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The McTominay Conundrum


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5 minutes ago, edinabear said:

It is absolutely impossible to judge the ability of McGregor until he finds some ambition and moves south.

Well that or watch him for Scotland, where he's probably been our best player for more than a year now.

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36 minutes ago, edinabear said:

He has regularly underperformed in Europe also.

How do you know? I didn't think you'd be allowed to regularly watch your bitter rivals.

29 minutes ago, accies1874 said:

Well that or watch him for Scotland, where he's probably been our best player for more than a year now.

What makes you think Callum McGregor has been our best player for more than a year? Not disagreeing but curious as to how you've arrived at that point of view.

 

I have no personal interest in the roles National team players are performing at their clubs because they are playing in different systems with different players. As long as they're fit and available that's the main thing for me and it's about constructing a team that suit the way Scotland want to play that gives us the best chance of getting the results we need from the triple header. 

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30 minutes ago, 2426255 said:

How do you know? I didn't think you'd be allowed to regularly watch your bitter rivals.

What makes you think Callum McGregor has been our best player for more than a year? Not disagreeing but curious as to how you've arrived at that point of view.

 

I have no personal interest in the roles National team players are performing at their clubs because they are playing in different systems with different players. As long as they're fit and available that's the main thing for me and it's about constructing a team that suit the way Scotland want to play that gives us the best chance of getting the results we need from the triple header. 

His performances have very, very rarely dropped below par in that time and he's delivered high quality ones in almost every big game we've played recently (except June). Don't think you can really say that about anyone else. He's also helped us either dominate lesser teams (Moldova away and Armenia at home) or come on when things are getting iffy (Moldova at home and Faroes away). Regular turnovers, extremely tidy but effective in possession and, as you've pointed out before, helps a lot with Robertson and Tierney's link-up. 

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11 minutes ago, accies1874 said:

His performances have very, very rarely dropped below par in that time and he's delivered high quality ones in almost every big game we've played recently (except June). Don't think you can really say that about anyone else. He's also helped us either dominate lesser teams (Moldova away and Armenia at home) or come on when things are getting iffy (Moldova at home and Faroes away). Regular turnovers, extremely tidy but effective in possession and, as you've pointed out before, helps a lot with Robertson and Tierney's link-up. 

He has provided great consistency and although I'm hesitant to agree fully with you and place him above our nucleus of starting players such as Craig Gordon, Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Kieran Tierney, Andrew Robertson and Grant Hanley I consider his contribution as equal to any of those main players for us.

He was one of two players who played every minute during the June camp which indicates the extent to which he is valued within the Scotland camp.

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Edited by 2426255
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Not surprised that McTomiany is yet again impressing another manager and have a superb campaign so far.

He seems the preferred option out of McFred, consistently getting minutes ahead of the Brazilian international.

Some of those criticising him on this thread must be feeling awful sheepish!

I would still keep McGregor, McGinn and Gilmour as the midfield three. McGregor is, rightly, the least likely to be dropped. Gilmour is lacking in march fitness but McTomiany can't do what he does.

McGinn is off form and the most likely player for McTomiany to replace but I still think meatball is enough of a goal threat to retain his place. If he isn't getting in midfield he should be in for RCB spot with Patterson RWB.

Lots of great options in the Scotland midfielder.

Ireland, by contrast, are full of championship no hopers in their midfield.

Wales are doling out caps to luminaries like Joe Morrell, Matthew Smith and Jonny Williams.

Midfield definitely an area in which we are strong.

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13 hours ago, accies1874 said:

His performances have very, very rarely dropped below par in that time and he's delivered high quality ones in almost every big game we've played recently (except June). Don't think you can really say that about anyone else. He's also helped us either dominate lesser teams (Moldova away and Armenia at home) or come on when things are getting iffy (Moldova at home and Faroes away). Regular turnovers, extremely tidy but effective in possession and, as you've pointed out before, helps a lot with Robertson and Tierney's link-up. 

I actually think he was our best player against Ukraine as well. It was obviously a horrible performance and our midfield was outnumbered, but he was still absolutely everywhere. 

I used to think he was gubbins for Scotland, but from the Euros onwards he's been an absolute standout for us. He's also an incredible athlete who manages to clock up about 50 games a season without picking up so much as a knock.

Aye, I pure fancy him now.

 

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9 hours ago, Satoshi said:

 

I would still keep McGregor, McGinn and Gilmour as the midfield three. McGregor is, rightly, the least likely to be dropped. Gilmour is lacking in march fitness but McTomiany can't do what he does.

 

 

He hasn't been at Rangers for years tbf.

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On 06/09/2022 at 11:29, velo army said:

I actually think he was our best player against Ukraine as well. It was obviously a horrible performance and our midfield was outnumbered, but he was still absolutely everywhere. 

I used to think he was gubbins for Scotland, but from the Euros onwards he's been an absolute standout for us. He's also an incredible athlete who manages to clock up about 50 games a season without picking up so much as a knock.

I hadn't really focused on McGregor but I agree, he was good, industrious and trying to make things happen.

I was just reviewing our wing backs performances throughout June and I thought Andy Robertson's performance against Ukraine in the first half was pretty good really which kind of surprised me as a lot of people were panning him. He got into some great attacking positions but maybe was a little guilty of trying to do a little too much and was very aggressive with his defensive positioning

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On 07/09/2022 at 14:47, 2426255 said:

I hadn't really focused on McGregor but I agree, he was good, industrious and trying to make things happen.

