Scott McTominay Archives - Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person https://thepeoplesperson.com/tag/scott-mctominay/ Manchester United's No.1 most popular news website. Latest Man United news, transfer gossip, goals, highlights and more. Sun, 05 Nov 2023 13:35:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.1 Stars Ten Hag tried to sell in summer could have saved his job, pundit says https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/11/05/danny-murphy-believes-that-scott-mctominay-and-harry-maguire-can-help-restore-faith-in-erik-ten-hag-271456/ https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/11/05/danny-murphy-believes-that-scott-mctominay-and-harry-maguire-can-help-restore-faith-in-erik-ten-hag-271456/#respond Sun, 05 Nov 2023 15:00:44 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=271456 Former footballer Danny Murphy believes that Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay could…

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Former footballer Danny Murphy believes that Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay could play a role in re-establishing confidence in Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag following a torrid start to the season.

While both players have been subject to widespread criticism due to their poor performances over recent months, both Maguire and McTominay have improved their form, thereby giving reason to believe that Ten Hag’s coaching methods are proving effective in certain areas.

Maguire was easily one of Man United’s standout defenders in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Fulham, completing the most touches, passes, clearances, and blocked shots of all players on both teams.

United legend Peter Schmeichel was quick to take note of the centre-back’s emphatic performance, calling him “majestic” before naming him, Maguire, as his player of the match.

Although McTominay’s goal early in the first half was ultimately ruled offside (ironically because Maguire was deemed offside), he proved to be reliable in his central midfield role, also tracking back to help his defence with three clearances and two interceptions. (Sofascore)

Murphy wrote in his weekly column for The Daily Mail that both Maguire and McTominay’s performances against Fulham should be enough to earn them a spot in the starting 11 set to face FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.

“Ten Hag will now know he can rely on Maguire and McTominay,” Murphy declared, continuing: “He should be hugely relieved they decided to stay at Old Trafford.”

Once Ten Hag arrived at United at the start of last season, Maguire saw his playing time greatly reduced, which may have been viewed as unexpected given that he was the club captain at the time.

This summer, it appeared as if the England international’s career at Old Trafford was all but over, particularly after he was stripped of the captaincy.

While Maguire was then linked with a move to West Ham United, he ultimately rejected the notion, opting instead to fight for a spot in the starting 11 yet again.

McTominay, who also struggled for game time, was also on West Ham’s radar, with The Hammers offering United a combined £60 million bid to sign both the Scottish midfielder and Maguire in a package deal.

Ultimately, United rejected the offer, feeling that the London club’s valuation of McTominay was too low.

Should Maguire and McTominay continue their fine form, Ten Hag may just feel the relief that Murphy described in knowing that the two former outcasts did not depart the club during the summer.

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"We saw the banner": United star reveals thoughts on fans questioning players' commitment https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/11/04/scott-mctominay-reveals-he-saw-the-banner-questioning-players-committment-before-the-fulham-game-271425/ https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/11/04/scott-mctominay-reveals-he-saw-the-banner-questioning-players-committment-before-the-fulham-game-271425/#respond Sat, 04 Nov 2023 15:07:03 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=271425 Manchester United fought hard for a 1-0 win against Fulham with their…

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Manchester United fought hard for a 1-0 win against Fulham with their backs against the wall, desperately needing a result.

The game could have been a lot less difficult for United had a VAR controversy, another in a long line involving United, hadn’t ruled out Scott McTominay’s early goal.

However, Bruno Fernandes made sure it didn’t affect the result with his late strike securing the win.

Talking after the win, Scott McTominay revealed his thoughts about the banner United fans unfurled in the away end.

Exasperated by the results and efforts recently, fans had brought a banner saying “Play like you mean it!”.

McTominay said that he saw the banner while they were warming up on the pitch ahead of the game.

He said it sent a steely determination through the team to do well for the fans who have been loyal in their support and pay good money to follow the team.

He recognised that things aren’t going well for them at the moment but talked about the win against Fulham being a catalyst and a building block for future success.

“We saw the banner before the game and a few of us said, do you know what, the fans pay good money to come and watch every week and the support is relentless towards us every single week and we just want to repay them as best as we can.

