Scott McTominay: The unsung hero of an unforgettable night in Paris

Under Jose Mourinho, Scott McTominay had become an unwitting pawn in the manager’s battle with Paul Pogba. On Wednesday night, the 22-year-old lined up to face Paris Saint-Germain in a game he will never forget.

McTominay has had a curious career at United so far. Despite being an Academy graduate, and being at his boyhood club since the age of five, fans have not taken to the young Scot as they have to others.

The Old Trafford faithful have not changed his name like those of other Academy graduates like Marcus Rashford or Jesse Lingard. Even Tahith Chong, who only made his debut in January, is more likely to get a reaction than the Scottish international.

After that magical night in Paris, things may have changed.

https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1103696577141637120

Mourinho enjoyed McTominay’s diligence in his defensive duties, his simple distribution of the ball, and his perceived willingness to obey commands from the bench. Paul Pogba was cast as the lazy, overcomplicating counterpoint, all flashy haircuts and Instagram posts. McTominay, whether he wanted to be or not, was Mourinho’s man.

The Portuguese manager went out of his way to praise McTominay, in the face of what were fairly average performances. The Scot made thirteen Premier League appearances, scoring no goals, getting no assists, making less than a tackle per game.

At the end of the season, Mourinho created and gave him the “Manager’s Player of the Year” award at United’s year-end festivities, something that fans immediately suspected was another dig at Pogba.

McTominay had become a pawn in the heated game between his manager and his teammate and was clearly considered dispensable by Mourinho, being restricted to just five Premier League appearances in the 2018/19 season. Not that the fans were complaining, mind you.

By Christmas, Mourinho was gone. McTominay was left in a lurch, not in the squad, dropped by the manager who had given him his debut but had used him for leverage against a teammate.

In came Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. All of a sudden, United were winning. The dark clouds around the club began to dissipate.

But there was no room for McTominay, save for a few brief cameos off the bench.

As injuries and suspensions began to mount for a United side fighting on three fronts, McTominay finally got his chance against Liverpool in the league. Buoyed by a strong performance, he started against Palace. Then against Southampton.

With Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic both out, McTominay was now a vital figure, playing alongside Paul Pogba, the man Mourinho had painted him at odds with.

And then came, Paris.

United went into the game with ten players injured or suspended, having lost 2-0 at Old Trafford. No team in Champions League history had overcome a 2-0 home loss in the first leg of a knockout tie. Pogba, United’s undisputed star, was missing due to a red card he received late in that game.

McTominay was now the leader of the midfield, with Fred, the expensive misfit, and Andreas Pereira, another Academy product, lining up alongside him.

Across from them stood Marco Veratti and Marquinhos, experienced, savvy professionals.

As the game progressed, United’s midfield saw little of the ball. McTominay had the ball for 2.4% of the game, starved of possession. Verratti must have looked down on him like a nobleman to a pauper, enjoying 9.1% of the game’s share of the ball.

So McTominay ran. He hassled and he harried. He snapped at Verratti’s ankles, haunting him like a gangly, pink-clad spectre. The Italian covered 11.16km on the night, and McTominay was breathing down his neck every step of the way, leading both teams in distance covered.

On the brief occasions, the Scot was presented with the ball, he treated it with the utmost care. His 96% pass completion rate was the highest among either team, and he was never dispossessed. Verratti was dispossessed thrice, with McTominay in the vicinity each time.

As Marquinhos turned into space, trying to break United’s midfield line, McTominay was there. As Mbappe drifted into the middle, McTominay was there. As Verratti dared to stop and catch his breath, McTominay was there. As Marcus Rashford stood, waiting to take the penalty that would send United into the quarterfinals, McTominay was there, dragging Juan Bernat out of the box.

When the full-time whistle went, and the impossible became reality, McTominay sprinted towards the away end, before stopping, and sinking to the turf, a mix of ecstasy and sheer exhaustion. His performance had been a throwback to those made commonplace by another Scottish academy graduate, Darren Fletcher.

The Old Trafford faithful took time to warm up to Fletcher, who slowly developed into a dynamic, energetic midfield presence, tailor-made for the big occasions. Fletcher’s career may have laid out the roadmap for McTominay to follow.

He is not one of United’s first choice midfielders. He may never be. Neither was Darren Fletcher. But as he was helped to his feet by a United staff member, he could reflect on being the unsung star of an unforgettable night that, even by United’s lofty standards, was special.