Scott McTominay is a name that sends a chill down the spine of Leeds United fans, after the Scotland international enjoyed a fruitful run of form against the Whites with Manchester United.
Old Trafford was not a happy hunting ground for Marcelo Bielsa during his time at Leeds, as his side suffered two damaging Premier League defeats at the hands of their arch-rivals under the Argentinian.
A Luke Ayling wonder-strike was the undoubted highlight of Bielsa’s visits across the Pennines, as Leeds scored three and conceded 11 across the two games.
Prior to his renaissance as a Ballon D’Or contender at Napoli, McTominay’s main claim to fame was as Leeds’ tormentor in chief, having scored twice and registered one assist in a 6-2 defeat for Bielsa’s side.
Now, former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has explained how he got the best out of McTominay in his games against Leeds.
Scott McTominay celebrates during Manchester United v Leeds United - Premier League
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Scott McTominay was able to exploit Marcelo Bielsa’s system at Leeds United
Speaking to the Stick to Football podcast, Solskjaer recalled how Bielsa’s dedication to man-to-man marking helped him get the best out of McTominay against Leeds.
Both of McTominay’s goals came from late runs into the box, having lost his marker before finishing largely unopposed.
According to Solskjaer, he told McTominay that if he stuck to this plan, he would get his rewards against Leeds.
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Solskjaer said: “You saw a couple of games against Leeds where we said, Scott, this is a man-to-man game.
“And we’re going to have you running off, running off your man, third man run, up back, through, and he’ll score two, three. I can’t remember how many goals he scored against Leeds, against Bielsa.”
Scott McTominay and Luke Ayling during Manchester United v Leeds United - Premier League
Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images
Leeds United have not enjoyed much recent success against Manchester United
Due to the Premier League’s disjointed schedule, Leeds will not face Manchester United until January, when the Red Devils travel to Elland Road.
With head coach Daniel Farke feeling the pressure at Leeds, following the damaging defeat against Nottingham Forest, the German needs an upturn in results between now and then to guarantee he will still be in the dugout for the game.
Record vs Manchester United in Leeds’ last Premier League spell:
Man Utd 6-2 Leeds
Leeds 0-0 Man Utd
Man Utd 5-1 Leeds
Leeds 2-4 Man Utd
Man Utd 2-2 Leeds
Leeds 0-2 Man Utd
Whoever is in charge of Leeds will need to overcome a poor recent track record against Man Utd, with Leeds failing to win against their old rivals in their last stay in the top flight.
The closest they got was a 2-2 draw under interim boss Michael Skubala in February 2023. Bielsa also secured a 0-0 draw at Elland Road in 2021.