Why Scott McTominay is not what you think
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When Scott McTominay plays for Scotland he is a goalscoring leader. His seven goals helped secure Euro2024 qualification and placed him joint fifth top scorer.
But he plays a different role for Manchester United. JJ Bull explains how Scott McTominay plays for Scotland, and whether he could replicate that style for Man Utd.
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#MUFC #ManUtd #PremierLeague - Sport
Moyes would be watering at the mouth with McTominay, the perfect box to box for West Ham. Box to Box who make late runs in the 6 yard box.
He's only two years younger and not much better than Soucek
Mctominay = Soucek = Fellani
but.... imagine having 2 souceks@@MrJakewray
@@MrJakewray I don't think he is actually better than Soucek. Doesn't mean he wouldn't be worthwhile in a West Ham side rotating with Soucek. West Ham could do with another like Soucek as effective late-running/box-crashing midfielders are uncommon.
Antonio replacement since every no.9 West ham has bought in recent years has failed
JJ makes these videos seem like a fever dream and simultaneously makes them incredibly informative
Not "incredibly informative" whatsoever but I agree with your sentiment. JJ needs to watch back his videos and correct his wording because he can be very outlandish
arent you boring @@haimainjauo242
In my mind, Joe Devine is gesticulating and egging him on with "helpful" suggestions behind the camera... It might be close to the truth :D
He's a bit too cringy for me
2:02 But.. the app’s name? 😅
I can't find the name of that tactical board.
I’m my FM save, I trained him in the Pressing Forward as a backup to Hojlund. He bags 13 goals in the first season with a transfer value of 46M. Obviously FM is on to something here.
No one asked
same here.
I did the same. Didn't score quite that much, but he was a very useful backup.
McTominay was a striker in the youth system. He was dropped to midfield when he joined the ManUtd Seniors.
@@seanpurcell1292I asked him, now go cry about it
McT is a bad pivot, he's a pretty good box to box player. I was really happy that Utd wasn't able to sell him. People are starting to see what he can offer- kid's got heart, and sometimes you need players who can go to war for the team.
McT feels like a perfect veteran back of the rotation type player who can sporadically come in for a tackle or goal and who is a good influence behind the scenes and will help fulfil the home grown player quota.
"kid's got heart, and sometimes you need players who can go to war for the team." His PR team should win awards. It should be taught at University.
@@beachgaara Which team do you support? He is arguably our best player this season and possibly kept Ten Hag in a job. It's weird that you are still obsessively CRYING about him on the internet
Except this isn't a war. You need brains to play football which he clearly lacks.
Sometimes you need players (centre mids nonetheless) who can pass over 5 yards.
If you watched Man Utd under Solskjaer, you knew with 100% surety that Mctominay was far from a 'ball winning' midfielder
I think what also separates McTominay from other midfielders is his natural confidence. He can mess up 10 times trying a pass but still has the confidence to keep trying it for the one time it comes off. At the top level, that sort of confidence either just doesn’t exist, is forced out of players by managers and coaches or it is within the very best players e.g. De Bruyne, Bernardo, Odegaard.
Literally described Bruno there. lmao
@@CoconutJewce you’re right. He’s also a top player. McTominay should aim to be at Bruno’s level to where he can be in the team without performing because of the possibility of him having a good performance.
mc tominay is crap! don't know how you putting him in the same conversation with de bruyne, silva and odegaard stop disrespecting them lol
You are deluded . 0-2 🤫🤣
In the west ham position.
🤡🤡🤡🤡
😂😂
A funny guy 😂
Damn, they changed the title
Lol they changed the title, for context it used to be "what role should mctominay play"
This has been obvious for 4 years. As a Man Utd fan it has been so frustrating watching manager after manager coming in and misusing him.
he was good under Ole Gunnar
Tbh, we saw this before at Arsenal with the Cazorla-Coquelin pairing. Cazorla played deeper because Le Coq couldn't distribute well enough, while Le Coq won all higher up the pitch. For a while, we appeared to have a functional midfield.
Beat city with this midfield
Back then, midfielders were more specialized. There were clear distinctions between a 6 and 10. Nowadays, 10s are required to have the work rate of a 8 and the 6 the passing ability of a 10.
Man le coq was so good🤤
JJ is incredible. What a video
Also McT is clearly not suited to Ten Hag or elite teams because of his low technical base, BUT if you gave him to Moyes...
McTominay is exactly who Man U needs. The team has too many players with skill but no grit. McTominay will always put in a shift to break up play and get in goal-scoring positions
If you actually seen him play, you would know his technical skills are one of his strengths . His biggest weakness is his positional awareness and general football iq, which is painful to watch, especially when Man Utd insist on playing him in central midfield.
