The last time Scott McTominay lit up a football pitch, he was hurling himself into a bicycle kick against Denmark that brought Scotland to their first World Cup in 28 years. That moment of brilliance in Glasgow sparked a magical night and sent the nation to America. Two games into the tournament, the spectacle has been absent. McTominay, the Napoli midfielder and 72-cap hero, has been understated — a narrow win over Haiti followed by a narrow loss to Morocco have left the Tartan Army wondering if their poster boy has lost his spark.
Against Haiti, McTominay came within a post of a stunning goal. The BBC Sport audience rated three players better than him in salmon pink. Against Morocco, a rating of 5.09 had seven Scots ahead of him. Yet the numbers tell a different story. His pass completion against Haiti was 93% — the second-highest in the starting XI — dropping to 89% on Friday night, the third-highest in the team. He managed two shots on goal in both games, one more than he managed against Denmark when he was a hero. Against Haiti, McTominay covered more than 12km, the most distance of any player on the park. Against Morocco, only Lewis Ferguson covered more ground, by an extra 369 metres.
“Scott McTominay's subdued World Cup performances raise questions about expectation after his stunning Denmark goal.”
An upset stomach struck fear into the Scotland support before the opener against Haiti, but McTominay still played. He did not run the show, yet an underwhelming Scotland still got the job done in a 1-0 win. Against Morocco, the Scots were rocked by a lightning start from the Africa Cup of Nations winners. But as the game progressed, from just before half-time into the second period, their hold on the game grew firmer, albeit without clear chances.
Across 72 caps, McTominay has amassed 15 goals and two assists, but these figures do his contribution a disservice. He has been the man for the big occasion: his first goal was a winner against Israel in 2021, his brace famously downed Spain at Hampden, then the Denmark night. Now, with Brazil looming, the expectation — along with that on Tartan Army hero John McGinn — is immense. Undoubtedly McTominay's biggest attributes are in the forward areas. It has been a long time since the days of Steve Clarke, but the question remains: is it fair to expect him to turn matches, or is he quietly doing enough?