I was just reviewing our wing backs performances throughout June and I thought Andy Robertson's performance against Ukraine in the first half was pretty good really which kind of surprised me as a lot of people were panning him. He got into some great attacking positions but maybe was a little guilty of trying to do a little too much and was very aggressive with his defensive positioning

Robertson sold the goal because he couldn't be arsed tracking Yarmolenko's run because he had been on the bevvy.

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10 hours ago, Detournement said:

Robertson sold the goal because he couldn't be arsed tracking Yarmolenko's run because he had been on the bevvy.

Yeah to be fair he could have done better at Ukraine's first goal, still thought his performance was unfairly panned. He might have been hungover but seeing as I don't have strong enough evidence to point to that might as well not jump to conclusions, get angry and hold a grudge in subsequent matches. 

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Started again tonight for Man United (albeit made way for Casimero at half time when 2-0 up).

its looking like McTominay and Eriksen are ETH’s number one midfield partnership, keeping a couple of guys with 90 caps for Brazil on the bench

Got to be Scotland’s number 1 midfielder now 

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Quote

Every time United make a change of manager there are people who always say it will be Scott McTominay who will go out of the team but he is another one who rises to the challenge and says I am not going out of the team which is great. Now Scott’s got real competition in Casemiro and is still holding his place in the team and is enjoying it. His performances have been good and he has deserved to play in the team.

For me McTominay’s best position is right sided centre-back. He plays it well for us. He also plays the defensive midfield role where he can sit behind the game, but he can also go box to box. So, he has all those attributes to his game which is fantastic for me as a coach to have the chance to work with a player like that. It is a credit to Scott that he can do that.

He just wants to play for his country, he says wherever you want to play me, I will play, which is great. He wants to be part of a successful squad which all these boys do.

Steve Clarke

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/9475557/scotland-boss-steve-clarke-honest-frank-lampard-nathan-patterson/

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On 15/09/2022 at 22:38, Captain Saintsible said:

Started again tonight for Man United (albeit made way for Casimero at half time when 2-0 up).

its looking like McTominay and Eriksen are ETH’s number one midfield partnership, keeping a couple of guys with 90 caps for Brazil on the bench

Got to be Scotland’s number 1 midfielder now 

McGregor is pretty good !

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Surprised to see people raving about McTominay, I thought he was generally good, but some of his passing was absolutely wild and he lost out on a lot of 50-50s. I don't think the deeper midfield role really suits him either, similar to playing centre-back it is just about getting him on the pitch because of the good qualities he does have in terms of physical presence, confidence in carrying the ball and ability to inject tempo into the game. I'm a really big fan but he's an incredibly weird player and I still think his strongest position is the one McGinn plays.

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2 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

Surprised to see people raving about McTominay, I thought he was generally good, but some of his passing was absolutely wild and he lost out on a lot of 50-50s. I don't think the deeper midfield role really suits him either, similar to playing centre-back it is just about getting him on the pitch because of the good qualities he does have in terms of physical presence, confidence in carrying the ball and ability to inject tempo into the game. I'm a really big fan but he's an incredibly weird player and I still think his strongest position is the one McGinn plays.

Agree with you there. Would love to know in what position he feels he’s best 

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6 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

Surprised to see people raving about McTominay, I thought he was generally good, but some of his passing was absolutely wild and he lost out on a lot of 50-50s. I don't think the deeper midfield role really suits him either, similar to playing centre-back it is just about getting him on the pitch because of the good qualities he does have in terms of physical presence, confidence in carrying the ball and ability to inject tempo into the game. I'm a really big fan but he's an incredibly weird player and I still think his strongest position is the one McGinn plays.

Although he started off deeper, he was playing much more box to box in the second half although to be fair most of our players were as we continually pressed and played mostly in Ukraines half.

But McGregor was definitely the one sitting deeper though and McTominay was getting forward.

I thought he was very good, he has a physical presence that none of other midfielders have, made a number of key interceptions and was trying to get involved in attacks. Needs to shoot more though, had a couple of great opportunities for a shot and he shat it and attempted to pass.

Be interested to see how deep he plays when we play against someone who is more of a threat than Ukraine were tonight and whether he will have same licence to get forward 

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11 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

Surprised to see people raving about McTominay, I thought he was generally good, but some of his passing was absolutely wild and he lost out on a lot of 50-50s. I don't think the deeper midfield role really suits him either, similar to playing centre-back it is just about getting him on the pitch because of the good qualities he does have in terms of physical presence, confidence in carrying the ball and ability to inject tempo into the game. I'm a really big fan but he's an incredibly weird player and I still think his strongest position is the one McGinn plays.

What impressed me tonight is the number of times he was winning the ball back for us all across the park, but particularly in their half. On quite a few occasions it looked like the visitors might launch a counter attack, only for McTominay to get stuck into a tackle and recycle the ball and set us up with a 4-on-4 type. Unfortunately we didn’t make a huge amount of them, largely due to his final ball not being great.

 

For me McTominay thrives as the more attacking of the “2” in a 4-2-3-1. I think he will do very well with Casemiro if ETH ever plays them together. He’s a good progressive midfielder dropping deep to get the ball and then carrying it into the final third. I don’t like him in the 10 role because his end product isn’t really there and you need guys who can pick the killer pass and have an eye for goal there, which McGinn certainly does, but I think McTominay fits as the box to box option.

 

It’s pretty tough to see how McTominay and Gilmour fit into the same team if the back four stays, but at the minute it’s a no brainer which one deserves to start. 

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