Or elite teams? I think that's a little bit incorrect as he would thrive in some other top sides. It all comes down to how he is utilised.
@@lampard98jr becoz his head isnt playin deeper, in his head his always thinking 5 passes ahead to the attacking phase when it comes to the opposition box he always knows where to be
This is simply JJ justifying playing his FM24 save during work hours
Can't blame the passion 🤣 gotta respect it .
The notion that not-technical = defensive really annoys me. Passing is not all of football. McTominay has never been a DM or a CB but he keeps getting played there, when he's so clearly an AM who offers more in running, pressing and goal threat from cut backs/crosses/set pieces than someone who's gonna keep possession or create loads of chances.
As many have said, he'd be great for Moyes at West Ham but IMHO he's integral to Man Utd. Home grown, great mentality, scores goals, keeps running.
Well said
the notion that defensive = not technical also may not check out. Just ask de Zerbi.
I have not started watching this video yet but I will be surprised if there is no mention of his FM save in this. Maybe even a clip of his goals from FM
One could say that the best position for each and every United player (and also Ten Hag) is in another club.
Yes😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣yes
That’s kinda true. We have players from 5 different managers, all with different playing styles
JJ is proved right once again 🤙
I've known this watching him play way back in 2017/18. Long story short, he is best as a box-to-box. He is now better grasping when to make late runs and when to stay back. This is why he's scoring goals. Late runs into the box is very hard to defend against but it is also a two-edged sword. His position in a defensive shape would be open so the team is vulnerable to a counter when he does make a late run-in. Man City, Barca and Real are all vulnerable to the same thing which weaker team exploit by using a lopped sided low block and leaving a quick forward on the side of the midfield that pushed up. Now this is not without remedy. Teams put their full backs in an underlap position, like an additional MF, rather that out wide, to cover that late running midfielder (like TAA for Liverpool).
ive always said hed play great under moyes, a mixture between kouyate and soucek
Worse than both
I think he’s a good squad player. He’s that type of player who’s right for certain games. Kind of like fellaini. He wasn’t great but some games you would throw him in and he was so effective. I think vs teams who don’t press to high and too intensely, he’s perfect for those types of games.
JJ Bull is living his best life.
And then McTominay just scored two goals against Chelsea just like what JJ describe how he would be; rebound and timed run header
mcts tactically astitue with a great engine. Don't see him tired much and you'll find him in both boxes at the end of extra time still looking pretty fresh
This is a good piece. At least we now have a clear pic of what Scott brings to his teams based on the data accrued by the player over the years. Indeed, it’s confirmed that his passing is not the best, but I’m impressed by his ball progressing ability. Also, I have said he’s preferable in a more advanced role based on his performances for Scotland recently.
love jj's energy every single time
On a similar topic, I have always hoped you would do a video on how Callum McGregor would get on in the Premier League?, given he is always overachieving in Scotland and doesn't feel the need to challenge himself at a higher level
i reckon he'd do alright, seems great for a mid table prem team (west ham maybe?) but as a celtic supporter myself i'm more than happy to have him stay at celtic, but he could certainly do well in england in my opinion!
Unfortunately, McGregor has never left Celtic as he knows he’s not EPL quality
Unfortunately It seems McGregor is doing a Scott Brown. We'll never know if it was just loyalty to Celtic or an unspoken fear that he might be exposed and not quite cut it down south, but Brown always seemed to prefer being a big fish in a small pond rather than testing himself against better opposition each week.
I really would like to see McGregor try his hand down south. It could only help Scotland to have a midfield 3 of McGregor, McGinn and McTominay all doing well in the top league.
Ive saidnthis for 2 years, he is a second striker, a free roaming player just off the striker and in a 4 4 2 with hojlund you would get the best out of him. The issuenis we dont have out and out wide players which frees up a full back to invert to ensure a box midfield and a higher press.
I've been saying the same thing. Problem with playing him as a second striker is that Fernandes drops into midfield or to the bench. That's an issue because Bruno is incapable of playing possession football. He one always one impatient pass away from a horrific giveaway or an assist. You never know which it will be.
I loved that JJ. Thank you.
@@user-tn8uu2cu8g I will use the sacred monkey to dispel the mighty cataract, it's power will consume all using the molybdenum infartual conscriptor of the tri force.
So true, I was also thinking about Fellaini, they kind of have the same profile
Honestly I did not watch this channel much before, but ever since they have given this dude the freedom to be like this, I am LOVING the videos.
Your knowledge is impressive. Learning a lot here.
Remember Mourinho used to say he's one of the best players to be in the United team? McSauce is very discipline and safe player.
