Former Manchester United coach Michael Carrick has explained the difference between Scott McTominay's time at Old Trafford and his recent success at Napoli
Scott McTominay celebrates winning Serie A with Napoli
Scott McTominay emerged as the star player in Serie A after leaving Manchester United last year
(Image: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Former Manchester United coach Michael Carrick has shed light on why Scott McTominay didn't fulfil his potential at Old Trafford.
The 28-year-old moved to Napoli last summer and clinched the Serie A title and the league's Most Valuable Player award in his first season. McTominay made a significant impact in Italy, scoring 13 goals and providing six assists in 36 games, quickly becoming a fan favourite in Naples. His recent success contrasts sharply with the scrutiny he faced at United, particularly when he was part of a midfield duo with Fred, often referred to as 'McFred'.
Despite some memorable performances in his final full season at Old Trafford, notching 10 goals across competitions and scoring at pivotal moments for Erik ten Hag's team, McTominay's rise at Napoli caught many by surprise. Carrick, who served as an assistant coach under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, explained that McTominay's talent was always apparent at United, even though he was asked to play a more defensive role.
"He was always, yeah, we had a bit of a kind of few discussions with it about Scott when we were coaching with Ole and we played a lot with him and Fred and actually had a lot of good success in many ways with the two of them," Carrick said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. "More defensively, yeah, he could, he was kind of the box-to-box, if you like, done a bit of everything, but more defensive.
"But he was reliable, he was a fantastic attitude, great to work with. But he always had, and in training, he always had an eye for goal. He was a great finisher. Getting in the box, and he had that, I never really had it, but with certain lads, getting around the box is just that extra bit of time to finish.
"Like a [Frank Lampard], you know? I know Lamps was obviously best of the best of that, but he's got a sense of that, getting in the box, and it drops to him, like it's goals, he's just finding that.
"And he always had it, and we tried a couple of times, and just because of the make-up with the team, it didn't quite work at that time, but there was always something in there where you think, he's got goals in him, Scotty."
Michael Carrick and Scott McTominay during Manchester United training
Former Manchester United coach Michael Carrick explained what he noticed about Scott McTominay in training
"I'm so happy that he's gone to do well, because he deserves it," Carrick continued. "I'm sad that it's not at United, because I think he's kind of the one that you want at the club, because he just drives everything, he's a heart and soul, but to see him go on and do well, it speaks volumes, and there's no one taking that. He's had ups and downs, big ups and downs, and he's gone on, and actually he's not looked back now. It's incredible what he's done."
The Scotland international, who came up through United's academy and became a first-team regular under Solskjaer by 2019, won the FA Cup and League Cup and reached the 2021 Europa League final during his time at Old Trafford. He made 255 appearances in total for United, and Carrick outlined why McTominay wasn't deployed in a more attacking role until he moved to Napoli.
"Make-up of the team, the dynamics, whatever," Carrick explained. "Look at England, you know, you've had it with England over the years. Why does it not work with England? Sometimes it's not an individual thing, it's a dynamic, it's the make-up of the group, it's the atmosphere surrounding it, that's what I'm saying.
"It's not always just about that football or that game, there's kind of feelings around it sometimes that affect everyone's judgement, you know, it's not always as straightforward as that."
Scott McTominay celebrates winning the 2024 FA Cup with Manchester United
Scott McTominay made 255 appearances for Manchester United before joining Napoli
While Carrick argues that McTominay played a deeper midfield role to maintain the balance of the team, the player himself believes he was misunderstood after being promoted to United's first team. The 28-year-old was prepared to play wherever he was required and believed he could be more consistent than some of his team-mates, but this attitude may have stopped him from claiming his best position in the United side.
"When I got into the first team, I was quite misprofiled in where I was playing," McTominay recalled to The Athletic in April. "It wasn't the fault of any coaches. My strengths have always been getting into the box, scoring goals, being a problem in there.
"But I was being used as a number six or as a centre-back, and that has never really been my game. But when you're playing for Manchester United and you're 20, you can't knock on the manager's door and say that you expect to be playing at number eight ahead of Paul Pogba. It's not realistic."
"You have to know your place, and do what you're asked to do," he added. "In the last few seasons, I began to get into the box a bit more, to score more goals, and then last year was my best one.
"They would always sign someone who wouldn't necessarily be what people expected them to be. My mentality was that I was always there, ready to go, ready to take my opportunity. I always wanted to prove my worth, to show I could play every game. It's not the sort of thing that affects me. You can only be in control of what you do."
Listen to the full Rio Meets Michael Carrick interview available now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and on theRio Ferdinand Presents podcast YouTube channel
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