“Things aren’t going the best at the moment but it’s a building block. We can go and kick on and do better,” he said.

Captain Bruno Fernandes struck a similar tone, urging the players to ride on the wave of this win with a crucial clash in the Champions League next up against Copenhagen.

While United’s performance was still up to scratch, they find themselves in a position where three points is all that matters.

Hearing the players’ comments, it looks like they are not giving up despite the downturn in form.

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Surprise United star clinches Player of the Month award amidst club's poor form https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/11/03/scott-mctominay-named-manchester-uniteds-player-of-the-month-for-october-271387/ https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/11/03/scott-mctominay-named-manchester-uniteds-player-of-the-month-for-october-271387/#respond Fri, 03 Nov 2023 19:00:05 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=271387 Scott McTominay has been voted as Manchester United’s Player of the Month…

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Scott McTominay has been voted as Manchester United’s Player of the Month for October.

United confirmed via the club’s official website that McTominay gathered more votes (45%) from fans ahead of Harry Maguire and Andre Onana who managed 30% and 25% respectively.

The Scotland international was especially brilliant in front of goal in October.

Courtesy of his instinctive movement and superb finishing inside the box, McTominay ensured that United went into the October international break with a win.

The Red Devils seemed destined to lose against Brentford, who had taken the lead through Mathias Jensen.

Ten Hag turned to the bench and brought on McTominay during the late stages of the match. The player came up clutch with a fantastic brace that saw his side clinch all three points.

He was at it again immediately after the international break as he opened the score during a nervy 2-1 win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

McTominay could have registered more goals in matches vs. FC Copenhagen and Manchester City, but goalkeeping heroics from Kamil Grabara and Ederson denied him.

With Ten Hag keen on overturning United’s current predicament and getting the team back to winning ways, it seems the Dutch coach has opted to primarily deploy McTominay in an advanced role, with the midfielder given the licence to bomb forward in search of goalscoring opportunities.

The 27-year-old did not start United’s previous game against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.

McTominay joins Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro as the two other midfielders on United’s books who have won a Player of the Month award this season.

The Carrington academy graduate last won the accolade in October 2019.

United face Fulham next at Craven Cottage on Saturday. The game kicks off at 12.30 BST.

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Brave United star breaks silence on rumours of dressing room rifts and rebellion https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/11/02/100-sure-scott-mctominay-leads-charge-to-defend-erik-ten-hag-amidst-suggestions-of-dressing-room-unrest-271358/ https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/11/02/100-sure-scott-mctominay-leads-charge-to-defend-erik-ten-hag-amidst-suggestions-of-dressing-room-unrest-271358/#respond Thu, 02 Nov 2023 21:40:53 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=271358 Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has publicly come out to express his…

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Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has publicly come out to express his confidence in Erik ten Hag to overturn the current situation and get the club back to winning ways.

United suffered a consecutive 3-0 defeat on Wednesday evening when they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle.

Following the loss, which was United’s eighth of the campaign across 15 games in all competitions, reports started swirling that Ten Hag does not completely have the confidence of the dressing room.

It was relayed that Ten Hag’s job is not entirely secure amidst his side’s extremely poor form.

However, according to McTominay, who spoke to club media, he and his teammates are not paying attention to outside noise as they are currently focused on performing better and giving supporters something to be happy about.

The Scotland international said, “We have to win. That’s always the thought process. Obviously, my thoughts are with the fans at the minute because we’re not playing well and it’s difficult for them – they pay their hard-earned money every week to come and watch us and the least we can do is play well and win football matches.

“It’s not quite happening at the moment, sometimes that’s football. I feel like, for us in that dressing room, we have to stay tight and keep a clear head, and we can’t get too emotional with everything that surrounds us. We’ve got to block it all out.”

He added that the Newcastle defeat was a difficult one but as always, the support of the fans was felt.

McTominay revealed that the mood behind the scenes after the game was that of anger towards themselves, both for not doing what was expected of them and for letting the Old Trafford faithful down.

