Why Scott McTominay Is Not A Midfielder
2 goals against Brentford, 2 goals against Chelsea - Scott McTominay has been Manchester United's saviour so far this season. But should a player who's tasked to anchor the midfield be playing so far back when his goal threat is so big? Adam Monk looks at how he can be best utilised...
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00:00 Hello everyone, Adam here again from 442. Now, I'm just going to start this video with
00:09 a bold statement. Well, not even a bold statement really, just something that I think now is
00:14 getting to the point where it's borderline fact, so are you ready?
00:17 Scott McTominay is the best goal-scoring midfielder in the Premier League. Yeah, I mean, the stats
00:23 back it up now, but also the eye test as well. It's been there for all to see for quite a
00:27 while now, but particularly, particularly this season. So we're going to look into why
00:31 that is and maybe whether Eric ten Hag should be using him a little differently to maximise
00:37 or to optimise his output and contribution to United within that team.
00:42 So without further ado, let's get into it. So where did this all start? Well, I started
00:46 to really think about it on the 20th of December, 2020, when Manchester United beat Leeds 6-2.
00:53 And in that game, Scott McTominay scored two goals, one in the second minute and one in
00:57 the third. So out the blocks very quickly. So in that game on paper, he played in the
01:02 pivot in midfield. Now it's, I guess, a little bit of a take it with a pinch assault kind
01:07 of game when you score against Leeds because of the way that BLC used to set Leeds up.
01:10 They were so expansive, just used to press like rabid dogs and used to leave so much
01:15 space, particularly against United at Old Trafford as well. But in this instance, McTominay
01:19 really started to show his goal-scoring prowess. And I think that this was the first time that
01:23 we'd ever properly seen it within playing in the Premier League at the top level.
01:27 So goal number one here is quite standard for a midfielder, you could argue. It's a
01:31 run onto the edge of the D and a clean strike into the bottom corner. But the strike is
01:35 something to note because not many midfielders can actually hit a ball and come across it
01:39 with that kind of shape. It's very hard to do to keep it low. It was a daisy cutter.
01:43 That's what you call them. But quite an impressive strike for a midfielder to hit, but not the
01:48 one that signifies that he maybe should be playing somewhere else.
01:51 And the second goal here, I mean, it is quite literally just a striker's run. Martial holds
01:55 it up, McTominay just drives through the heart of Leeds, gets into the box and finishes on
02:00 his left peg in a position where you'd expect someone like Erling Haaland or Harry Kanes
02:04 finished from. It's not a run that you would see any, particularly a midfielder playing
02:09 in the pivot, make in any team.
02:13 So that was the first time we saw it, or I saw it anyway. But now fast forward to this
02:16 season three years later and United quite simply put are six points better off in the
02:20 table than they would be had McTominay not clutched up for them twice.
02:25 Now firstly the Brentford game, which of course they were losing 1-0 until injury time when
02:28 McTominay scored two goals to smash and grab the victory. They were two goals where he
02:33 really, really displayed that he thrives off the jeopardy of a football match, particularly
02:37 when a team's got their back to the wall and he can attack forward, push forward and find
02:40 space in the area.
02:42 Now the first goal here quite simply put is just mightily, mightily impressive. The first
02:46 goal, you know, it's a striker's touch, bodies around him in the telephone box and he finds
02:50 that finish in a tight angle. That's something that Martial can't really do anymore or hasn't
02:57 displayed that he can do for about six years since I was in college. Haaland of course
03:00 is young and has just come into the team.
03:03 I'm not even sure Rashford could have pulled off what we've just seen there for that equaliser,
03:07 something so instinctive and so raw. It's something that United have really been missing
03:11 and luckily in two games at home at Old Trafford this season, McTominay has been able to capitalise
03:15 on it and save the day for them on two occasions. But that goal there, I'm not sure another
03:20 Manchester United player in that team, in that 22-man squad or whatever it is, is capable
03:25 of scoring that goal. That touch with the ball so high, get it out of his feet so quickly
03:29 with bodies around him and then find that corner, it's mightily impressive.
