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The last time Manchester United were able to contain the fans at Old Trafford, their supporters chanted Scott McTominay’s name.
‘Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh Scott McTominay’ yelled at the Theater of Dreams after he scored his second stoppage time goal to complete a 2-0 win over ‘Noisy Neighbors’ Manchester City in the Premier League last season. (March 8).
The Red Devils faithful have coined the 24-year-old ‘McDominate’, ‘McTerminator’ and ‘McSauce’. And on Sunday against bitter rivals Leeds United, it was certainly mustard.
McTominay was imperious when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team defeated their Yorkshire rivals 6-2 at home. He set the tone with two quick goals, becoming the first player in Premier League history to score twice in the first three minutes of a game, and dominated the midfield as United’s victory brought them to third place in the table. , with a game in hand too.
Midfield has been a source of contention for Solskjaer due to the variety of talent he has. Aside from McTominay, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, Nemanja Matic and summer signing Donny van de Beek are vying for a place in their first XI.
The Norwegian has tried various combinations in 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-1-2-1-2 or 3-4-1-2 formations, with only Fernandes a guaranteed starter in any system.
Yet more and more in the big games another name is added to Solskjaer’s first-choice midfield: McTominay.
The Scottish international, who signed a contract extension until June 2025, with the option to extend it for another year in the summer, provides a solid foundation for United in midfield with his tireless ability to recover the ball, freeing your most creative team. companions in front of him. Forward converted from his youth, he demonstrated his attacking ability with two good goals against Marcelo Bielsa’s.
McTominay’s association with Fred, coined as McFred by some, has proven to be a tried and trusted combination by Solskjaer. The pair work brilliantly together alongside their energy and defensive work, allowing players like Fernandes, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and company to wreak havoc on offense.
Following his display on Sunday, United legend Gary Neville was effusive in his praise for McTominay.
“McTominay became Paul Scholes and Roy Keane in three minutes,” the Sky Sports insider said, after McTominay put United 2-0 ahead.
“ He’s moving forward, I’m not sure if that’s in the tactic or if he just felt like it, but he went and [Anthony] Martial comes in, sees him run, and leaves. His first touch is brilliant, his second is sublime.
“ We thought United would fight back and attack quickly, but we didn’t think that the holding midfielder would be at the end. What a start.
Later in the game, he added: ‘He (McTominay) is emerging and growing. He’s someone Ole can trust in the big games with Fred and Fernandes at the helm. So Pogba, Matic and Van de Beek fit into that. ‘
Neville’s sentiments underscore the growth McTominay has had since making his first-team debut as a substitute in April 2017. That was under Solskjaer’s predecessor Jose Mourinho in a 2-0 league loss to Arsenal.
McTominay would make one more appearance that season, beginning in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace that ended the season.
The following campaign saw him embark on his first full season with the first team, participating 23 times in all competitions with Mourinho. United finished the season in second place and without a trophy, but it was a personal joy for McTominay, who won the Manager’s Player of the Season award.
Just a few months later, Mourinho was fired. However, McTominay praised the Portuguese coach.
Reflecting on their time together, the midfielder revealed to the Times how a reprimand from Mourinho put his resolve to the test, which he pushed through.
‘José was amazing to me,’ she told The Times in April 2019. ‘Although when I first arrived, José gave me a very serious curse.
“I was arguing with one of the guys from the first team in training and he said ‘hey, kid, when you get into the first team, the other players have to like you. You’re not a superstar, “he said. I drove back to the excavations thinking” Did I just screw it up for me? “I couldn’t believe it.
I thought, “I hope you know that I don’t think I’m a star, I’m the polar opposite.” He probably just wanted to see what he was made of, what kind of boy he had in his hands.
“You like what you do on the field and how you are off the field and I feel like Mourinho saw something in me at a time when some people saw it and others didn’t, and I’m grateful.”
Like Mourinho, Solskjaer clearly likes what McTominay does on the field. The Lancaster-born player proved his class with excellent display during a 1-0 Champions League quarter-final loss to Barcelona in April 2019, just a few months after Solskjaer’s tenure. Then it started and in the Norwegian’s first full campaign (2019-20), the Scotsman made 37 appearances in all competitions. So far this season he has already appeared 17 times.
McTominay may not have the creative cunning of Pogba or Van de Beek, but his qualities are equally important to Solskjaer. When the time comes, you can trust him most of the time, something that can’t always be said about Pogba, for example.
At 24, McTominay is still developing and hasn’t peaked yet. However, their maturity is evident from their post-match comments after defeating Leeds.
“You just go to the field and do your job, you don’t want to get too carried away. Every match is a cup final, ‘he told Sky Sports.
“Last season we weren’t approaching games in the right frame of mind, but this time we are. We are getting used to scoring goals at home, it is very important.
“Confidence grows and everyone gets that boost of energy. The athletics we showed today was second to none.
We do not look at the table, there is no time to look. We have to take each game one by one. ‘
The only blemish on Sunday’s display was the fact that McTominay was forced to retire late due to a groin problem.
The Red Devils have strength in depth at this position, as outlined above, but Solskjaer hopes their overall midfield won’t be out of action for long.
“He’s a physical monster,” Solskjaer said of his No. 39 on Sunday.
“He does all his work every day, never shies, and gets rewarded with his fitness and technical work.
‘He can do everything. He used to be a forward and showed that he can be a handful in and out of the area.
“That energy and drive in a derby was crucial.”
High praise from your manager. If fans were allowed into Old Trafford on Sunday, McTominay would have also heard her love for him roar throughout the stadium.
‘Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh Scott McTominay …’
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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