The midfielder urged supporters not to pay attention to those who write “stupid things” about the club in an effort to cause division and turmoil. He explained that for upcoming games, United will “fight like dogs” to win.

He further stated, “Obviously, the fans will hear the generic response of ‘we’ve got to stick together’ but it’s true. Everyone wants this football club to succeed and we have to pull together and try to be as good with each other as possible, in the dressing room, to get those results going our way.”

“I feel like we’ve got more than enough talent in the changing room to do that and whenever you look at the boys who are playing, but obviously something isn’t quite clicking. That’s up to the manager and the players to fix that and I’m 100 per cent confident that we will.”

McTominay noted that there is hard work going on at Carrington to better the team and ensure that ahead of the November international break, everything goes according to plan.

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This player was United's hero in a wretched month https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/31/manchester-uniteds-player-of-the-month-nominees-revealed-but-whos-the-favourite-271282/ https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/31/manchester-uniteds-player-of-the-month-nominees-revealed-but-whos-the-favourite-271282/#respond Tue, 31 Oct 2023 19:30:18 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=271282 The month of October was almost turning around for United. Three wins…

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The month of October was almost turning around for United. Three wins on the trot, some comeback moments for those who needed it the most, and the team was coming through bad performances while still getting results.

Then the Manchester Derby happened and the club got hit in the face with a reality check. City barely got out of second gear while dispatching United and that one bad result has turned the optics of the whole month.

Still, there are three players who come away this month with some credit to their names. Coincidentally, these were the players who were targeted the most for their bad form when the team was doing well.

Now with the team in a state of disarray, they have stepped up.

Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, and Scott McTominay are the three nominees for United’s player of the month. Here’s a look at who should be the winner-

Harry Maguire’s case

The former United captain capped off his club renaissance by scoring a crucial goal against Copenhagen to save United’s European campaign. He has been up to the task of replacing Lisandro Martinez, and surprisingly with Jonny Evans, formed a defence that was patched up but still came through in three wins.

The front-foot defending is back, he is winning his aerial duels, and even the progressive passes from the back are coming off.

However, the Manchester Derby was his first stern test this season in terms of opposition strength and he didn’t look completely convincing. There were a few scary moments and mix-ups he wouldn’t like to see back.

Therefore, while Maguire has been good recently, it’s more a reflection of how bad he had been prior to that, rather than him being world-class in isolation.

Scott McTominay’s case

It can be argued that without Scott McTominay, United would probably finish the month with zero wins, or one at most. Sat on the fringes of the team, nearly being sold to West Ham, he had a fight on his hands to save his United career.

And save it he did. Two late goals against Brentford saw the best of the Scottish player, with his instinctive finishing in the box saving United from another shock home loss. He followed it up by scoring against Sheffield United as well, in a nervy game again by the team as a whole.

There were no more goalscoring heroics but stationed as the most advanced midfielder, he was regularly getting on the end of chances.

That’s precisely the factor which works against him, however. If McTominay is not scoring goals and affecting the game directly, chances are he’s not doing much else.

It was painfully clear against Manchester City, where his lack of passing repertoire hurt United in possession. As a midfielder, his role is to be a dynamic presence. At present, he’s just become Erik ten Hag’s version of a more refined Marouane Fellaini.

Andre Onana’s case

Most United players will remember October as the wretched month. For Onana, it might well be the month where everything fell into place.

After a wretched start to the season, Onana had consecutive commanding performances, punctuated with a last-minute penalty save against Copenhagen which saved United’s European adventure.

He was brave in possession, improved his shot-stopping form, and was one of the few players who came away from the Derby defeat with an enhanced reputation.

Without the Cameroonian, another big-game embarrassment was on the way for United against City. Fans and the club will hope that that is not a false dawn and the goalkeeper has finally found form in English football.

If that’s the case, the team will look reformed when the outfield clicks.

For that reason, Onana should be the favourite for the award. He has no asterisks next to his candidacy, unlike McTominay and Maguire.

