Why Wasn't Scott McTominay Loved By Man Utd Supporters?

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 10: Scott McTominay of Manchester United during the 2024 FA Community ... [+] Shield match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

Manchester United would have been worse off last season without Scott McTominay. The midfielder developed a habit of scoring important goals for the Old Trafford team, netting seven times in the Premier League. Many of them were late winners or equalisers. Yet United supporters rarely gave him any credit.

In fact, McTominay became a target for much of the Manchester United fanbase. He regularly received criticism and abuse on social media. On paper, as an academy graduate whose professionalism was never questioned, the Scot should have been a fan favourite. Instead he was anything but.

Now, McTominay is reportedly on his way Napoli in a transfer worth €30m. Antonio Conte is reshaping the Serie A team and has pushed for the signing of the Scottish midfielder who could be joined by his international teammate Billy Gilmour who is also believed to be a target for the Blues.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 07: Scott McTominay of Manchester United celebrates following their ... [+] sides victory after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Brentford FC at Old Trafford on October 07, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

It’s understandable that Manchester United has chosen to cash in on McTominay when he has just one year left on his contract. Erik ten Hag also wants technically able midfielders who can progress the ball through possession and McTominay isn’t that sort of player. He is a victim of the reconstruction work taking place at Old Trafford.

Nonetheless, Manchester United will miss McTominay for the qualities he brought over his eight seasons as a senior player at the club. As a box-crashing chaos merchant, he was extremely effective and was a reliable source of goals in a team that currently lacks attacking firepower. It’s not clear how United will replace those goals.

Manuel Ugarte is expected to complete a move to Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain in the coming days, but he’s a very different midfielder to McTominay. Indeed, he operates at the base and is a destroyer, not a creator. This represents a shift in the make-up of the squad at Old Trafford.

STUTTGART, GERMANY - JUNE 23: Scotland's Scott McTominay (centre) has a shot at goal during a 2024 ... [+] UEFA European Football Championship Group A match between Scotland and Hungary at the Stuttgart Arena, on June 23, 2024, in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)

McTominay deserves to be loved at club level like he is for his national team. Scotland supporters sing about the midfield during matches. Steve Clarke has even built his attack around McTominay and his late runs into the area, like the one from which he scored Scotland’s only goal at Euro 2024.

Conte might do something similar at Napoli. Whatever role he ends up performing at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, McTominay can now look forward to a fresh start for a club that might embrace him for what he is rather than reject him for what he isn’t. Meanwhile, Manchester United could regret not appreciating what they had.