EtH said he could be back in team training before the Leicester game, so hopefully we'll have him to add some depth for next week's fixtures.
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Yes, he is injured. Stop with the conspiracy theories.
Man Utd 3:0 Leicester
Decent Cameo, helped quieten Maddison and some sharp touches as well.
Yeah I said the same in the match day thread. I predict he will be involved against Barca. His size and ball carrying will be very useful.
Agree. Nice to have him back as an option as well.
And who do you think will be put on the bench to make room for him?
Looked far better than Fred today. Kept the ball well and carried it up the pitch for us. Problem is, you don't know which version you're going to get of either.
Very good cameo.
Might be a sub appearance if we're winning
Never said he would start but at the same time I wouldn't be surprised if he starts in place of Fred. I highly doubt it because ETH values match fitness etc but it's a potential tactical switch up.
Yeah I see your point. Wouldn't agree though as McTom doesn't really offer anything useful and I'd have him behind Casemiro, Fred and Sabitzer. But the notion, he could be part of a counterplan to exploit something ETH thinks Xavi will do, makes sense. Lets see.
Very good when he came on.
Good cameo from him. I think Fred's highest level is higher but McT he will be useful to have for the rest of the season when Fred is performing poorly.
I'm just making posts for hypothetical talk than what I'd prefer personally but iirc the last game we had against Barca at home, McT played a very good game. His size, turning ability and ball carrying IF he turns it on is a unique attribute not many of our players have in the middle of the pitch. That was against a Barca that pressed quite well, i.e not the standoffish side we saw on Thursday, so therefore there is space in transition that can be even more exploited. However, that was under Ole and obviously whilst ETH has deployed similar tactics, he may think entirely differently.
Most of all, I like that he looked sharp today. There's no doubting he's not the required quality but he's a known quality and importantly, a fit one that we could do with during this crazy run in.
Tidy stuff when he came on.
He was good. More of the same please Scott
He was decent, but the game was done and dusted by time he got involved. Producing that kind of display at meaningful times between now and end of season is only way he will avoid being sold.
Think he may have missed his window being injured for these Cas suspension games.
Very calm performance, quite clearly the best option to play as cdm when Casemiro is out.
Possibly but could also have been a blessing for him, 3 poor performances filling in for Casemiro would have been end of him for sure.
If only he was consistent.
I think McTominay quietly played quite well today, and offered additional solidness to the defensive half when need be after he came on.
It may be my Scottish bias, but I think McTominay should be kept for 1 more season as I think he serves a useful (if limited) role if Sabitzer is bought in the summer.
Though most people want both Fred and McTominay to be sold in the summer, I think 1 will be kept due to money constraints and the need to upgrade/replace other positions. So the question is which part of the McFred should be kept. Though Fred has a higher ceiling overall, I think McTominay's versatility and fewer absolutely terrible performances mean that McTominay should be kept instead.
As has been shown in the last 3 league games when Casemiro being suspended, Fred can't play with Sabitzer (or Eriksen as for that matter), the team simply become too unstable and undisciplined. However, I think today showed that McTominay, limited though he may be, can help Sabitzer (and Eriksen) be a lot more effective as they (esp. Sabitzer) can press higher up and more forcefully knowing there's someone behind them should they fail to nick the ball. McTominay can play badly alongside them, of course, but overall I think he's better for the balance of the team. In comparison, Fred is only really useful when playing alongside Casemiro (and sometimes he's not great even then....), and I think McTominay can play alongside Casemiro if need be as well (he won't be the headless chicken pressing monster Fred is, but as an 8 he offers the ability to steamroller over a couple of players before laying it off to other, better players, and is less likely to just gift the ball away to the opposition as Fred is prone to doing).
Even with Casemiro fit/not suspended, I think he's a good option on the bench to give Casemiro a rest once we're winning, especially against a team like Leicester today which have an AMC as a focal point. McTominay can become a bit lost when there are runners running left, right and centre, but I think he's quite effective as a DM when there's one specific player he needs to mark and take out of the game, especially when we have players who press a lot like today with Sabitzer, Bruno and Weghorst.
Plus, I'm pretty sure he's on low wages so it doesn't cost much just to have him around for 1 more season, even if he doesn't play much.
It may be my Scottish bias, but I think McTominay should be kept for 1 more season as I think he serves a useful (if limited) role if Sabitzer is bought in the summer.
