Manchester United have been calling for a pace that dictates, ball-playing defensive midfielder for a painfully long time.
They’ve tried everything from “Schmidfield” by Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin – terrifying dark memories for fans – and even resorted to the idea that Wayne Rooney could be romantically turned into the six everyone wanted. But of course he could not – he was cracked.
After the dark, cumbersome inducing midfield experiments, Paul Pogba and his mission was to unlock him. An assignment that has been ongoing since 2016 and has not yet been completed.
Still Not Unlocked / Michael Regan / Getty Images
It’s not hard, guys. Find a ball-playing midfielder who can sit in front of defenders, tackle people and ping passes if needed.
But maybe the question is right there. United try too hard. Of all the candidates they have tried and the money they have spent, there is an opportunity to solve the problem internally with Scott McTominay.
McTominay has been a polarizing figure among United fans since he blew up the stage under Jose Mourinho for being absolutely massive. Since then, however, the shots have evolved into a more than competent football player and the man to turn to in the big games for the Red Devils, giving passion, energy, physicality and a decent ability to dictate games from box to box.
Like it or not, the truth is, there’s a McTominay player. And good at it in the modern game. He rarely lacks a stroke of outstanding fitness, and his physical attributes have a huge advantage over many. Although there are still pitfalls in his game in general textures, there is no reason why they can not be ironed out to suit him in the desired shape.
Polarizing but effective / Pool / Getty Images
For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to get the best out of his creative midfielders in Pogba and Bruno Fernandes, the logical step would be to switch to a midfielder three, with the holding midfielder sitting at the base and dictating the pace. McTominay has shown the ability to play the role with training, so it is in United’s interest to let him shape himself in the role.
His height makes him the ideal candidate to stop teams playing over United, and his defensive stats suggest he could keep things in there off the ball. McTominay is in the 90th percentile for interceptions and the 86th for blocks. Granted, this has been done in a double pivot and it is harder to reach the same numbers when doing the job alone, McTominay has shown his quality and adaptability with Scotland’s national team and proves he can adapt.
Scotland have set up a system with three center-backs under Steve Clarke, where McTominay is distributed in the back three more often than not. It is a difficult role to adapt to and one that requires a high level of ability not to be caught, but McTominay has impressed leading the charge with tough tackles and the ability to distribute the ball from behind when Scotland work up the pitch.
United must see the work that McTominay has done with Scotland and benefit from it during the 2021/22 season. The rumor mill continues to throw its name next to Declan Rice, and although an agreement could potentially be reached with the links between West Ham and Jesse Lingard, the truth is that it makes little sense to run it.
McTominay impress against England after an early shake / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
What Rice would give to United is not so far from what McTominay could offer if he had the time and coaching to flourish into a holding role behind Pogba and Fernandes. McTominay has shown the ability in big games and has the tools to train for the ideal holders’ midfielders, while rice would be another big money risk, where the reward is unclear.
In addition to using an already talented player in the squad, turning McTominay into the defensive midfielder at the base of the three United forces into necessary tweaks. The money saved can go to finally get some important deals across the line and close the gap to the top of the Premier League, while the move to a three-man midfield immediately gets more out of United’s creative assets and forces them to take them to opposition as a top side. should.
No, McTominay does not sound like the romantic, beautiful foreign signature that fans are thinking about. But he can be just as effective with the right time and training, and United can take advantage of that next season.