Randomly mentioning busquet and Scott in the same sentence should be football hate speech
Crazy thing is I would have had him at arsenal before we went in for havertz he would definitely would have elevated the xhaka role. More dynamic, better ball carrier. (Can’t switch as well or play longer passes as well though) and he would have got a lot more goals for us than xhaka did all in all the balance would have been better with mctom for us but I’m keen on the return on the havertz experiment is exciting
Lol, I actually agree. McTominay could have been a great replacement to Xhaka in that role.
@@Growlizing I wish we had got him people are sleeping on him 😂
Omg what a refreshing video, gives me old school tifo vibes, just what I missed
Perfect clarity from JJ. He must be in the plans of major broadcasters with this kind of insight 🐸
Hi tifo. Can you do a video about the areas on the pitch where teams allow Rashford to receive the ball because they know he’ll do nothing? 😂
I love any video JJ makes. MAKE MOREEEEEEEEE
I just think this guy has to play given his recent form on club and nation but definetly not in the position he used to play which is defensive pivot he is not good turning around and dribbling, carrying the ball in deep areas i think of him more of a engine that helps a lot offensively and defensively in the midfield
By making runs and opening spaces for other teammates and so he can act as a surprise factor in the attack
Herrera role .. man u has always had players like this .. Fred ,park,Anderson , cleverly
I don't think he should play.... most of the time. He has a role to provide energy and spark with his crunching tackles and big moments in attack but he lacks a skillset to play as a striker a 10 an 8 or a 6 at the level United are let alone the level they want to get to.
Mctominay could have that Fletcher influence on the team. Once a structure is been set then let him carry out a box to box role. Wouldn't recommend putting all trust in him but keep him around.
Fletcher was a good passer.
Play him Box to Box in a 4-3-3 without Bruno, or put Bruno in the DLP position as a regista with license to move out of the pivot as the ball moves up. The third midfielder has to be a strong ball winner as well, because McTominay won't be enough by himself, even though he can contribute effectively to winning the ball. McTom can be that second striker to join Hojlund at attacking the box.
Makes no sense as Bruno is way better going forward and scoring than dictating times and playing deep.
Bruno is far too risky to play anywhere other than 10 really. He’s not that type of playmaker, at least not right now anyways
You are mistaking FM with real life buddy.
@@userunknown3761he is risky because he believes (rightly so) that he is the only one that can create anything. If he were to move further back he is a good enough player to play a bit safer
@@userunknown3761Risky, because he's the teams only chance creator. People are so blinded, If you watch Mctominay he hides from the ball and struggles to progress the ball
Erikson lacks the physicality to play that deep role, bruno lacks the composure to play in a midfield role, both bruno and erikson can be used in the advanced midfield or number 10 role to be the creative outlet, they should not be playing together rather than used as per the situation
mct can be the sub player when u need the physicality but when u need to control the game and have more possesion he clearly isnt the player,
the whole video explanation was good but you have to understand that for scotland the manager really doesnt have many options, so he trying to make best of what he has
at utd we have plenty of midfield options, problem is most of them dont gel together and we currently dont have a planned system in place, we have casemiro - mct - erikson - mount - amrabat - dvb - bruno, but we dont know which is the best combination, then there are young players like hannibal - mainoo, unless we put down a proper system in place we wont be able to find the working midfield,
eth just has to put his foot down and demand the players to play a certain system, the players who can fit the system should stay, rest can leave, there is literally no point in chopping and changing the tactics everytime we have an injury crisis, we look for short term fixes and it causes issue with the long term plans,
I wanna see Mainoo Mctommy Hannibal in a midfield 3
“A lot of people have said that”
“Actually, I think I said that”
Given the problems United have with wingers, I've wondered if ETH should try Carlo Ancelottis old "Christmas Tree" formation from his AC Milan days. Standard back 4, Casemiro, Amrabat, Eriksen in midfield, then any combination of Mount, Fernandes, McTominay as "inside forwards" who's main job is to support the striker and score goals themselves. Mount excelled in this role at Chelsea under Tuchel and it's MacT does as well for Scotland.
Completely agree idk why we're forcing ourselves to use wingers when we don't have any who are performing and all our wide players prefer to invert anyway , I guess it's the lack of Viable wing backs especially with the current injuries.
Then again, ETH isn't famous for his tactical ability, is he? I feel like he mimics some strong teams, but when a problem arises, he finds it hard to deal with.
Would love to see this lad playing at Newcastle. Moyes and West Ham might be a better fit but to be totally honest I'd love to see how he'd slot into a Howe side.