03:33 And for the second goal, I think this one is actually the most telling goal of all in
03:38 terms of McTominay's attacking capabilities because he quite simply put from this set
03:41 piece, he's anticipating the set piece and where the ball might go more than any other
03:45 United player. You can see here that he's onside but he's in front of all the other
03:50 Manchester United bodies. Now, the ball is somewhere in the air at this point. I actually
03:54 cannot find it on my screen but just know that it's being lofted towards the back post
03:58 onto Harry Maguire's big, massive head.
04:02 There you go, there's the ball, we've found it. Dropping down to Harry Maguire's head.
04:05 Now, McTominay, you can see he's in the line of defence but he's ahead of every other Manchester
04:09 United player. Of course, you could argue this is because he's physically big and taller
04:12 than the other bodies but when Maguire wins the knockdown, he's made that attacking run
04:16 and he's predicted where the ball is going to land absolutely perfectly down to a tee
04:20 and manages to convert the header and it was quite a towering header as well.
04:24 This goal, very similar to the second goal he scored against Leeds, is just pure striker's
04:29 movement and striker's instinct. You'd see many centre-backs fail to make this kind of
04:32 astute movement from a set piece late in the game. Just being completely predictive and
04:37 instinctive about where the ball is going to drop.
04:41 Now the Chelsea game from the other night. McTominay played as a pivot yet again, so
04:45 some things never change. Three years ago playing as a pivot, now still predominantly
04:49 playing as a pivot on that pitch. However, and this is no exaggeration to say, he probably
04:54 could have had about five goals. That was ten. Five goals. Five goals maybe against
04:58 Chelsea. He missed quite a lot of chances but kept getting into the right areas and
05:02 just wreaking havoc.
05:04 So for his first goal we see Garnaccio recede the ball here and cut it back to, you guessed
05:08 who, Scott McTominay. Well first it was to Harry Maguire actually, the two men who seem
05:12 to be just carrying Manchester United at the moment. But McTominay was also there for the
05:15 rebound and then converted Manchester United's first left-footed strike of the season. Can
05:20 you believe that? Their first left-footed goal in the Premier League this season. Only
05:24 team left to not have scored one. But they have done now, thanks to Scott McTominay.
05:28 And it's a great finish yet again. It shows nothing but composure, guided into the corner.
05:32 What more can you say? This man, this man is a striker. I am telling you. This man is
05:36 just, he is a striker. I don't care if you didn't play there in the academy kiddo. You
05:39 are a striker and I want you to be playing there.
05:42 Another chance he should have scored here. Bruno Fernandes has the ball on the left-hand
05:45 side and floats one right into where a striker should normally be. And who's there? The pivot,
05:49 yet again. Mr Scott McTominay. And this one, I mean, I don't know how it doesn't go in.
05:55 Sanchez pulls off an initial save and then the rebound goes straight back into him. Anywhere
05:59 else and that's a goal. And McTominay could have had a hat-trick on the day. But again,
06:03 strikers movement, getting across the front of the six-yard box and in between those two
06:06 centre halves to create himself another goal-scoring chance. He really uses his height, his physical
06:11 prowess, his pace and his instinctiveness to just give himself chances. Chance after
06:16 chance after chance.
06:18 And then the winner, again created from the left-hand side. But Garnaccio floating one
06:22 to the back post this time where McTominay is again. So not only is he making runs across
06:26 the front of the man like I just showed you a minute ago, but he's also making those back
06:30 post runs and converting. This is something that I know it's a bit of a cliche with footballers,
06:35 but I think this kind of movement is something that can't actually really be taught. It's
06:39 better movement than I've seen from Anthony Martial in eight years. And I genuinely mean
06:44 that like this is strikers movement to a tee. So it begs one question. How could Scott McTominay
06:51 be utilised more effectively in this Manchester United team? Or is he being utilised effectively
06:56 already to his optimal level, shall we say?
