Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been warned by a familiar face at the Old Trafford club that he could lose midfielder Scott McTominay in the near future. When Jose Mourinho was sacked in December 2018 and Solskjaer came in, McTominay could have been heading to Celtic on loan, which would have been a shame for United.
Instead though, the academy graduate remained at United and with injuries to Paul Pogba for much of the current season, the Lancaster-born Scottish international has earned his stripes and played some beautiful football at the club, scoring a stunning goal in Old Trafford’s last game against Manchester City with United coming out on top.
Former United forward, Brian McClair, who was also the head of United’s academy until 2015, when Nicky Butt took over, has praised the Scotland international, albeit with a warning that would need attention paid to it. McTominay has been a standout player for the club this season, some supporters don’t seem to rate him though, for whatever reason.
McClair spoke to Superstar Speakers about McTominay, who this season, despite suffering from injury himself, has made a total of 27 appearances, playing in the Premier League, Carabao Cup, UEFA Europa League and the Emirates FA Cup, scoring five goals and one assist, spending a total of 2,063 minutes on the football pitch. McClair said:
“I think Scott McTominay, if he stays at Manchester United, will be a great player for Manchester United.
“It’s a similar thing to Darren Fletcher. He’s come through the youth system, he wants it, he’s a Manchester United fan, he’s determined.
“He’s overcome several situations with regards to growth spurts, injury and illness.
“I think he can be a Manchester United great.
“I hope that he remains at Manchester United for long enough for that to occur but it would not surprise me if there were other clubs looking to recruit him in the not too distant future.”
McTominay has risen through the ranks since he was given his debut by Mourinho, finding his feet and actually offering what United needed from time to time. Granted, he’s not going to be a household name in world football but he will be a name that is recognised for what he has done for his club. Solskjaer will need to keep this in mind.
I don’t for one minute think that Solskjaer would sell McTominay right now as there are players who are needing to go through the Old Trafford exits before anyone else does. However, if he’s not getting regular football, which might happen if Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes form a special partnership, depending on what formation is used.
If Solskjaer opts for a three-man midfield, whether a 4-3-3 formation or a 4-4-2 diamond, there could be space for McTominay in the squad. Fred has been a breath of fresh air this season, showing that he just needed regular football in order to find his form at the club, despite the fact Mourinho had already called time at United for him.
McTominay can bring something to the team. Pogba, if he stays at the club, and Fernandes are not going to play every game in the centre of the pitch together, so there will be rotation options. Having McTominay in the midfield with the duo could be something special based on the work rate of the player and his ability on and off the ball.
