Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay produced a disappointing performance during the shock 4-0 Premier League defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday evening.
The Red Devils had beaten the hosts in the previous seven meetings, but it was anticipated that they would face a difficult challenge, considering Brighton’s recent success at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, none would have predicted that United would be completely dominated at the Amex Stadium. Brighton scored four goals, but could have netted a few more with some better finishing.
It was a collectively poor showing from the Red Devils on the road. McTominay was one of the worst performers as he was outclassed by Yves Bissouma and Moises Caicedo in midfield.
The Scot was paired alongside Nemanja Matic in the centre of the park. He won just 3 of his 12 duels contested while failing to register a single tackle or interception over the course of 90 minutes.
Hence, it was quite a surprise when Matic was replaced instead of him at half-time. The Serbian was more involved in the first half with his forward runs, managing to win three tackles in the process.
Fred, who came on for the Serbian, did a credible job after the interval, but he was largely let down by McTominay, who struggled to gain any control of the proceedings, losing key challenges.
United have been yearning for a quality holding midfielder for sometime, and yesterday’s display at the Amex Stadium clearly suggests that should be the club’s priority for the summer transfer window.
McTominay was impressive during the early stages of Ralf Rangnick’s interim charge, but has looked out of sorts lately. This has coincided with the club’s poor run of form in the Premier League.
The £31.5 million-rated star still has room for improvement with a long career ahead, but the hierarchy must find a quality upgrade this summer if they want to at least bridge the gap to the top four next term.
United are set for their worst-ever points finish in a Premier League season. They are currently sixth with 58 points, and face another difficult outing at Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace on the final matchday.