We call that a Segundo Volante around these parts
I am actually German, but I am legally Scottish and was born in Scotland so Scotland are my second team. As a lifelong Bayern fan, I actually wasn't against the idea of Bayern getting McTominay on loan as was the rumour at the time.
I think McTominay knows he's a STR too. Love him. Will get him on fm24
Have always liked him and didn’t want to sell him when everyone was saying to get rid of him. Biggest thing for me is that he wants to play and actually looks he’s trying which is that main thing atm.
My 2cents on McT!!!
*I always thought the best way to get the most out of McFred was to play a 4-4-2 diamond.
*Rooney suggested an interesting idea before the last / last to last Manchester derby - to a play a 4-2-3-1 with McT and Fred as the "wingers" - in a very narrow shape - which kinda reminded me of the City team of Mancini - with Silva - Nasri - playing as wingers / wide 8's.
*I strongly believe that Sir Alex would have found a way to get the best out of McT + Fred + James.
2:02 But.. the app’s name? 😅
I can't find the name of that tactical board
He’s a sub at best for a team like United. When he starts in midfield he literally hides from the ball. The only quality he has is his size to come on as a sub and provide a change up front.
Yet he’s started in 4/5 of your recent PL wins, scored 3 goals and had another chopped off.
Without his influence. Utd are 14th.
Glad JJ thinks so. Been saying this to friends and family for 3-4 years.
Me too, we have been proven correct and I couldn't be happier for Scott
McTomminay is an O'Shea, Fletcher and Anderson type of midfielder which is a valuable squad player who doesn't mind being on the bench and filling in specific roles when needed. It's clear as day they need a ball progressing midfielder who is comfortable receiving the ball from his CB's which is why ten Hag had/has such a hard on for de Jong. They'd be much better off using McTomminay as a goal scoring option off the bench when they're chasing a win and blooding Mainoo into a first team regular like they did with Garnacho last season.
think youll find fletcher was no average squad player,fergie said himself he was one of the first names on the team sheet when fit
McTominay isn’t a special player, he’s just so reckless on the pitch that people are afraid to get close enough to him to get two-footed.
love the chaotic energy
In my FM 24 save, he is a monster as Box to Box Midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 setup with a Defensive Midfielder at his side. LOL
The point differential might also had been down to the fact that he's not the primary option when playing against the better teams.
McTominay is the Thomas Muller of Scotland, Shadow Striker
Every video with JJ is a winner
Who wants p0rn when you've got JJ's bull?
Number 10 in a diamond surrounded by two more creative 8s like Bruno who can do a job there, also hannibal who I beleive would provide some balance due to his ability to support defensively
. Two technical 8s allow scotty to get into dangerous positions where he can score goals which he can do.
It's risky for a team that is being as run though as united is at the moment to drop a 6 for a 10.
Not every team is Real Madrid, not every player is Jude Bellingham, not every coach is Carlo Ancelotti. Man United have limitations, gotta work them out in their own way instead of mimicking what other clubs do.
@Tifo IRL Would be great if you could analyse your stats for significance. Like with McTominay in this video, over a larger set of data smaller differences can be significant.
2:02 But.. the app’s name? 😅
I can't find the name of that tactical board
As a United fan, I love McTominay, but almost feel he's probably better off elsewhere. He's perfect for a team where midtable is a good finish. If I was a team like Palace or Nottingham, I'd shell out for him and build the team around him. As is, I think United are best keeping him unless they get a really good offer. He's handy for continental registration rules.
I'm glad he's in decent form. Hopefully Ten Hag keeps working towards a system that allows Scotty to score.
5:36 disagree. Eriksen doesn't have the legs or physicality and losing the ball close to the goal is a sure fire way to get over run in midfield. Even losing the ball up the pitch, McTominay doesn't always track back. McTominay staying up exposes Eriksen or Casemiro or anyone else that is playing on their own in the middle. We keep getting ripped apart through the middle. The defence equally is exposed.
I think he's an okay solution for now, a bandage, but not the way going forward. I'd sacrifice his potential goals for more control of the midfield.
against solid team, we need controlling midfield player
Watching JJ Bull in these videos makes me wonder why coffee doesnt havr this much of an effect on me in the morning
He he’s the 🐐 Football Jerseys to complete the background.
Never change JJ Bull. We love you
can you do a video on bielsa’s uruguay pls
What a friendly skeleton, but it crushes bones?! Good point on McTominay being like Fellaini, a "box crasher." United are such a mixed up squad that very few players can consistently play well.
Brilliant video
What website do you use for stats??