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Redemption: United's Player of the Month nominees for October revealed https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/31/manchester-uniteds-player-of-the-month-nominees-for-october-271279/ https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/31/manchester-uniteds-player-of-the-month-nominees-for-october-271279/#respond Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:00:51 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=271279 Manchester United endured an up-and-down October with three wins and two defeats…

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Manchester United endured an up-and-down October with three wins and two defeats from their five fixtures of the month.

Brentford, Sheffield United and FC Copenhagen were beaten without much conviction and with Galatasaray and Manchester City both winning at Old Trafford, October represents a period that needs major improvement as we move into November.

However, despite the sticky form there have been some decent individual showings and the Player of the Month award will be a tight one.

Andre Onana, Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay are the three nominees with each player enjoying a bit of redemption over the last few weeks.

Onana started the month in shaky fashion, performing poorly in the home games against Galatasaray and Brentford respectively, symptomatic of his overall start to life at Old Trafford.

However, a last gasp penalty save in the must-win Champions League game against Copenhagen secured United’s 1-0 lead and ensured Erik ten Hag’s side are still alive in the competition.

The Cameroonian followed that up with a strong showing in the otherwise drab Manchester derby, stopping City from racking up numbers that would have looked more at home at the cricket ground, a mile up the road.

Harry Maguire’s recall back to the starting XI has allowed the former captain to regain some confidence, performing consistently well throughout the month.

Although the quality of opposition shouldn’t have been overly taxing for the England international, the spotlight was on Maguire to string together some mistake-free showings in a United shirt.

And to his credit, that’s exactly what he did, picking up the Man-of-the-Match award against Sheffield United, scoring the winner against Copenhagen and providing the assist for Scott McTominay’s dramatic late winner at home to Brentford.

McTominay’s winner in that game wasn’t before the Scot had already drawn United level in the dying embers of a game they barely deserved to win but managed to steal the three points thanks to the midfielder’s inspired intervention.

The 26-year-old followed his dramatic double with the opener in the win at struggling Sheffield United, earning him a starting place in the Derby where he almost drew United level with a vicious half volley before running out of steam, much like his teammates.

The recognition represent a remarkable turnaround for the three players, particularly Maguire and McTominay, who were seemingly heading for the exit door in the summer.

Onana’s wobbly start to life in Manchester should also be boosted by his performances at the end of the month, with the ‘keeper showing the form that earned him a place in the top 25 of the Ballon d’Or rankings.

The trio will hope to carry their good form into November, which will be crucial to United saving a season that is hanging by a thread – even at this early stage.

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"Ten Hag wanted him out": Gary Neville says unwanted star was United's best midfielder vs City https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/29/gary-neville-rips-into-bruno-fernandes-for-trying-to-con-fans-during-defeat-vs-man-city-271235/ https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/29/gary-neville-rips-into-bruno-fernandes-for-trying-to-con-fans-during-defeat-vs-man-city-271235/#respond Sun, 29 Oct 2023 22:00:16 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=271235 Manchester United legend Gary Neville has slammed Bruno Fernandes for attempting to…

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Manchester United legend Gary Neville has slammed Bruno Fernandes for attempting to con supporters during their home defeat against Manchester City.

A double from Erling Haaland and a goal from Phil Foden were enough to hand Erik ten Hag his fifth defeat in 10 Premier League games this season.

Late into the game, Fernandes started recklessly charging about and diving into challenges, seemingly frustrated by the result and his own performance.

Fernandes tried to put in a heavy tackle on John Stones, who easily bypassed the Portuguese midfielder before proceeding forward.

After the incident, Neville said, “He’s trying to do someone there, Fernandes. He’s trying to do John Stones but he’s seen him coming and he’s ended up hurting himself. He’s conning no one with what he’s been trying to do over the past few minutes.”

Neville also took issue with Fernandes’ complaints to referee Paul Tierney, who dished out a yellow card to Antony for a lunging challenge on Jeremy Doku. Neville added on this, “There’s the couple of whinges that I promised you.”

The former defender also ripped into Antony for clashing with Doku, just minutes after being brought on as a substitute by Ten Hag in a desperate effort to make a difference.

He remarked on Antony, “Doku is absolutely right, Antony just has a kick at him. United have lost their discipline, it starts with the captain. It’s absolutely ridiculous, I would just send him off. It’s embarrassing.”

