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Agree with this - 90% of the time he's more a liability to the team. His awareness without the ball is atrocious. Either he is hiding from the ball, or when chasing players he often reacts too slowly, and then peple praise him for running a little, but in fact he is sprinting too late.
If he is fine with only coming on as a sub and the occasional start against cannon fodder, then I agree that he is a useful squad player.
You've got it backwards. He needs to be a sub against cannon fodder but start against the big teams. That's where he shines.
Playing him in midfield against the best teams is surrendering control. Not sure we should do that going forwards. Again, his numbers have been good this season, but previously they aren't much to brag about either. Will he replicate his scoring form going forwards, or will he revert back to what he has done previously? His game remains the same - a non entity in central midfield.
We can't control big games against the best teams though. - the only portion of yesterdays game that was "controlled" came for about 30 minutes in the second half where Liverpool just passed it around us at ease
If you see the video from the goal, he actually got a cramp, and I think it's the only thing that prevented him from taking the shot.
That's where we are currently at, but is that where we want to be? That is the question, to control or not to control... McTominay is not part of a team that seeks to control matches.
And yet this is his breakthrough season in attacker, almost second striker role.
He's not a starter though, he's a squad player and an incredibly useful one to have around as he regularly shows. Whether the plan is to eventually control games (doesn't seem like it to me) or not, it's not defined by squad players. The squad guys like him are there to step in when needed, have an impact, have the right attitude, be the type of player who can actually make an instant impact in a variety of roles and he fits that perfectly.
If he is indeed a squad player, then fine, but he starts far too many matches to be labelled thus.
It's relevant because people argue he's a goal scoring midfielder. He's not really able to perform the role of a midfielder and be a scoring machine. He isn't good as a ten either. Nor can he play as a striker. He's good when there's chaos, so not sure what your argument is?
He is a goal-scoring midfielder, when played in a role that gives him license to make the runs that goal-scoring midfielders make. Judge him on what he is being asked to do, as a box attacking midfielder for Ten Hag he has been very effective, using previous seasons when he played in different roles and was less effective as a means to downplay his performances this season is pointless, and frankly mean spirited.
He starts due to injuries. He's obviously not in our strongest 11 and has spells on the bench when people are fit. When Casemiro is out, he'll start to provide energy and a big physical presence and be a set piece presence in Casemiros absence. When we have no fit strikers, he'll start as again, he can be a physical presence and makes great runs into the box and can come up with those moments. Unfortunately... We've had hojlund often out, Casemiro out for half the season, and Martial is always injured. So mctominay logically goes in.
In the vast majority of games, clearly not. There have been examples of games in the past that have been end-to-end, where he looks amazing, but they are few and far between and they are hard to predict.
His only season at United where he is scoring goals is this season. He's 27, so perhaps some historical context is needed. It's like saying Herrera scored goals as a midfielder because he had 6 goals in one season.
If you see the video from the goal, he actually got a cramp, and I think it's the only thing that prevented him from taking the shot.
, god's plan.I don’t think we should keep him. But quite obviously ETH has found a way for him to significantly contribute this season in both boxes
Well yes, that is the whole point.
You assume I criticised it? I didn't - I merely stated that he hasn't been a goal scoring midfielder for United in previous seasons. As an AM, he's not creative, he doesn't get many assists, and he contributes very little elsewhere, as well as forcing Bruno to play further back, which arguably suits him less.
Well, then I think we agree. I still think that we should sell him before next season, and I think he will have attracted some attention thus increasing his price. He's an academy lad, and he appears nothing but a good one, but I just find his overall play too limited going forwards.
When chasing back, he jogs at times which is infuriating, because its not the tiredness or anything, its him, as he does it a lot.