Always thought it, Box to box old school - not an out and out Ball winner. He can pass a ball long range, which should be utilised more, in my opinion. First player at the club i've seen since Rooney and Scholes that can pass a ball long range - just has a 6/10 on it, whereas Rooney 8/10 and Scholes 11/10
He doesnt fit the ETH philosophy long term and no surprise he was touted to leave. I hope he doesnt, he plays with an extra 10% because of the Man Utd youth route.
JJ has done it again, delivered someone please tell tenhag on my behalf
You’ve just explained why mctominey isn’t a a player that should be in a top club. The top clubs wouldn’t want him because he can’t hold the ball up and can’t make creative passes. And imo he doesn’t always track back.
Nope he just explained that Mourinho (one of the most successful managers in football history) saw him as one of the most important players in his Utd squad. What were you watching?
In FM terms he’d be a Segundo Volante. I’m a bit dubious about pairing him with Eriksen in midfield though, at least with teams on par or stronger than United. They would leave the defence unshielded and that was why we brought in Casemiro and Amrabat.
The plan could work for weaker sides that defend deep though, or who just don’t have the attacking quality.
He could also be used as a box to box with Eriksen or Mount beside him and a dedicated DM behind him; it would be like the midfield of Matic, Herera and Pogba, which won us a few trophies.
you do know all these FM terms mean nothing special wen said in english,segundo volante just means 2nd something
I won’t lie, I said the same thing when we lost the FA to City last season… i said if Scott McTominay had played, they wouldn’t have won that cup. At least not so easily. And I still stand by that, but it’s all in the past
god i love JJ so much
Kobbie as the 6, Amrabat as the 8, Scott as the 10 would be an intersting experiment.
The real thing this video tells us is that Steve Clarke is a better tactician, and better at setting up his players, then Ten Hag is - and Clarke doesn't have the 'luxury' of being able to buy players.
Also, for people talking about McTominay's technical limitations - most top class players will have mental, physical and technical skills. When manager's then need to fill out their squad with players who have limitations, then technical skills are usually the least important.
The Feilaini comparison makes sense now, that’s why Jose loved him!
JJ Bill attributes:
Football knowledge: 99
Charisma: 100
Now the only problem with eriksen at the base of the 3 is he is a hologram defensively- I do think however mainoo could do a right shift there.
5:35 would allow the opponents to bypass the midfield, wouldn't it? The midfield getting overrun has been the issue for United this season imo, Casemiro hasn't been able to replicate what he did last season and Eriksen can't play the role of DM in the above formation because he's a creative passer similar to Bruno and he isn't fast or physical enough to command the midfield, although I maybe wrong as I am not a big football expert or something.
JJ (Towards the end): "...What you need is a battling skeleton... TO CRUSH THE BONES OF YOUR ENEMIES!!!"
Tifo closing credits: The Athletic is home to some of the world's best sports journalist.
Love the irony - JJ please keep doing what you're doing!
Box to box midfielder. Even Jose played him there
If Jose loves a player, that player is special.
Honestly should be an inverted winger the way he plays. I’m build up you can use him how Newcastle use Dan Burn, trying to pass out but it the press is on they can send it long and wide where he will win majority of the headers against any fullback he faces. Then in the attacking halve he can come inside towards the box and allow a full back to occupy the wide area. This way you don’t sacrifice in the midfield in terms of quality on the ball
This is sort of the way many mandsukic played for juventus or sometimes mane or origi played for Liverpool as almost wide target men.
You should make a video about Die Mannschaft. Something crazy going on, with Haverts on leftback
I’d be interested in Mctominay at West Ham or Everton, feel like he could perform a similar role that doucoure does
@3:02 we all just gonna ignore the fact that JJ said "McPasses"
Ooh please man u do that 4-1-4-1 formation. Less cover in front of Maguire 🤤🤤🤤 I for one would love that
Hes a box to boxer. Always has been
He is the type of player will bring succes under Sir Alex
WOW, JJ was like a top tier CBBC presenter in this one!
Your title says the he's not what I think he is, but you just told me what I've always known he is. When he and Fred were a double pivot, I used to be confused as to why they were playing and attacking 8 and a 10 as holding midfielders.
McFred 😂🐐🐐
Here after his double against Chelsea 😎 . All credit to Jose
He is underated he is the engine box to box
He's "not what you think" eh?
Considering most of us have always thought he is a bang average player who should be nowhere near a club like Manchester United, then yes, he's absolutely what we think he is.
Incredible video JJ
Lovely video
Mctominay has never been an above average footballer. He’s terrible on the ball and terrible passing the ball, and doesn’t make good decisions either. His style is good enough for a bottom half of the premier league club that defends most of the game and has a few chances throughout the game like a Palace Fulham or West Ham, that has been and always will be his style