Scott McTominay has opened up to Erik ten Hag’s demands and admits he should provide Manchester United with a greater attacking threat.
In a Q&A event yesterday, the midfielder was asked about the demands made on him by the manager and how Ten Hag wants him to improve his game.
“I should score more goals,” McTominay said at the event. “The coach really talked to me about it and he showed me little clips and little ways that I can be more effective in the game – give assists, score goals.
“If you do certain small details, then you can put yourself in those positions more often. I know I can do it. I’ve always liked to imagine that I can score goals and things like that, so it’s important that I keep practicing.
“Every time the coach talks to you, obviously you have to listen and accept everything. The information he is giving you is very good. It’s like that with a lot of gamers, where he sits them down and talks through game clips.
“Say ‘by doing this, how can you influence this?’ Lots of little fine details that can help the players and obviously give them confidence, putting their time into us, personally and not just in a group setting.”
McTominay has scored twice so far this season, though he is yet to open his Premier League account, having netted in the Europa League and Carabao Cup.
He enjoyed a good run between United’s 2-1 win over Liverpool and a 6-3 defeat against Manchester City.
Following that dismal result, summer signing Casemiro cemented his place in the starting XI at the expense of McTominay.
The Scot had been deployed as the deepest of a midfield three alongside Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, but his comments could suggest that Ten Hag now sees him best suited for a slightly more advanced position.
McTominay has shown in the past that he has a good shot on him, and on the rare occasions that he has ventured into goal position, he has threatened opponents with that ability.
Training him to make better moves off the ball and get into a good scoring position could be a significant boost to United’s attacking output.
Providing assists would also add another level to McTominay.
While the player has often been deployed more as a defensive counterbalance during his time in United’s first team, his comeback of just three assists in 132 Premier League appearances clearly needs substantial improvement.
McTominay could certainly benefit from better positioning as he seeks to establish himself as a mainstay of the Ten Hag regime, and it’s definitely positive to hear about the manager’s dedication to extracting every morsel of potential from his players.
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