back by himself and Matic doesn't have the legs to carry him.
Only Fred is mobile and hardworking enough to do the bulk of both their responsibilities in a double pivot.
So what kind of midfielder is he supposed to be? What kind of role would he have ideally in midfield to be good enough for United?
I dont see it, but perhaps someone who does can explain to me in what kind of role/partnership he would excel to an extent where he is good enough for the level United strives?
I dont see it, but perhaps someone who does can explain to me in what kind of role/partnership he would excel to an extent where he is good enough for the level United strives?
He isn't.
Assuming Pogba and Lingard are off, I'd keep him as a backup (to literally every other midfielder we have).
Ole might do a Steve Clarke and play him as a right sided centre back. Been spoken about ocassionaly but I think it will take a while to mould him into that role, time Ole doesn't have for an experiment.
Watford 4:1 Man Utd
From Mourinho with love.
I struggle to see what McTominay actually offers to United. He isn't a holding midfielder that can screen a defence. Nor is he a ball playing midfielder who can make line breaking passes to the forwards.
He lose runners constantly and failed to mark the space that Watford passed into. When VDB came on he played more effective passes to our forwards than McTominay has all season.
He lose runners constantly and failed to mark the space that Watford passed into. When VDB came on he played more effective passes to our forwards than McTominay has all season.
Keane is 100% right.
whgat he said?
I didn't want to be right and for a spell, I thought he might develop and prove me wrong but no, he really is fecking shite. His greatest gift is that Fred gets scapegoated more than him despite the fact he's one of the worst players playing in midfield in the Premier League. He can't pass, can't defend cant position himself. Only thing he can do is take the odd good touch and drive 5 yards through midfield before giving away the ball. Cannot stand watching him play and I hope the next manager bins him off or he will face the same fate as ole. Our current best starting midfield should be Fred and VDB.
Can’t think of many players who’ve done so little to deserve being a guaranteed starter. He’s been built up to be way better than he actually is and rewarded with massive wages no one else would pay him and never gets dropped.
He won't be anywhere near the first team once a proper manager comes in. He's poor at pretty much everything you need out of a midfielder apart from running. Awful today.
Has been awful for months and still starts every game.
The fact that he couldn't play for Scotland, but was able for us tells you everything you need about favouritism at our club.
The fact that he couldn't play for Scotland, but was able for us tells you everything you need about favouritism at our club.
im allergic to this player? ole's keane? maybe oles liam miller. This guy have no clue what midfielder should do. The biggest myth is he is work his socks off or that he can defend. He cant do nothing. He is passenger, he is coward, he is championship level. And plays all the matches. Total shayt all season.
Outclassed by Cleverly. What a joke. Cleverly has always been better, but not united quality either. His chances here will evaporate with Solskjaer's imminent dismissal
He's not a footballer simple as. People have a go at Fred but Scott is ten times worse. He does nothing, can't pass for shit, has zero positional awareness and the technical ability of an elephant. Still plays week in week out
Almost nothing in 90% of his matches. He does have like 3 or 4 matches every season where he actually looks good, but in the vast majority of his matches he provides very little of what a central midfielder should be doing. His saving grace is that despite being so average, he still arguably provides a more solid base than what Matic and Pogba often do.
Joke of a player, nothing much more to say about him.
I know right, heard Keane say the other week he’s still young and learning his trade haha, just cause he’s British he gets away with shocking performances every week, for his size he’s an embarrassment when it comes to putting himself about.
Is it me or is he getting worse every week???!!!
Worst United starter of all time.
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