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Exactly this, it’s a myth that he’s somehow morphed into a goal scoring midfielder. He has literally done in one season only and even that isn’t particularly remarkable. He’s got a total of 9 goals. Steve Bruce once got 13 league goals in a season to put McTomminey’s performance into some perspective . Didn’t make him a goal scorer either. And he’s not a squad player either, he’s played over 240 times for the first team which makes a regular and he should be judged as such. The acceptance of this sort of mediocrity is why we are light years behind City, Liverpool and Arsenal. He’s got no business being a Manchester United player unless our standard is West Ham which I fear it now is.
Weird post when he's been scoring goals in every season from the DM position, it's only this one where he's given more of a license to go forward, or come off the bench to play up front, where he's been even more effective.
I don’t like the way he plays midfield at all but I have to say that he is improving. He’s imposing himself on games far better than ever before. We used to get the odd crazy game where he would be everywhere and get a goal or even two. It’s starting to happen more often now. I guess I misread his ceiling. Seems like a good guy who loves the club too. Everyone from the manager down kind of redeemed themselves yesterday. Managers subs were spot on. Rashford looked like he gave a feck. AWB at left back plugging away. Antony, Amad and Onana were all really good. Strange game. I’m still buzzing to be honest
Steve Bruce not a goalscorer? 114 goals in 929 career games, 52 in 417 games for Utd. I guess scoring goals doesn't actually make you a goalscorer. To be fair quite a lot were pens.
Steve Bruce is remembered primarily as a centre half not as a goal scorer, that was the point as that’s what he was. He scored quite a lot for someone who played at the back which was a bonus. McTomminey is now apparently primarily a goal scorer according to some. He’s scored 9 goals this season, 4 of which have come in 2 games. It hardly counts as prolific, especially for someone who is now playing in an advanced position and who offers practically nothing else.
It was hardly a mediocre performance.
It's a completely different thing scoring a few goals than being a goal scorer. Looking at the stats below, I would argue he's not a squad player as he simply plays too many matches - he's a regular if not an automatic starter. He has 273 matches for United, 31 goals (19 in the PL) and 8 assists (4 in the PL). He's simply not creative, nor would I label him a goal scorer over the course of his career. His output this season is quite good, and decent in 20/21, but none of them are spectactular. Considering how little he contributes in our overall play and how he completely lacks in creativity and assists, which he has shown during the course of his career, I'd strongly argue that his output isn't worth it. He was good against Liverpool, and he has his uses, but going forward, I think he should be sold this Summer. I actually think the reason we talk about his goals is because there is a genuine lack of goals elsewhere. United should have 20+ goal scorers, but this year we will be looking to get anyone over 10 in the PL.
| Season - all competitions (Premier League in brackets) | Goals (Premier league in brackets) | Assists |
| 23/24 (34) | 9 (7) | 3 |
| 22/23 (39) | 3 (1) | 1 |
| 21/22 (37) | 2 (1) | 1 |
| 20/21 (49) | 7 (4) | 2 |
| 19/20 (37) | 5 (4) | 1 |
| 18/19 (22) | 2 (2) | 0 |
It is a myth. People may go on about his previous positions, but it was mostly Fred who played as the DM, and McTominay played as an 8, or wherever he was on the pitch. My biggest concern is that people talk about him as being a prolific goal scorer, and we should keep him because of this. As an attacking midfielder, he scores a few goals here and there, but not consistently. He isn't creative. He doesn't create chances for others. He is incapable of going past anyone. He isn't good at linking up play, finding pockets of space etc. The only thing he is good at is timing his runs into the box. If he scored the number of goals Lampard did, I'd say it is worth it - hence why I mentioned Lampard. He doesn't.
We're all happy when players play well, but we also have this tendency to rethink much too quickly. When Maguire was playing well, people talked about keeping him - when McTominay scores a few goals, he is good enough going forwards. Antony scores a goal and should have another season to prove himself.
The fact that he starts is directly related to how shit we've been recently. He could be kept as a squad option but we should take any decent offer for him.
I’m not completely sure of this after his fight back this season, he’s every bit the squad player Fergie would’ve absolutely adored. Does he start too often? Absolutely. Is he a fighter, a goal threat and a proper influence in the squad, no question.
