The 'McFred' disaster ruined McTominay at MU.

According to legend Roy Keane, "McFred" is an unpleasant memory for Scott McTominay, as the Scottish midfielder was once underestimated at Manchester United.

McTominay has transformed since leaving MU.

Legendary Roy Keane insists the problem isn't McTominay's ability, but how he's been used. Keane frankly stated that McTominay's partnership with Fred under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer damaged his image in the eyes of the fans.

"It was simply an unbalanced partnership," Keane said. "Ole always praised them, which was baffling. Scott had more talent than Fred, but when combined, they didn't create any balance. Manchester United lost control of the midfield and that damaged McTominay's image. People called them 'McFred'. That name almost became a joke."

Keane also acknowledged McTominay's significant improvement since leaving Old Trafford: "He's always been capable of scoring goals, but at Napoli, McTominay elevated himself. Without those goals, perhaps no one would even mention him. But to be fair, he's proven his worth."

The Irish legend pointed out a deeper problem at MU: "They haven't been able to buy better players, which is worrying. That's why people keep talking about old players like McTominay. He could be an important part of the team, but playing every week is different. MU are now spending money on attacking players, but the midfield is still unstable."

McTominay is considered incompatible with Fred in midfield.

McTominay is enjoying the best days of his career. Since leaving Manchester United in the summer of 2024 for a fee of £25 million, the Scottish midfielder has completely transformed under Antonio Conte. He played a major role in Napoli's Serie A title last season, and also won the Player of the Year award with 12 goals and 4 assists in 34 matches.

Entering the 2025/26 season, McTominay continues his impressive form with 5 goals in 13 matches across all competitions. Napoli currently leads the Serie A standings. Meanwhile, in Manchester, many are beginning to wonder if Manchester United sold the wrong player.

In fact, manager Ruben Amorim's focus in the summer of 2025 was solely on strengthening the attack. The plan to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton fell through, leaving MU still lacking a versatile midfielder like McTominay.

Source: https://znews.vn/tham-hoa-mcfred-huy-hoai-mctominay-o-mu-post1598981.html