Neville spoke on Sky Sports and questioned United’s “strange” transfer strategy and specifically their recruitment of midfielders.

Ten Hag started a midfield trio of Sofyan Amrabat, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay in the number 10 position.

Amrabat’s substitution at the interval saw Mason Mount come in. McTominay was pushed back to the pivot, with Eriksen as the deepest-lying midfielder.

Mount barely had a kick and his introduction was ultimately a futile endeavour. City still managed to easily power through United in the middle of the park.

This prompted Neville to explain, “You just sort of wonder how they have been recruited. Eriksen, Fernandes and Mount are all No.10s. There is three of them.”

“Casemiro and Amrabat are the ones who sit a little bit deeper. McTominay, to be fair, was supposed to be leaving, he [Ten Hag] wanted him out, and he is probably now United’s best midfield player in terms of performances in these last few weeks. It is all a little bit strange.”

United face Newcastle next in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford.

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Three things we learned as Magure and Onana's late heroics secure United win vs. FC Copenhagen https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/24/three-things-we-learned-as-harry-maguire-and-andre-onanas-heroics-secure-win-vs-fc-copenhagen-271021/ Tue, 24 Oct 2023 21:07:28 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=271021 Manchester United hosted FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford in a must-win Champions…

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Manchester United hosted FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford in a must-win Champions League affair this evening.

Heading into the game, United were sitting bottom of Group A with zero points after successive defeats to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.

Erik ten Hag started Andre Onana in goal. In defence, the United boss named Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Sergio Reguilon.

A trio of Sofyan Amrabat, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes were tasked with patrolling the middle of the park.

Rasmus Hojlund led the line with Antony and Marcus Rashford on either wing. Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 1-0 win against FC Copenhagen.

Questionable starting XI selections by Ten Hag

When the official team sheet came out, there were valid concerns about some of the names on it as well as absentees.

A number of stars who did not play well against Sheffield United were surprisingly included in the starting XI.

In yet another game, McTominay was given the nod ahead of other players such as Mason Mount and Hannibal Mejbri.

At Bramall Lane, McTominay was poor despite the fact that he scored a goal. To put his display vs. the Blades into context, the Scotland international only completed nine passes during the 60 or so minutes he was on the pitch.

It was therefore a bit puzzling that he was rewarded with a start.

Another player who was below par against Sheffield United was Antony, but just like McTominay, the Brazilian winger started vs. FC Copenhagen, in a game the Red Devils absolutely needed to win if they were to have any chance of making it out of Group A.

In truth, Antony has not done anything of note this season and his continued selection in the starting XI no matter how poorly he performs is becoming mind-boggling.

Even Ten Hag’s trusted men like Rashford and Fernandes have not come up with the goods in recent games, and a case could be made that they should also be part of a long overdue cull with respect to team selections.

Ten Hag’s questionable picking of the starting XI is more often than not made more glaring by the huge impacts made by the substitutes such as Christian Eriksen and Alejandro Garnacho.

Garnacho looked lively and dangerous when he was introduced into proceedings. The Argentine had a few cracks at goal and would have been disappointed not to have got one.

Eriksen came close to opening the score just nine minutes after the interval with a shot that required the opposition goalkeeper to come up with a superb save.

It was the midfielder who produced a stunning cross to Maguire, who headed the ball into the back of the net to give United the lead.

It’s important that going forward, Ten Hag practises what he publicly preaches – that breaking into the team is contingent on merit and current form rather than reputation and what one has done in the past.

United not creating nearly enough chances for Hojlund

A recurring theme that has consistently become apparent this season is that United have not been playing to Rasmus Hojlund’s strengths.

During a period of turmoil for the team, the 20-year-old has been one of the few positives.

Against FC Copenhagen, Hojlund held up the ball well and kept possession even when under extreme pressure.

His link-up play is one of the goalscorer’s best attributes and he showed this against the opposition.

Hojlund demonstrated clever movement, especially inside the box but unfortunately for him, his teammates could not pick him out.

