"That was an extremely good performance by Scotty," Ralf Rangnick raved after United's victory against Burnley to close out 2021 on Thursday night. He continued to say that his "energy on the pitch is contagious."
It's fair to say the United interim manager was sold by Scott McTominay's showing, coming the night prior to the midfielder's fellow countryman Sir Alex Ferguson's 80th birthday. Why does that bare significance? Well, it was the former United boss that brought McTominay to the club as a young boy.
The Scottish midfielder was the star of the show in the final Premier League match of the calendar year, in fact he completely ran the show. He was the centrepoint in Rangnick's revamped 4-4-2 system, operating as a controlling figure alongside Nemanja Matic in midfield.
Both in and out of possession, McTominay performed with great efficiency. You may say there was certain method to his madness, with real purpose about his trademark high energy approach - his discipline was refreshingly developed.
There was genuine quality within the midfielder's showing, challenging the doubt that is often thrown over McTominay's ability on the ball. The finish for his goal was pinpoint, with two similar efforts produced from a similar area in subsequence. In fact, the second of his three efforts during the match forced the save from Wayne Hennessey which led to Cristiano Ronaldo's tap in for United's third goal. All of his shots came from the area just outside the penalty area, with each of the attempts on target and threatening.
His movement and positioning deserves to be lauded too, both factors which contributed to engineering the shooting chances he obtained. Donny van de Beek has often been hailed for his ability to arrive late towards the box, with this replicated with poise on numerous occasions by McTominay on Thursday.
The movement on display wasn't only impressive in this respect. McTominay, as is now rather typical, covered a mass of ground throughout the 90 minutes. He was busy in lots of areas, putting in both a reliable defensive shift and offering himself in a multitude of areas to get hold of the ball. This willingness to be in possession proved a virtue, enhancing the Scotsman's status as a real lynchpin in Rangnick's reconstructed setup.
On the ball, McTominay was determined as ever when driving forward. He provided an expert use of his colossal physical stature when carrying the ball to routinely brush opponents away, producing a number of direct surges. He completed every dribble he attempted, with the positive nature of his individual approach emphasised by seven final third entries.
He was progressive as opposed to passive, a marked improvement likely amplified by increased freedom alongside an established deeper-lying anchorman in Matic. McTominay is one often critiqued for an unhelpful array of backwards and sideways passes, yet he was always looking forward on Thursday. Clearly, Rangnick is drilling his players to always look to play the ball forwards.
Taking into account McTominay's renewed desire to distribute the ball positively through the lines, the fact he made the most passes on the pitch encapsulated his dominance and how it intensified United's authority, especially in an attacking sense. There was no dwelling in possession, with McTominay playing a total of 57 passes for 76 touches, justifying alignment with Rangnick's high volume ethos.
His endeavour was further embodied by the defensive output offered. McTominay's nine ball recoveries represented the highest total on the pitch, whilst he engaged in and won the most duels. Overall, nine of his 15 contested duels were successful. The physical aspects of McTominay's game are undoubtedly admired by Rangnick, an attribute that the German is very vocal about being a vital aspect within his teams.
Finally, despite not being one of the most experienced players, he appears a real leader in the dressing room. It sounds cliché, but he speaks so well - shown by his post-match interview. He's articulate in his analysis, motivated yet measured.
“Now is the time we really start stepping up and doing much, much better. The manager is so demanding and we play for United, it is what we have to do. We are all learning an adapting. We play for United, we are dominant and we need to get results."
That's just a segment of what he had to say.
People often question why McTominay is such a regular in the United side, but he's not such a big part of the side for nothing. It's no coincidence that he was loved by each of Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prior to this concurrent Rangnick stint.
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