Scott McTominay emerged as the hero for Manchester United in their clash with Brentford on October 7th. Despite being substituted in the 87th minute at Brentford Community Stadium, the midfielder managed to score both the equalizer and the winning goal during stoppage time, securing the victory for the Red Devils. While McTominay has recently shown his scoring prowess at the international level, he has struggled to replicate that success in club competitions.
It’s possible that his goals against Brentford were a momentary burst of brilliance, but there’s no denying his ability to find the back of the net. Despite often being utilized as a deep-lying midfielder or even as a center-back, McTominay’s strongest attribute appears to be his goal-scoring ability. Although he currently enjoys favor among United fans, this hasn’t always been the case, and he has faced criticism for not meeting the club’s midfield standards. Could the Manchester United academy graduate be more valuable when positioned further forward? Many Manchester United supporters seem to think so.
In his earlier days as a reserve player at the club, Scott McTominay’s player profile indicated that he played as a center-forward for a couple of seasons within the academy. As we can observe today, he has evolved into a midfielder at the Premier League level. Standing at an imposing 6 feet and 4 inches, McTominay could offer an aerial threat for Manchester United, as demonstrated in the Brentford match.
His goal-scoring exploits for Scotland may prompt Erik ten Hag to consider this potential role change. Marcus Rashford, who has recently been deployed as a winger, has struggled to find the back of the net this season, and Manchester United will need to source their goals from various avenues to stay competitive for a top-four spot. While Rasmus Hojlund appears promising, the young Dane cannot carry the goal-scoring burden alone. Just a season ago, the notion of deploying Scott McTominay as a center-forward might have seemed ludicrous, but should it now be a viable option worth exploring?