Manchester United lost 1-0 to Newcastle United – but it should have been more if we are honest.
Erik ten Hag‘s side were simply outclassed by the Geordies. Eddie Howe’s Magpies were full of energy, passion and played some beautiful football – the complete polar opposite of Manchester United.
Marcus Rashford was once again poor, Anthony Martial once again ghosted and even Bruno Fernandes didn’t make his mark on the game. It was a tough watch for Red Devils fans.
Despite some shocking performances, there was arguably no player more absent on the pitch than Scott McTominay. This is reflected in what is a simply ludicrous statistic.
Scott McTominay vs Newcastle United
McTominay was barely seen in the action at all yesterday. The Scotsman just did not seem to get involved, which was clear in both the attack and defence.
He was one of the United players deemed worthy to play the full game, which equated to a whopping 100 minutes due to additional time in both halves.
According to FOTMOB, during the 100-minute match, the 26-year-old only managed 30 touches. This is equal to just over one touch every three minutes. The sad thing is, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened this season.
In the first half of the fixture against Luton Town, McTominay only registered six completed passes in the first half – despite Manchester United having 76% possession.
In this clash, he also had a ridiculously low amount of touches. It’s all well and good he’s scoring goals, but is it becoming apparent that McTominay may be being deployed in the wrong area for the good of the side?
The eight role is becoming a problem for Erik ten Hag
McTominay is supposed to be playing the eight role, which has become a serious problem position for Manchester United.
The eight role is often the transitional phase between the defence and attack, which was something even a child could see Manchester United were lacking last night.
McTominay was inhabiting space higher up the pitch, which left gaps in the midfield that Newcastle filled with ease and left United in the mud time and time again.
It also meant a plethora of scenarios where defenders couldn’t play out from the back, with Kobbie Mainoo often being the only outlet combined with the fact the Geordies were hot on the Red Devils’ toes with a ridiculously high press.
The eight role is becoming an issue and it may be down to Ten Hag tactics. When Mason Mount played here earlier in the season, he also ghosted in games.
The Tottenham match springs to mind, where he produced a stat even worse than the Scotsman’s – had he only 26 touches against Spurs, the 10th lowest amount of the 11 United players who started.
Something needs to be rectified, and it may start by questioning just where McTominay fits into this Manchester United side.
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