MY ACCOUNT
A crucial summer lies in store for Scott McTominay as he bids to impress incoming Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.
The 25-year-old was a first-team regular last season — but competition is set to be fierce next term with the Dutch coach keen to revamp his squad in the coming months.
And reports are already casting doubt over the Scotsman’s future at Old Trafford as a host of midfielders continue to be linked with a move to Manchester.
As McTominay’s Scotland take on Armenia tonight, we consider how his United future is set to play out.
Midfield maestro
McTominay has gradually become a mainstay in United’s team after he was handed his debut by Jose Mourinho in May 2017.
He has been credited with giving the Red Devils some much-needed grit in midfield thansk to his tireless efforts and defensive determination.
The 6ft 3in colossus also boasts the ability to drag his side up the pitch — registering a commendable 76.3% take-on success rate last term.
McTominay was a significant figure under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer — and also featured regularly when the Norwegian was replaced by interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
Any questions regarding the Scot falling out of favour under a new system were squashed by the German, who described him as a future club captain.
McTominay started United’s final five league games of the season and with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic departing this summer, may still have a part to play in Ten Hag’s revolution.
Scotland versatility
Although McTominay’s impact at Old Trafford has diminished somewhat, he is still a key figure in the Scotland setup.
The 33-cap international has been handed the role of utility man by manager Steve Clarke — and he was deployed on the right of a back-three in the 3-1 World Cup play-off defeat to Ukraine.
McTominay was then shifted to his more natural position in the engine room for last week’s 3-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
The versatile operator completed the joint-most dribbles (three) in that match — but there is growing competition in the Tartan Army camp.
If McTominay is not getting regular game time for the Red Devils, his first-team spot could come under threat.
Added competition
McTominay’s task may be set to get even harder in Manchester with the United hierarchy reportedly prioritising a midfield signing this summer.
Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong is the leading candidate to reunite with his former Ajax manager Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman has been inconsistent at Camp Nou and has allegedly been identified as a saleable asset due to Barca’s financial issues.
De Jong completed more passes per 90 minutes (54.16) than McTominay (39.69) last season, while the 25-year-old also boasted a higher passing accuracy percentage (91.33%) than the Scot (85.56%).
A swoop for the Blaugrana’s No21 may not be straightforward though with the Netherlands international revealing that it was a childhood dream to play for the Catalan club.
Maximum motivation
There will be an opportunity for McTominay to impress Ten Hag in pre-season — and the Scotsman has made it clear that he will not be resting on his laurels.
He said: “Your time to switch off is your holidays with your families. But even then I’m thinking I need to train and do something to make sure I’m in peak condition for the new coach.
“You are still thinking of coming back and having the best possible impact on the new coach.
“The other players will be the same, football is your life and when it’s not going so well, it’s tough.”
With the Red Devils set for a shake-up, there is a growing feeling that this is a vital summer for their No39.
