Pundit savages Scott McTominay amid ’embarrassing’ Man United transfer claim
Noel Whelan has insisted Man United pair Scott McTominay and Fred are “miles away” from the esteemed midfielders of the club’s past.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed central midfield should have been the “first area” addressed during the summer window.
Much-maligned duo McTominay and Fred drew a huge portion of the criticism as Man United slumped to a 2-1 opening-weekend defeat against Brighton on Sunday (7 August).
Speaking on Sky Sports after full-time, former Red Devils captain Roy Keane blasted the pair – insisting they are “not good enough” to get Man United back to the top of the Premier League.
As quoted by Metro (7 August), Paul Scholes also ripped into McTominay – branding his persistent running with the ball “absolutely ridiculous”.
Man United have chased Frenkie de Jong for much of the summer window but now reportedly look set to turn attention to Juventus outcast Adrien Rabiot in order to remedy their midfield problems.
Whelan insisted the current pairing “can’t even get close to” many of Man United’s historic stars, stretching all the way back to Brian McClair.
He told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “They can’t compete with any of the Man United midfielders of the past, even going back to Brian McClair.
“Come on… they can’t be compared with any of these players. Brian Robson, and don’t get me started on Roy Keane. He was the general and the leader at Old Trafford, he ran the show.
“If Keane ticked every box, Fred and McTominay are not ticking any boxes. Whether it’s work rate, concentration, organisation, ability – they’re miles away.
“Scholes, Butt, I could reel names off all day that they can’t even get close to.
“It’s embarrassing, and it should’ve been the first area they improved.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire fears Man United could be rocked by Adidas lawsuit – “this is on another level”.