This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
As quoted by the club’s official website, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hailed Scott McTominay as a “leader”.
What did he say?
The Scotland international has firmly established himself as a cornerstone of United’s midfield this season, featuring in every single Premier League game.
The 22-year-old appears to be ever-improving, already matching his goal tally from last season (two), and averaging more shots (1.6), key passes (0.6), and tackles (1.8) per game than he did previously.
Now, Solskjaer has hailed the United academy product for his stellar performances, and gave an encouraging verdict on his fledgling midfield partnership with Fred.
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He said: “(McTominay) has been excellent and now him and Fred have a good relationship. They’re playing well together. They did it last season – there were quite a few games where they played well together when we had some injuries, like PSG and Arsenal. Now they’re working as a pair, but Scotty (in particular) has been excellent.
“Scott’s a leader, he’s a Man United boy, he’s come through the ranks. You can tell he used to be a striker with the goal he scored against Norwich on the half-turn and he’s developing into a very good midfielder.”
Growing influence
It wasn’t too long ago that McTominay’s ability to make the grade as a central midfielder for United was seriously questioned by pundits. Gary Neville even suggested the 22-year-old could potentially move back into a centre-back role because he may not be good enough with the ball at his feet.
“McTominay, when I watch him, I’m not sure he’s actually good enough on the ball to be a Man United midfield player. I do think he’s the type that it’s good for him to play games in there – but I do wonder whether if actually he’s got more of a position at centre back eventually, the physicality that he has. He’s a big lad. Is he sharp enough on the ball to be a Man United central midfield player?”
But as the United academy graduate continues to impress in the middle of the park, the number of doubters will slowly reduce in number. Against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in mid-week, McTominay looked hell-bent on dominating the occasion, making five tackles, five interceptions and winning eight duels as per Sofascore.
There has been a lot of talk about where all the leaders have gone at Old Trafford, people throwing their fists in the air and reminiscing about the good old days of Roy Keane. Well if Solskjaer’s words are anything to go by, they could have someone to take that mantle very soon.
