One of many largest success tales a Manchester United academy graduate has had since leaving the membership is, doubtless, Scott McTominay.
The Scotland worldwide has shone for his new membership Napoli and performed a vital function in getting his nation to the 2026 World Cup.
The 28-year-old has performed 50 video games for the Italian giants now, scoring 17 objectives and helping seven in that point. He grew to become a membership hero by serving to information them to the Scudetto title final season, profitable the Serie A MVP award and incomes himself a Ballon d’Or nomination within the course of.
Ruben Amorim by no means obtained the prospect to work with him at United, however it might have been fascinating to understand how he’d have utilised him.
How Amorim might have used McTominay at Man Utd
It’s attention-grabbing to notice that below Antonio Conte in Naples, McTominay has operated in a number of totally different roles. He’s performed as a quantity ten, a box-crashing quantity eight and even off the left-hand aspect.
Nicely, had Amorim obtained the prospect to teach the Scot, he could have used him as a quantity ten in his notorious 3-4-2-1 system. The United academy graduate has nice instincts within the field and excels at occupying the centre-backs.
If he had been to play excessive up below Amorim, the possibilities are he’d be spending extra time within the field.
After all, the opposite space McTominay would naturally slot in Amorim’s system can be as a quantity eight. On this function, he might nonetheless have crashed the field, making late runs to get on the tip of crosses from the wing-backs.
Off the ball, his physicality would have been a handful. That’s maybe finest showcased by his 1.85 aerial duels received per 90 minutes over the past 12 months, inserting him within the high 11% of midfielders throughout Europe’s large 5 leagues.
After all, we’ll by no means really understand how McTominay would have fitted in below Amorim, however there’s a participant within the academy who could possibly be seen because the Portuguese supervisor’s personal model.
Amorim’s in-house Scott McTominay
Through the years, United’s esteemed academy, Carrington, has produced some distinctive expertise. McTominay is likely one of the fashionable examples, and the Pink Devils have some good expertise coming by way of nonetheless.
A kind of is Sekou Kone, a person who could possibly be considered because the second coming of McTominay.
The Malian youth worldwide is seen by soccer scout Antonio Mango as a participant who might be “a beast below Ruben Amorim.”
At 19 years of age, Kone has already been concerned in first-team squads due to United’s supervisor, who clearly sees expertise in him to provide him that chance. The midfielder was an unused substitute for 3 Premier League video games final season.
As for his performances within the academy, the five-foot-nine midfielder has proven good versatility and one eye on purpose. He’s performed 14 video games for the Pink Devils’ under-21 aspect, scoring twice and working as a quantity ten and within the pivot, simply as McTominay has proven for Napoli.
The competitors through which Kone really introduced himself was the Underneath-17 World Cup again in 2023.
He helped steer Mali to 3rd place and was one of many standout gamers within the competitors, creating 10 possibilities and grabbing two assists.
|
Kone – U17 World Cup |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Per 90 |
Match complete |
|
Key passes |
1.6 |
10 |
|
Dribbles accomplished |
2.5 |
16 |
|
Lengthy balls accomplished |
5.5 |
35 |
|
Tackles and interceptions |
6.4 |
41 |
|
Aerial duels received |
2.5 |
16 |
|
Stats from Sofascore |
||
It can definitely be attention-grabbing to see how far down the road we’re from Kone’s first-team debut.
The 19-year-old might function in a number of totally different roles, and his skill to have an impact within the closing third would possibly pique Amorim’s curiosity.
It’s simple to see how he’s the second coming of McTominay. A flexible midfielder who might be bodily dominant, regardless of having a smaller body than the Scot, and somebody in a position to rating objectives.
He’s definitely an thrilling prospect for Amorim and United.
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