Man Utd: £78k-a-week star 'never going to fit in' under Ten Hag at Old Trafford

In partnership with

GiveMeSport

·27 September 2023

Man Utd: £78k-a-week star 'never going to fit in' under Ten Hag at Old Trafford

Highlights

Scott McTominay has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter for Manchester United, despite playing north of 200 games for the club.
The Scotland international's lack of playing time and recent performance issues have raised concerns about his future with the team.
Sofyan Amrabat, a summer loan signing, has impressed in midfield and could potentially replace McTominay in the starting lineup.

Play Video

Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay has seen his minutes take a hit in recent times and transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed why he's been 'very strange' under Erik ten Hag's tenure in an interview with GIVEMESPORT.

OneFootball Videos

Despite playing 214 times for the Greater Manchester outfit, the 26-year-old Scotsman has been incapable of cementing himself as a nailed-on starter.

Over the course of the summer, there was ample noise over whether McTominay would explore pastures new with David Moyes’ West Ham United showing a concrete interest in his signature. In mid-July, The Guardian reported that his current employers were willing to offload the outcast midfielder should any would-be buyer meet their £40m valuation.

A deal never materialised and since the summer, he has been afforded a meagre 182 minutes across four Premier League games, with 21 minutes also coming in the Champions League against Bayern Munich. It was during the latter, however, when the Scotland international was bashed for – uncharacteristically – failing to track back after misplacing a pass.

Recently, journalist Jones, on the back of his impressive international run of form, told GIVEMESPORT that McTominay is ‘harshly treated’ by the Old Trafford faithful. McTominay has been on fine goalscoring form for Scotland during the European qualifiers, scoring six goals and notching an additional assist in their last five group stage outings, per Transfermarkt.

Domestically, however, the luck doesn't seem to be landing in his direction. In Manchester United’s emphatic 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, McTominay had fallen ill and as such, was unavailable for selection. A plethora of young midfield stars stepped up to the plate in his absence and will be a cause for concern for the £78k-a-week earner.

With the likes of Sofyan Amrabat and Hannibal Mejbri easing their way into proceedings, it could be an onerous task for McTominay to find his way back into the forefront of his boss’ mind. Now, transfer insider Jones has given a scathing assessment on chances of becoming a regular in the Red Devils set up.

What the future holds for Scott McTominay at Manchester United – Dean Jones

When asked about Scott McTominay and what he can offer in Manchester United colours, transfer insider Jones suggested there doesn’t seem to be much of a spot for McTominay in Ten Hag’s plans. Referencing the worrying Bayern incident, he suggested that someone of his ilk doing that was ‘very strange’. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said…

“Yeah, even going back to the Bayern Munich game, there was a moment when he [Scott McTominay] loses possession, and he doesn’t seem to show the desire to get back to get the ball, which is so not fitting with who he is as a footballer, and it was very strange. “Now obviously as a player, you want to fit into the setup and maybe McTominay just feels like he’s never going to fit in to what Erik ten Hag is building here.”

Erik ten Hag could have already found McTominay replacement

For all the fantastic attacking flow on show against a heavily rotated Palace outfit, the game was won in midfield with Casemiro seemingly back to his former self and Mason Mount, who had returned from injury, providing the Old Trafford side with a much-needed midfield bite. Summer loan signing Sofyan Amrabat also stole the show.

Manchester United fans finally got a comprehensive cameo from former Fiorentina ace after a brief stint against Burnley on Saturday evening – and he’s certainly a cause for optimism.

Ten Hag, who had managed Amrabat at Utrecht, started him on the left-hand side of defence against Palace. Of course, he was given plenty of licence to roam into central midfielder. But even Ten Hag may have been confused to see him playing on the right wing at points. A midfielder with so much energy and tenacity is difficult to replace and McTominay may see his minutes in Manchester United threads see even more of a decrease once Amrabat is back at full fitness.

Amrabat, 27, has signed at the club on an initial one-season loan deal but Red Devils chief Ten Hag will want to make that permanent should his superb form persist. He will have the chance to continue shining on centre stage against Palace on the weekend as they look to make it two wins on the trot in the Premier League.

When quizzed about Amrabat deploying the left-back slot rather than his typical central midfielder role, Ten Hag said (via Manchester United’s official website).

“Yeah, but that's why we play him there, and I know he's capable. I said before, he is a player [who] if the team needs him, he will play there. And then he gives contributionto the team and that is quality, but also qualities, also then the energy and the dynamic he brings."