HIGHLY-RATED MIDFIELDER Scott McTominay was handed a very first Champions League start by Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho tonight.
The 20-year-old has featured for the senior side on a number of occasions, making his debut at the end of last season, but his inclusion in United’s starting XI for tonight’s clash with Benfica at Old Trafford represented another significant step in the right direction.
He was named alongside Nemanja Matic in a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, after Mourinho dabbled with a back-three against Tottenham last weekend.
The youngster already earned some praise from Mourinho this season after he did well in the recent League Cup win over Swansea. McTominay started that game, having come on as a substitute in United’s 1-0 victory over Benfica in the reverse Champions League fixture just six days earlier.
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Fair play to him
@Padraig Corcoran: Funny that he sat in the Virgin studios after England walloped France and on live tv he rattled off the names of the French backs and said he’d love the chance to coach them. Is that where it all came from? Hope it works out for him and France.
No disrespect to ROG, he is well worth the position, but this just goes to show how much of a shambles French Rugby has become. Looking to air drop a coach in six months out of a World Cup hoping that will solve their issues. Great for ROG however and I look forward to seeing him in the Irish set up one day.
@Dave Barry: is it better to keep your pride & faith in current coaches and lose a minimum of 3 games in the group stage?
@Damian Baker: *minimum of 2 games. I was looking at the group and I counted France to beat France…….which could happen knowing how unpredictable they are.
@Damian Baker: France beat themselves in most tight games.
@Dave Barry: six months out from the World Cup sounds like oodles of time for a defensive coach to impart a few tips. These are rugby professionals who have made the French team. He is not starting at the basics here just polishing around the edges.
If ROG can bring some of the crusaders style
Of rugby to the French they will hammer a few teams and be dangerous against some big sides
Would be a massive thing for ROG’s CV, but I think it would also be a huge risk for him.
So far he has carefully managed his coaching career. By joining a basket case French side who could do absolutely anything, and having only a short period to work with them he’ll be exposing himself to a far more uncertain role than he has previously.
If he’s trying to work his way back to this side of the world, Munster could certainly do with an attack coach and I’d say Andy Farrell would be interested in having him too.
@Oval Digest: no risk whatsoever. There will be no expectations on him being drafted in last minute before a world cup. If anything it’s ideal. If they do well he’ll reap the praise. If they do crap he didn’t have enough time to turn things around. It’s brunell that’s job is hanging in the balance
@Oval Digest: if it doesn’t work out he can go back to punditry. It’s a short term probably lucrative gig. Go for it Rog I say!
Quinnys comments make it look like a done deal.
Really hoping he replaces Farrell as defensive coach for Ireland in 2020.
Great move by France and O’Gara if it comes to pass. For France they get an outside voice who comes from a far more structured background who’ll have the players respect and won’t be afraid to speak his mind. For O’Gara he joins a talented French team that is poorly coached and under performing. From a purely reputational outlook if it goes well he’s bound to get a certain amount of credit but if they crash out then he’ll shoulder minimal blame. More importantly either way he’ll have gained some great experience and can still go back to the Crusaders in 2020 if they want him.
@Eddie Hekenui: I can’t think of anyone without googling but maybe you can – do you reckon o gara is the first non French coach France have had? I know Laporte is very much against appointing non French coaches and players.
@Jim Demps: I think I remember them having an English assistant coach back in the 00′s but I can’t for the life of me remember his name or what his role was
@Eddie Hekenui: You’re right. Dave Ellis. Completely forgot he was involved with France before. Also had forgotten he was involved with Connacht. The IRFU should have been moving mountains to have kept him involved in Ireland somewhere.
@Eddie Hekenui: Dave Ellis!
That’s the lad. Knew someone out there would have the name. But it was a different Dave Ellis involved with Connacht though Jim. That was a Kiwi but you’re spot on that he should’ve been kept in Ireland. Guy was a huge asset
Nice move for him and he can only improve and add a bit of structure to a French team with bags of potential but who are badly coached. Another nice feather in his cap if France have a semi decent World Cup and get out of their group.
Some quick wins there, france cover the back field!
I hope he’s been brought in by the existing coaches and not parachuted in without their approval. He’s getting some great experience. Again Ireland will need a second in command after the World Cup.
Warren Gatland has also been approached
Defence coach!? He’ll have to call David Wallace!
The only thing I could see potentially scuppering this deal is that ROG would not be available for pre-season training with any prospective clubs if he took the French job.
@EK: He’d be available for Super Rugby preseason so if he’s kept on by the Crusaders it wouldn’t clash at all.
@Eddie Hekenui: My mistake. For some reason I thought that the Super Rugby pre-season started earlier than that.
@EK: Hard to tell the way rugby seems to be never ending these days!! Southern Hemisphere off season starts in late November and the Super Rugby preseason normally kicks off the first or second weekend in July
Win win. If they pick up then ROG will get all the praise and if they remain a shambles then ‘no one could save them with the state they were in’. Conor O’Shea knows what I mean!