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit recently accused United players of ignoring Hojlund’s runs and not offering him adequate support – this was evident against FC Copenhagen.

United need to work towards finding Hojlund more and providing him with enough service.

He frequently cuts a lonely figure up front and this is something Ten Hag and his coaching staff must seek to remedy.

Incredible turnaround by Maguire

Maguire has started United’s last three games and in all three, the England international has barely put a foot wrong.

Courtesy of his fantastic header, the 20-time English champions still have a chance of making it out of the group and advancing to the next round of the competition.

Maguire has been solid defensively and during a season in which Ten Hag has had to deal with multiple injuries to his defenders, the former club skipper has really stepped up and showed what he is made of.

The 30-year-old looked nailed on to leave Old Trafford during the summer transfer window after a bid from West Ham was accepted.

However, since the move collapsed, he has focused and worked hard on getting back into the team.

It’s fitting that he is reaping the rewards after such a difficult few seasons.

Onana saves United

Right at the death, FC Copenhagen were awarded a penalty after a high boot from McTominay almost took out a rival player.

However, Onana, who has had a difficult start to life at United, came up clutch when he saved the penalty.

The emotions could be seen by just how emphatically his teammates came up to him, hugged him and congratulated him.

Hopefully, the Cameroonian kicks on now and shows his quality on a consistent basis.

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Three things we learned as Dalot's dream goal papers over cracks vs Sheffield Utd https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/21/three-things-we-learned-as-manchester-united-secure-narrow-win-against-sheffield-united-270943/ Sat, 21 Oct 2023 21:05:55 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=270943 Manchester United travelled to Bramall Lane this evening to take on Sheffield…

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Manchester United travelled to Bramall Lane this evening to take on Sheffield United, fresh from a comeback win against Brentford just before the two-week international break.

Erik ten Hag would have undoubtedly been hoping that his side’s fightback to recover from Brentford’s opening goal before going on to clinch all three points would be the catalyst to finally get United’s season on track.

The Dutchman started Andre Onana in goal, with a defensive four of Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof ahead of the Cameroonian.

Ten Hag put his trust in a midfield trio consisting of Sofyan Amrabat, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes.

Rasmus Hojlund started up front with Antony and Marcus Rashford on either wing of the attacking line.

Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 2-1 win against Sheffield United.

Uninspiring first-half performance

Ten Hag’s men were below par during the opening 45 minutes.

They hardly fashioned any clear-cut goalscoring opportunities or created good chances for Hojlund to attack. The Danish striker cut a very lonely figure up front for large parts of the first period.

Even more disappointing was United’s failure to control the game, which allowed Sheffield United to go about their business comfortably without much fuss.

At times, it looked like the players were only launching hopeful balls to the forward men and expecting them to make something out of nothing.

The first half was mostly chaotic and lacked any semblance of order that United could capitalize on.

Sheffield United had the chance to take an early lead just three minutes in but Onana came up with a huge save to prevent his side from conceding.

The Red Devils took the lead against the run of play via McTominay, who somehow managed to guide the ball into the back of the net from a densely populated box.

However, as is the norm with United, they surrendered their one-goal advantage just six minutes after through Oli McBurnie, who converted his penalty with ease after McTominay turned from hero to villain with a hand ball in the area.

So far this season, United have been unconvincing and have produced extremely poor displays that have in turn hindered the club from getting good results. There is a lot of work to be done on the training ground.

It’s concerning that at this stage of his tenure at Old Trafford, there is still no clarity on what Ten Hag’s style of play consists of. Everything just seems disjointed and unsure.

Poor midfield dynamics

So far this term, there has been plenty of debate about how United’s midfield should be structured.

During United’s opening games of the season, the Fernandes, Casemiro and Mason Mount partnership came under intense criticism for their inability to gel and make an impact.

Casemiro’s absence due to injury made it almost necessary to start Amrabat. McTominay’s heroics against Burnley were seemingly enough, at least in Ten Hag’s eyes, to hand the Scotland international a start vs. Sheffield United.

As a three, Amrabat, McTominay and Fernandes were poor.

