11 Dec 2023 08:57:05
Scott McTominay

He’s copped a lot of stick over the years, but nobody can argue that he doesn’t know where the goal is. It’s obvious that his strongest position is further forward.

With that in mind, and I know it would take a manager with balls of steel………. but would there be any value in trying to convert him into a striker and playing him up top? I know it’s a pretty out there statement, but at the moment we have Hoijlund who is far far from the finished article. And then we have Martial who is as about effective as a chocolate teapot (plus he’s due an injury soon)

Would anyone go for this?

1.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 09:28:15
I read somewhere a while ago that he started out as a striker before being moved to MF. So, who knows? I'm certain that unlike Martial he will at least get in the box.

2.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 09:29:58
Any competently run club sells him in January to make the most of this patch of goalscoring form he's been on and then actually buys a competent central midfielder that can control the ball.

Same with Harry Maguire as well, we might as well cash in when their form and media reputation is at its highest.

3.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 09:32:28
I would argue that whilst Hoijlund is not necessarily the finished article it is harsh to say he is far far from it.

We have created nothing for him to put away. No decent crosses of the ball, no final third intensity and no desire.

Weghorst was lambasted on the forum and in the most part with justification but there is a trend of not supplying these players and then caning them for not being effective.

Until we are regularly creating chances for these guys its hard to fairly judge them.

4.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 09:33:57
Agree with Maguire 100%. Scott I’d keep tbh.

5.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 09:35:29
Fizz.

That’s basically where I’m coming from. If Scott doesn’t go in January I’d rather play him as a striker than Martial every day of the week.

6.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 10:14:26
You're spot on Fizz.
Always was a striker from 8 or 9 ish, but he was switched to MF as he had more of a physical presence for his age group.
It's well worth a try to play him further up,9 goals in 41
appearances for Scotland so far.
Anything is preferable to seeing The Incredible Sulk warming up to try and beat his current club record of covering 600 yards in 90 minutes.
He could get a run out against a lesser team in the Carabao Cup.
Oh. er,
maybe next season then.

7.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 11:36:10
If we want to get back to the top we need to shift these mediocre players

They’ve never been good enough and never will be

How have players like Martial and Lindelof been at the club for so long on stupid wages.

8.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 11:56:47
Said the very same in this forum about 12-18 months ago and was dismissed.

I lamppost offers more upfront than Martial.

9.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 11:58:44
The question is why the club allowed us to be in a position where Martial was the only option to cover a 20year old inexperienced Dane? Who thought that was acceptable? Saw someone say will Martial get in the box, he never moves out of it.
We have a 20year old called Joe Hugill who I think was given a new contract, why hasn’t he been given a chance in front of Martial. Is he injured? On loan? If we don’t know if he is good enough at 20 why is he there?
The manager has questions to answer over why we have such striker issues given it was flaming obvious about this. Why does he even have Martial in the squad? Is it true that Joel Glazer won’t let him go? Continuing to play Martial is likely divisive in the squad, they all know he does absolutely nothing.

Yes I would have Mct up front before Martial, but where are the youth strikers?

10.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 11:27:55
I think we are all out on Martial, I hoped that he could be a competent number 2 there is definitely a player in there just not seen it either for injuries or attitude. I would consider McTominy as a number 2 striker if we can't bring anyone else in, however there is a difference between leading the line, holding the defenders etc and being able to pop up from AM into the spaces that the striker has created for you by pulling the defenders away. But, would still consider it as an option.

McTominy for me just can't be in the same team as Fernandes as it offers no support for the HM. Foe me we need to play Mainoo and Amrabat at the minute, or Casimero with one of them when he is back. We need to stick with 2 HM's with one of them pushing up to bridge the gap between the attack. With McTominy the gap is huge and leaves the HM open on there own.

For balance we need to sacrafice his goals as without them I see him offering nothing and get balance back in the squad.

11.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 12:54:06
McT has denied ever playing CF in younger years. Recent interview.

12.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 13:21:06
Think he played up front once in a game because we were short and now everyone thinks he’s a striker. He is scoring goals and that’s masking how poor he is in midfield, for some reason our manager plays him 90 minutes every game now and leaves Mainoo on the bench, baffling.

13.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 13:29:07
McTominay is our top scorer because the rest of our forwards are having a torrid time in front of goal.

Why do we have to play a midfielder up front? What ever happened to being a goal scoring midfielder?

Most decent teams have midfielders that chip in with a few goals, and we want to make ours our striker?

Very short term mentality that allows average footballers an excuse to stick around.

McTominay has stepped up in recent games but don't view his United career through a keyhole and view it as a whole. He should be one of the players that's on his way out as he's not good enough.

14.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 14:38:15
McTominay is probably one of the biggest problems with the team at the minute, he causes the lack of control he doesn't run back into position he means the gap between defence and attack is massive giving the opposition bags of room to run into on the counter he constantly leaves his midfield partner isolated meaning they have a choice of marking their man or engaging the person on the ball, either that or bruno has tracked back after busting a gut to get forward from deep where he was covering mctominay in the build up.

the other problem if he offers 0 in the attacking build up he's not especially creative he doesn't offer himself up to play the ball off and he isn't especially good in the press.

yes he's been good at taking his chances but when he doesn't score he's as bad as having martial on the pitch, he was completely missing at Bournemouth and he dangled a pathetic leg on the first goal rather than making an actual effort on the ball as soon as he did that they were on us.

The other main problem seems to be that the manager just isn't seeing this mctominay is playing 90mins of the majority of the games he should be at best someone you put on late on to try and grab a goal not the first choice.

honestly we will continue to give up these opportunities on the counter whilst he is in there based on the fact he was in the press conference today for the bayern game he's going to start, let's hope he scores or we might struggle.

15.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 15:21:50
Sell him! He’ll revert to type! Or he did Saturday
Sell him while he is receiving praise because he’ll always let us down!

16.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 17:04:35
This is not fifa boys.
He got none of those goals playing as a cf.
He has little or none of the attributes needed to play cf from anything I've seen in his career.
In fact it's not so long ago he was being talked about as a cb.
If be happy to have him as a squad player coming on the odd time but he would have to be 5th choice i'm not sure he'd be happy with that.

17.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 17:43:18
Great post DSG couldn’t agree more.

18.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 17:58:32
Dsg post is the money. Needs to go, not good enough for the reserves never mind the squad. We need a squad of starters nowadays.

19.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 18:27:01
Mctominay is at best a substitute you bring on as a hail mary once you are down and throw the kitchen sink.

20.) 11 Dec 2023
11 Dec 2023 18:58:00
McTominaybis a yellow card waiting happen. His lack of discipline defensively is worrying. It wasn't long ago where he failed to teach back against Bayern.

Whilst he has scored a few important goals this season, he isn't and will not be a top player for Utd.

21.) 12 Dec 2023
12 Dec 2023 10:20:36
Get rid. not good enough and never has been.