FORMER Scotland manager Alex McLeish says he is baffled by the situation Scott McTominay finds himself in at Manchester United, and has urged Old Trafford boss Erik ten Hag to take a leaf out of Steve Clarke’s book in the way he deploys the midfielder.
McTominay has been outstanding for Scotland in their current qualification campaign for the European Championships, hitting six goals so far and only being denied a seventh by a controversial VAR call against Spain on Thursday night.
McLeish gives huge credit to current national team head coach Clarke for getting the best out of McTominay by pushing him into an advanced role, and he hopes that his late double against Brentford last weekend will persuade Ten Hag to use him more regularly.
“[I’m] a wee bit baffled about Scott McTominay’s situation,” McLeish said.
“I would have thought that his manager [at Manchester United] would have been looking at what Stevie Clarke has done with McTominay and moving him into forward areas as well.
“Everybody’s always thought he could get into these areas, he’s a big machine in that sense.
“Hopefully, Ten Hag will look to play him regularly now after his double at the weekend.”
It was McLeish who ensured that McTominay opted to play for Scotland during his second spell in charge of the national side after a tip-off from then United manager Jose Mourinho.
Though, getting McTominay to pledge his allegiance was the most straightforward part of his journey when he went to seal the deal in Manchester.
“Well, Mourinho said he was a shoo-in,” he said.
“I did have a hell of a night travelling down during the 'Beast from the East'. There were trains getting cancelled everywhere, so at four o’clock in the morning I arrived at Manchester Piccadilly and had to get into my hotel. They said I was down as a no-show, but they managed to find me a room.
“I went in to see Mourinho at lunchtime and met big Scott for the first time, and Jose I think had convinced him that he had to play for Scotland, though he had Scottish roots anyway.
“If it wasn’t me, it would have been another manager who would have got him, because I think it was fate.
“Stevie has played him in three different positions. He’s had him holding, he’s had him in the back three and now getting into these forward areas.
“He’s capable of that. Stevie has obviously shown Man United what he can do at that level, so I’d like to think that Ten Hag will take a lead off of that.”
