WHEN the pressure was on from Manchester United fans to buy a new midfielder to replace the outgoing talents of Ander Herrera and Marouanne Fellaini, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stuck with an unfashionable view that he wanted to give genuine chances to his young, home-grown midfielders Scott McTominay and Andreas Pereira.
That’s exactly what he’s doing, not just in pre-season but he started both against Chelsea in the 4-0 win. Despite the flattering scoreline, United’s midfield was the least convincing part of the team and Pereira, who did better in the second half against Chelsea than the first, began on the bench in the second game at Wolves. McTominay started again and has played all 180 minutes so far. No United man covered as much ground as the Lancaster lad.
There’s no reason why that won’t be 270 after Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace – his 50th appearance. Solskjaer is aware that promoting youth has to be more than talk. Young players need proper minutes, not snatches of games off the bench. They need a run of matches, seven even if their inexperience means they'll probably make mistakes.
Scott McTominay won possession back 10 times vs. Chelsea. Wilfried Ndidi was the only U23 player to win possession more (12) across the opening weekend of the Premier League.
Two of the best young DMs around. pic.twitter.com/XNzwciB3JB
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 15, 2019
McTominay, 22, was the best United player – and just about the only one – in the dismal end to last season. L’Equipe rated him as the best player on the pitch for Manchester United against Barcelona, that after he’d played in the win in Paris which he described to me last month as “probably the best of my life – there was so much adrenaline.”
He scored the club’s only two goals from open play between March and May – a startling statistic which showed how bad United’s attackers were.
The Scotland international did ok against Wolves on Monday, though United’s coaches were vocal towards him at the start of the game, even though his side were dominating.
And he needs to do better than OK to hold his place down, especially with competition from a fit and ready to go Nemanja Matic and Fred who wants to make good after a poor first season.
Scott McTominay is the Manchester United player who has traveled the most distance in Premier League games against Chelsea and Wolverhampton.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/QpiL3b3e5Q
— Manchester United (@ManUnited_ENG_) August 22, 2019
The best experience for a footballer is games. McTominay has started 30 games and come on in 19 more matches since his debut against Arsenal in May 2017. He wasn’t in the squad when Palace last visited Old Trafford last November, another rare 3pm on a Saturday game like this one. Palace have yet to win a single game against United in the Premier League and it was one of the poorest games seen at Old Trafford in the post-Ferguson era. Jose Mourinho accused his side of lack of heart.
McTominay owes much to Jose Mourinho’s belief in him, a belief so deep that he invented a new award of ‘Manager’s Player of the Year’ for McTominay.
He’s a decent midfielder who receives the ball well on the half turn. He’s athletic, mobile and strong. He’s technically proficient, he’s got a smart football brain and knows where his next pass is going to be because of his good awareness. He finds space too, though he and Paul Pogba got in each other's way when Wolves had their best moment of pressure on Monday and both players wanted the ball.
Though McTominay played as a number 10 in United’s under 16s with Marcus Rashford, it’s easier to see why McTominay plays as a holding midfielder over Pogba, a more creative individual who takes more risks with the ball. Pogba’s best games for United have come in a more advanced role. Solskjaer wants a midfielder arriving in the box when United attack. Pogba, a street footballer, can score, but he’ll lose the ball because he takes risks. Is it not better to lose it 80 yards from goal than 40? Pogba is also stronger than Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira, two players in the more advanced position in the league games so far. While both worked hard, neither have really impressed in the advanced role.
Gary Neville on Scott McTominay:
“He’s an impressive young man. There are probably more skilful players, players with better reputations than McTominay, but if you’re talking about character and resilience, that lad’s gone through it all to get to where he wants to be.” pic.twitter.com/K8nnDAea69
— Football Tweet (@Football__Tweet) August 16, 2019
McTominay reminds this writer of a young Darren Fletcher, one not without his critics but one rated by his managers and who improves Manchester United when he plays. It took time to realise that with Fletcher, but McTominay is in a stable place in a team which has been unstable.
Like Fletcher, McTominay speaks better than almost all of his teammates. He got a lot of stick off impatient United fans when he broke into the team and accused of being used by Mourinho as the anti-Pogba. Except that wasn’t true and he’s won fans over. McTominay talks a good game and plays one and, if his progress continues, he’s a future club captain, but doubts persist about United’s midfield. He talks of driving standards, of continual self-improvement and wanting to be a leader, but he needs some major performances to be considered one. But in Solskjaer and the more experienced players, like Nemanja Matic whom he’s friends with, he has solid advocates to dispense advice. In Michael Carrick he has someone who played a similar role to him in United’s midfield to advise him every single day.
“Scott is a good example of what we expect and hope from our youngsters,” said Solskjaer pre-season. “He is being patient and I hope he’s going to break through properly this season and have a great impact on the team.”
Those words were genuine and with United not bringing another midfielder in, the opportunity is perfect for him. Even better, he looks like he has a settled defence behind him for the first time since he became a senior player. McTominay is playing well enough and he’s got the full support of everyone at the club and his family – his father travelled to watch him play on the pre-season tour to Australia and Singapore, as did Luke Shaw’s parents.
With standards needing to be so high if United are to improve, he just needs to do even better if he’s to make the position his own.