Amrabat did not show the grit that characterises his game. The Moroccan failed to stamp his authority in the middle of the park. He came close to scoring in the second half when his powerful shot hit the bar but apart from that, he didn’t do much.

Apart from the goal and conceding the penalty, McTominay did nothing else of note. He was mostly missing from action and it’s no surprise the 26-year-old was among the first to be taken off by Ten Hag.

Fernandes’ main faults lay in his inability to keep the ball. He was wasteful in possession, either by needlessly attempting a Hollywood pass or being unaware of an incoming rival player looking to snatch the ball from him.

Overall, United’s midfielders were not up to the required standards and it’s hardly puzzling just how much better the team looked after Christian Eriksen’s introduction.

Initially, there was no control whatsoever, no sufficient build-up and no recognizable patterns of play. It’s on Ten Hag and his coaching staff to quickly find a solution lest the team continues to suffer and be outdone by opponents.

Further injury concerns in the defensive department

United’s woes with respect to injuries suffered by defenders are set to be compounded after Evans was taken off against Sheffield United.

Evans delved into a tackle but came out injured from it.

He was immediately replaced by Raphael Varane, who himself is likely not fully fit seeing as he started on the bench rather than being named in the starting XI.

Should Evans be sidelined for a prolonged period, he will join the likes of Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez on the treatment table.

There are also doubts about Sergio Reguilon’s fitness, given that the Spaniard was not even in the matchday squad.

Ten Hag is down to the bare bones with regard to defenders and cannot afford to lose any more members of the backline. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious and Evans’ substitution was only a precaution.

The post Three things we learned as Manchester United secure narrow win against Sheffield United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

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PL rivals could return for in-form United star in January - report https://thepeoplesperson.com/2023/10/19/newcastle-united-could-return-for-scott-mctominay-in-january-270876/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:00:37 +0000 https://thepeoplesperson.com/?p=270876 Manchester United’s poor start to the season could have got even worse…

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Manchester United’s poor start to the season could have got even worse had they succumbed to defeat against Brentford in the last game before the international break.

Mistakes from the big-name players meant the Bees took an unlikely lead and they were ahead till the 90th-minute mark before substitute Scott McTominay scored twice deep into added time to send the home fans into delirium.

The Scot has largely been a peripheral figure this season and has copped a lot of criticism for his ineffective displays at club level when compared to his showings for his country.

McTominay’s indifferent season

The United academy graduate can point to the fact that he has had to play in a variety of different positions and has been afforded very few minutes to make the desired impact.

However, he showed that when played in the right position, the 26-year-old can be a game-changer and he will be hoping for increased opportunities moving forward.

McTominay was the subject of plenty of interest in the summer but United’s steep asking price and the player’s wish to remain and fight for his place meant no deal ever fructified.

However, if his playing prospects under Erik ten Hag do not improve, he might consider a change in scenery especially if the offer is from the right club.

As per teamTALK, Newcastle United are weighing up the possibility of bringing in a new quality midfielder especially if Sandro Tonali is handed a major ban.

The Italian midfielder recently admitted to betting on AC Milan matches while he was a player of the club and the Magpies are awaiting the verdict at the moment.

In case the £55 million star signing is unavailable for the foreseeable future, Eddie Howe’s side have drawn up a potential list of alternatives and that list includes among others the United midfielder.

“Newcastle are reeling from the fact Sandro Tonali could be unavailable for the foreseeable future. The club are making no comment on the situation at present but TEAMtalk sources have indicated that there would be little hesitation in reinforcing the squad depth in January to make up for any absence.

Newcastle eyeing McTominay in January

“As such, there are already targets identified within the Premier League. Kalvin Phillips of Manchester City is expected to become a prime candidate for them.

“Explorations could also be made around Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and even Andrey Santos, currently struggling for game time on loan at Nottingham Forest from Chelsea.”

Newcastle were linked with a move for McTominay in the summer as well and United are likely to ask for £40 million, just like in the summer, especially if the player continues to exhibit the same form he has shown for his country and against the Bees.

The midfielder’s departure could then free up funds for the club to then use to strengthen in January with Ten Hag desperate for additional signings.

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