Manchester United rebounded from a 2-1 loss to Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday with a win against Nottingham Forest last night.

Erik ten Hag’s team won 1-0 thanks to a late Casemiro goal, giving United its seventh victory of 2024.

The players’ performances varied, with some shining and others failing to have an impact on the game.

However, there was one player in particular whose performance may have gone unnoticed in the late pandemonium, and another who could lose their place in the starting lineup.

Why should Ten Hag bench Scott McTominay?

Scott McTominay has been Man United’s hero and Ten Hag’s rescue on numerous occasions this season, but his recent efforts against the Cottagers and the Tricky Trees may see him slide to the bench.

Although the 27-year-old is the Red Devils’ joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season with seven goals, he offers nothing else in the midfield, with his skill set best suited to a super-sub role.

This was noted yesterday, but United got away with it. McTominay and Bruno Fernandes played as two high eights, with the former bursting into the area and almost scoring twice.

However, Ten Hag’s side lacked control, as evidenced by Forest’s 16 shots. Throughout the game, the Scotland international was exceedingly inefficient, dropping the ball 17 times and made 35 passes with a passing accuracy of only 74%.

McTominay’s lack of defensive support was also on display, as he made no tackles or interceptions and was dribbled past once. With Manchester City coming up at the weekend, it may be time to replace the midfielder with a man who impressed yesterday.

Sofyan Amrabat’s Performance Against Forest

Sofyan Amrabat was named to the starting lineup for the first time since United’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool, and Ten Hag will hope to frustrate City in a similar fashion.

However, the Moroccan was not played in his customary defensive midfield position, instead starting as a left-back. In truth, the midfielder had a rocky start, but once he got into the game, he was fantastic.

Nonetheless, the table below displays his crucial statistics from the game versus Forest, demonstrating how important he was and may be for the rest of the season.

The number four has previously been described as a “monster” by journalist Alex Turk for his performance against Chelsea earlier this season, and while his defensive abilities were on display yesterday, with two tackles and 100% duels won, it was Amrabat’s on-the-ball ability that really stood out.

Despite playing left-back, Amrabat began to invert frequently to assist United in the build-up phase, demonstrating his extensive passing range. The 27-year-old had a pass accuracy of 97%, which is certainly far superior to McTominay’s, but he was also more progressive with the ball, completing all seven of his attempted long deliveries and making six passes into the final third, according to FotMob.

The Fiorentina loanee gave so much control to the United midfield, helping the team to gain some momentum in terms of attacking play while also limiting Forest’s counterattacking opportunities, as evidenced by their four shots in the second half.

In short, Amrabat deserves a chance to play more games, and yesterday’s performance could be the start of a second-half redemption for the player.