Though most people want both Fred and McTominay to be sold in the summer, I think 1 will be kept due to money constraints and the need to upgrade/replace other positions. So the question is which part of the McFred should be kept. Though Fred has a higher ceiling overall, I think McTominay's versatility and fewer absolutely terrible performances mean that McTominay should be kept instead.
As has been shown in the last 3 league games when Casemiro being suspended, Fred can't play with Sabitzer (or Eriksen as for that matter), the team simply become too unstable and undisciplined. However, I think today showed that McTominay, limited though he may be, can help Sabitzer (and Eriksen) be a lot more effective as they (esp. Sabitzer) can press higher up and more forcefully knowing there's someone behind them should they fail to nick the ball. McTominay can play badly alongside them, of course, but overall I think he's better for the balance of the team. In comparison, Fred is only really useful when playing alongside Casemiro (and sometimes he's not great even then....), and I think McTominay can play alongside Casemiro if need be as well (he won't be the headless chicken pressing monster Fred is, but as an 8 he offers the ability to steamroller over a couple of players before laying it off to other, better players, and is less likely to just gift the ball away to the opposition as Fred is prone to doing).
Even with Casemiro fit/not suspended, I think he's a good option on the bench to give Casemiro a rest once we're winning, especially against a team like Leicester today which have an AMC as a focal point. McTominay can become a bit lost when there are runners running left, right and centre, but I think he's quite effective as a DM when there's one specific player he needs to mark and take out of the game, especially when we have players who press a lot like today with Sabitzer, Bruno and Weghorst.
Plus, I'm pretty sure he's on low wages so it doesn't cost much just to have him around for 1 more season, even if he doesn't play much.
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Decent when he came on, hope he stays fit now.
Wasn't dogshit for once
He's far more of a DM than Sabitzer or Fred. Still not that great positionally, but if there's no casemiro then he is the easy pick to start. Did very well today, kept it simple and just closed gaps which is his job there.
Thought he did very well. Sancho certainly helped us gain more control but Scott give us a much better shape in midfield when he came on. Seemed quite sharp too which is good.
Hopefully we can make use of him like this regularly so everyone is fit and firing.
Hopefully we can make use of him like this regularly so everyone is fit and firing.
I want the Ten Hag effect to rub off on him like it did with Dalot and Wan Bissaka.
Not close to Casemiro, but still the best backup option we have at CDM to break up play.
Good option to have back and help close out games. He'll have a role to play.
Good option to have back and help close out games. He'll have a role to play.
Good to have him back in the mix.
If he wants to stay he should. We won't get a better back up option. But if someone is willing to offer 30m, then we should just take it .
Impossible IMO - Quote me on this if he actually improves as much as either player did. Both Dalot and AWB had some strengths to speak of that people saw. Well, maybe AwB more than Dalot but still.
McTominay is just so average at everything. The only thing he can do well is shrug off a challenge and drive forward. That's the FdJ shaped hole in our team that Eriksen and Fred are filling right now. He's not going to get a chance in that role and he's not a DM that can replace Casemiro, so that's unfortunately that.
He'll do a job until end of year and I hope we get a DM with potential who can be Casemiro's understudy.
Why do people compare him to Fred? McTominay is playing a different role in the team.
The only question is whether we can get Casemiro backup this summer. If yes, that will probably be the end of McTominay here. If not, he has to stay because we have no presence without Casemiro / him in midfield.
The only question is whether we can get Casemiro backup this summer. If yes, that will probably be the end of McTominay here. If not, he has to stay because we have no presence without Casemiro / him in midfield.
I'm just very glad we have another midfield body. With Van de Beek and Eriksen and Casemiro suspended we've been so thin.
Sabi will be a better option to our squad than him. Sell him and Donny and bring in another CDM and we"ll be upgraded in that department immensely.
Came in and played well today. Won the ball and was tidy in possesion and passing.
You're right he doesn't really have any defining quality to him. Sort of a jack of all trades but average to poor in all areas and you never know when you're going to get the useful Scott or the useless one. However at the moment he's a body that we do need at least until the end of the season. Perhaps I'm being too optimistic that Ten Hag can turn him into some one useful in the squad but again you're correct that the role he's playing is what FDJ is good at and if we could choose between the two damn near everyone would choose Frenkie.
He is back 
Man Utd 2:1 Barcelona
He's moving in pace that makes Wout look like Michael Owen. What happened to that promising young man?
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