FLETCHER SEES THE FUTURE IN McTOMINAY
Scotland stalwart reckons English were ‘desperate’ to land United kid
AS ALEX McLeish prepares to name his first Scotland squad second time around on Thursday, much of the job will feel like he has never been away.
Aside from obvious contenders in the top flight of our own game, McLeish will trawl the waters of the second and third tiers of the English game out of necessity rather than choice.
That’s undoubtedly what makes the inclusion of Scott McTominay so rousing from the perspective of the Tartan Army.
No harm to the honest triers of Derby County, Leeds United, Hull City and the like. But seeing the name of Manchester United on the squad sheet is a rare experience. One which stirs the blood.
The intrigue surrounding McTominay, of course, isn’t just the fact that Jose Mourinho appears to be a signed-up member of his fan club.
It’s that England, the land of his birth, were an option. But not just in the very loosest sense. A viable one. So much so that there are those who believe Gareth Southgate might have missed a trick as he mulls over his options for the World Cup.
‘It’s a great coup for Scotland,’ said former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher yesterday.
‘This is somebody who is playing in the Premier League and the Champions League.
‘He’s really forced his way into the Manchester United team in the last few weeks and is someone who is going to have a bright future in the game to play for us.
‘I’m sure England were desperate for him, as well, with the World Cup coming up this summer.
‘You want form players. Central midfield probably isn’t their strongest position, so I’m sure if he stayed in the United team that would have been an option for them. But he has a desire to play for Scotland, so that’s great.’
Without so much as kicking a ball in a dark blue jersey, then, McTominay, who was never selected for either nation at underage level, has become a celebrated figure this side of Hadrian’s Wall purely by virtue of his decision to play for the country of his father’s birth.
It’s also a timely coup for McLeish. The 59-year-old was unveiled amid a backdrop of complete indifference last month.
This lightens the narrative surrounding his appointment in one fell swoop. An outbreak of optimism may even soon follow.
There appears to be a danger, however, of the situation being hijacked by hyperbole.
Bluntly, the Manchester United jersey does not always come with a guarantee of quality.
McTominay’s first-half appearance against Crystal Palace last night was just his 17th since making his debut at Arsenal last May.
Such limited evidence gives rise to an entirely legitimate old question: Can he play?
‘Going back about 18 months when he first started travelling with the first team, I did ask Ashley Young about him,’ Fletcher told BBC Scotland.
‘The first thing he said about him was what an unbelievable pro he was, how fit he was and how much of a great lad he was.
‘He said he was absolutely ripped — that he was in the gym all the time. He told me he was someone to keep an eye on because he could be going places — mainly because of his attitude, work rate and the way he carried himself.
‘I’ve spoken to Ricky Sbragia (United youth team boss) and Nicky Butt and the biggest thing is his work rate and how much the manager (Mourinho) thinks he can trust him.
‘I heard Faddy (James McFadden) compare him to me, somebody who was going to play for the team and have the superstars around him. Sometimes, you need someone to do that little bit of extra work.
‘I’m not saying he hasn’t got ability himself. But when you break into the first team, especially at United, you need to earn the right and be someone who is working hard for the team and be willing to go those extra hard yards to cover for some of the flair players.
‘If you earn the respect of the team-mates and the trust of your manager, then you get more game time and you can work on your own performance and show you have a passing range and show you can play as well.’
Adamant that he is not damning an emerging talent with faint praise, Fletcher believes McTominay excels at doing the simple stuff well.
Likely to be deployed in a deeplying midfield role by McLeish, anyone anticipating the 21-year-old to be charging from box to box is liable to feel let down.
‘Another thing Ashley was saying about him is that he’s always wanting the ball and he doesn’t hide at all,’ said Fletcher.
‘It’s a sign of a good player. To be someone who always wants the ball in that environment speaks volumes.’
If the excitement and sense of achievement at the SFA is understandable on this one, the note of caution Fletcher also sounds appears judicious.
‘In the United team, he’s not going to be the one who’s looked at to be scoring and creating goals,’ said the Stoke midfielder.
‘You don’t suddenly want that responsibility to fall on him in a Scotland shirt.
‘Maybe I felt that a bit, as well, where you feel you have to do something in the game, you have to create, you have to score, you have to show you’re a good passer.
‘And, all of a sudden, you’re putting pressure on yourself to win the game single-handedly.
‘We have to remember he’s a young player and a young lad.
‘He’s playing for Manchester United and he’s going to have a great future, but it’s a completely different game with Scotland.
‘The biggest thing now is not putting too much pressure on him.’
Despite being 34 now, Fletcher hasn’t given up hope of being named in McLeish’s squad on Thursday with the prospect of playing in Euro 2020 still a burning ambition.
‘I feel good, I feel fit,’ he said. ‘Going forward, it’s obviously up to the manager in terms of how he sees it. We’ve got a new manager in Alex McLeish and I’ve not spoken to him yet, but I’m sure I will in the near future and see what the plans are.’