Nobody expects him to control midfield. That's partly the complaint. He's playing as the second man in midfield, when all his strengths are geared towards playing as the third man.
In terms of ball winning and ball carrying, we didn't really see much of that tonight and haven't really seen much of it this season. According to FBREF McTominay's in the 62nd percentile for tackles, 30th percentile for interceptions and 74th percentile for blocks. By comparison Yves Bissouma is in the 90th percentile for tackles, 84th percentile for interceptions and 53rd percentile for blocks. If he's been all action its not really been on display.
When you have Makelele and Essien behind you, like Lampard did, it doesn't matter. Although Lampard's all around game was far better than McTominay's.
By the same token, McTominay is not a Darren Fletcher type. Fletcher was far more capable with the ball at his feet and his short and long passing was miles ahead of McTominay's. There were plenty of games in 2009-10 when Fletcher literally dragged us through matches where everyone else was awful. I can't remember a single time McTominay has been anywhere near as good as Fletcher was in both legs of the Champions League last 16 against Milan in 2009-10.
@Hughes35 is right to liken him to Kevin Nolan. Although I actually think Kevin Nolan was happier showing for the ball and moving it through the thirds.
Eriksen is another third man masquerading as a playmaker. For Denmark he plays with two more defensive minded midfielders. Only for United, as a result of our ridiculous recruitment policy, is he expected to play deep in midfield.
We've been doing this since we bought Fellaini. Buy a player who's better going forward than defending, play them in a box-to-box role and wonder why the midfield always looks empty.
The issue is not actually McTominay's limits as a player. Its playing him in a role that magnifies all those limits and hinders the rest of the team as a result. It genuinely pained me late on when Mainoo retained the ball under real pressure on our left, looked inside for the square ball and had to go back because we had no #8. McTominay simply doesn't take up those positions. To some extent, I don't blame him for not doing so. Its not his natural game. But when Ten Hag keeps picking him to cover that ground its hard not to point that out.