From deadwood to impact sub

In the age of data, extensive analysis and expected goals, it remains a truism of football that goals are the only statistic that really matter.

Take Scott McTominay, for example. Regularly derided by data analysts and shunted to the back of the Manchester United midfield queue last summer, the Scot looked set to leave for pastures new. Few connected with United were mourning McTominay’s anticipated departure, as West Ham launched a bid for his services.

Fast forward towards the end of a tumultuous season at Old Trafford, however, and McTominay’s impact has been as clear as it has been unexpected. For club and country, in fact, it has been a coming of age period for the 27-year-old, who has scored 16 goals in the past 12 months in the colours of United and Scotland.

Goals. They are McTominay’s stock in trade and recent changes to his position in both the international and club arenas have helped him get more of them.

The previous 12-month period, between March 2022 and the same month in 2022, saw McTominay net five. In the 2021/22 Premier League season for United he scored just once.

McTominay has started to win over his critics, of which there were plenty especially when wearing United red.

The key has been to relieve him of his defensive duties and shift him away from a possession-heavy position. Erik ten Hag started his United reign with McTominay as the starting No 6 in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with United beaten 2-1 at home by Brighton in that first game under the Dutchman. In the weeks that followed, Ten Hag continued to view McTominay primarily as a defensive midfielder, using him as backup to new signing Casemiro that season.

All the while, Scotland – who are not blessed with immense depth at the back – were using McTominay as a right-sided centre-back in a 3-5-2 formation. Like United, they saw only the player’s defensive qualities and ignored his goalscoring potential.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, though, and that has proved the case on multiple occasions this season when Ten Hag has thrown on McTominay as a substitute with United needing a goal.

On the training ground, the former Ajax manager had identified a quality in the player that made him perfect for the impact sub role, box-crashing from midfield to meet crosses with his head or feet. He was rightly moved up the pitch.

“I should score more goals,” McTominay said earlier this season. “The manager has actually spoken to me about that and shown me little clips and little ways I can be more effective in the game: making assists, scoring goals.

“If you do certain little details, then you can get yourself in those positions more often. I know that I can do it. I’ve always liked to fancy myself that I can score goals and stuff like that, so it’s important I keep practising.”

McTominay’s history as an auxiliary striker in United’s youth setup is now semi-legendary. He played there once or twice for the club’s age-group sides and was, in fairness, used as a box-to-box midfielder under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He had already acquired the skills, he just needed to the chance to deploy them.

What few people perhaps anticipated, however, was how effective McTominay would prove, scoring a number of crucial goals from that midfield role this season. There were two late strikes for United against Brentford in October, another brace to down Chelsea in December, and he was Scotland’s top scorer in qualifying for Euro 2024 before that.

“I’ve always seen myself as a No 8, someone who likes to carry the ball, get into the box and score goals and make things happen,” McTominay said on Monday ahead of Scotland’s international friendly against Northern Ireland.

“I love it, it’s my favourite thing, because I know when midfielders are sprinting into the box full-pelt, it’s hard to stop. I know how it feels, being on the other end of it. I just want to do that, create things and give good moments and big goals to the team.

“My biggest strength is getting in the box and being a threat, as well as carrying the ball.”

Finally finding McTominay the right role has been a big bonus for United and Scotland in the past year or so, but the player also deserves credit for his work ethic, making the absolute most of his opportunities.

He may not be blessed with the technical ability of other attacking midfielders but you can’t argue with his end product. He is United’s second top scorer this season, behind only Rasmus Hojlund.

He is producing sufficiently to prompt very real conversations regarding a potential new contract at United, which seemed virtually unthinkable this time last year when an exit loomed.

United are set to undergo a host of changes this summer when Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos implement their blueprint for a brave new future at the club.

Yet for all the players that must be offloaded, for all the necessary changes to be made, jettisoning McTominay ought not to be high on Ratcliffe’s to-do list. He deserves a stay of execution at Old Trafford and he might even propel Scotland to the sharp end of Euro 2024, too.