07:00 Now problem number one for me would be the fact that he's still on a team sheet playing
07:03 in a pivot and has been doing for three years. Do I think he's very good at doing what a
07:08 defensive midfielder should actually do? No, I don't think he's particularly good off the
07:14 ball. And I think sometimes shies away from receiving the ball in his own half. He's not
07:18 comfortable like a Declan Rice or a Rodri. And I know the bar's very high to say that,
07:22 but you know, ultimately this is a position on the pitch that he is playing. Which then
07:26 brings up the point that's got a lot of evidence to back it that any footballer, no matter
07:30 how good they actually are, should never really be restricted or like pigeonholed into one
07:36 specific role. So the prime example of this will probably be Gareth Bale. If you go 10
07:40 years back, you remember he was a left back, became a left winger, and then was one of
07:44 the best footballers of the last 20 years. That's an extreme example. A more recent example
07:49 though, and a more applicable one will probably be Joe Linton, who was of course signed as
07:52 a striker for Newcastle by Eddie Howe. Not by Eddie Howe, he was in charge before Eddie
07:57 Howe. Did Steve Bruce sign? He did, didn't he? Steve Bruce signed Joe Linton, yeah, but
08:06 of course Eddie Howe is the one who converted him from a striker where he wasn't really,
08:09 he couldn't hit a barn door and he was actually an internet joke at one point. And now he's
08:13 playing centre mid and he's adding a lot of value to that Newcastle United side. He's
08:17 physically big, he's gritty, he just adds a lot of bite to that midfield that they didn't
08:22 previously have. And Eddie Howe's identified some strengths and optimised them within the
08:27 XI and the system that he wants to play. So how would you shift the players around in
08:31 the team to help Manchester United or at least bear them more fruit going forward? Well,
08:35 I do think that McTominay should probably be pushed up the pitch at this point. And
08:40 if you look statistically, I'm not trying to scapegoat anyone here, but you've got Jadon
08:44 Sancho who currently is at home, well, he's training on his own, but he's probably just
08:48 at home playing Xbox most nights. And then you've got Anthony who has played 11 games
08:53 in the Premier League this season, has zero goals and zero assists and isn't really performing
08:58 or at least not living up to the prize tag. Could you then move Bruno Fernandes over to
09:03 the right hand side and have him operate sort of in that right half space, similar to what
09:07 Kevin De Bruyne likes to do, because they're similar, they're similar kinds of players
09:10 really. They like to sort of, they get dispossessed a lot or lose possession of the ball a lot
09:14 because they try to play those Hollywood passes, but passes that ultimately will create jeopardy
09:19 and passes that Scott McTominay will like to be on the receiving end of. And then perhaps
09:23 play Scott McTominay as this 10 who can kind of make late runs into the box in behind a
09:27 striker because, okay, he's not the most technically gifted or elegant or perhaps a player gifted
09:34 with vision in that 10 role, but he seems to just wreak havoc. And while Manchester
09:39 United is still in this tricky period of transition and trying to grind out results, they need
09:43 someone like that as far up the pitch as possible, in my opinion. And then of course, to replace
09:49 the pivot, you can have Amrabat and then Casemiro when he's back to fitness. Okay, he's been
09:52 a bit off the boil, but you could put Casemiro back in to then really have a solid pair of
09:57 number sixes with McTominay ahead, giving him protection defensively and freedom to
10:01 just sort of move into these attacking areas. And I mean, attacking areas in the sense that
10:06 he kind of picks them off his own accord. There's been so many different and varied
10:09 examples of types of goals that I've shown you in this video that he really seems like
10:13 he can actually do it all attackingly, which is, or in terms of goal scoring anyway, which
10:18 is kind of ridiculous to say. Anyway, yes, you can let me know what you think of McSauce,
10:23 Scott McTominay, Slot McBominay. What am I going on about? Just let me know what you
10:27 think about him in the comments. Is he a good player? I think so. Or he certainly has strengths
10:32 anyway. And can he be used differently? And yes, with that said as well, don't forget
10:37 to subscribe. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've got the green screen on the go now
10:41 trying to make it work. So yeah, hopefully they said it looks good. Otherwise this could
10:46 look if this green screen goes wrong and this will look horrific, but yeah, anyway, regardless,
10:50 don't forget to subscribe. Hope you have a lovely evening. I've been Adam Monk. Take
10:55 care. Goodbye.