When Amad Diallo arrived at Manchester United from Atalanta in January 2021, it was believed that the club had signed one of the most talented young players in the world. Unfortunately, the Ivorian’s development at Old Trafford was affected after being sidelined under former managers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.
However, Ruben Amorim’s arrival has added a new lease to Amad’s life.
The Portuguese head coach took charge of the Premier League giants in November last year and proceeded to implement his 3-4-3 system at the club.
One of his first changes was taking Amad out of the right-forward position and deploying him in a right-wing back role.
Starting with a bang under Amorim Amad operated as a right wing-back in Amorim’s first game in charge against Ipswich Town, and helped secure a 1-1 draw at Portman Road.
The Ivorian was quite impressive in his new role, and even earned praise from the Portuguese head coach at full time.
“He was very good. In three days, he improved so much defensively. He was facing the left-back, he just had to follow him. He was so focused. He did a very good job,” said Amorim.
It was soon clear that the 23 year old was vital to the new manager’s plans. Amad assisted three of United’s first five goals under Amorim, demonstrating that he is a perfect fit in the Portuguese tactics.
Amorim gave wind to Amad’s sails, offering him acres of space to run into from a deeper position. The youngster, in turn, has been one of the few bright spots in the former Sporting manager’s shaky reign so far.
A lot of attacking intent in the wing-back role Amorim’s system relies heavily on marauding wing-backs who provide width in possession, and are tasked with counter pressing immediately once the ball is lost. In short, Amorim’s wing-backs are not just defenders, but they play a key role in attack as well.
Amad, interestingly, has all the key attributes to make him a good fit for the job.
The Ivorian loves running at defenders, and has the skillset to beat his man. He also injects a shot of creativity from the wide areas, often cutting inwards to operate as a 10.
Last season, Amad registered eight goals and six assists from 26 games in the Premier League. For the record, Diogo Dalot, who also operates in the wing-back role, managed just three assists from 33 games in the league.
The Portuguese, meanwhile, registered 66 crosses in the Premier League. with 18% accuracy. The Ivorian only managed 15 crosses, but with 60% accuracy.
Amad is not without flaws Amad’s relentless pressing in the final third has yielded dividends on quite a few occasions as well.
The former Atalanta man doesn’t shy away from the hard work required in the position, but he lags behind Dalot in defensive contributions. Last season, the Ivorian registered 38 tackles, 11 interceptions and two blocks in the Premier League from 26 appearances.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese racked up 68 tackles, 37 interceptions and nine blocks, although he did play seven more games. Patrick Dorgu, who only joined in January and played just 12 times in the league last season, managed 31 tackles and four interceptions.
While Amad is exceptional going forward, he is still coming to terms with the defensive aspects of the wing-back position. Of course, this is only expected from a young attacker who has only recently started operating in the role.
United struggled without their young talisman last season Amad enjoyed an exponential rise in his new role last season. The player’s performances against Everton in the Premier League and Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League left a lasting impression on fans.
By December 2024, Ivorian had transitioned into one of United’s most important players. Unfortunately, he picked up an ankle injury in February and would miss 15 games for the Red Devils.
Amorim’s team struggled in the absence of their young talisman, winning just four of those fixtures.
Bryan Mbeumo will help Amad improve While Amad has taken to Amorim’s tactics like fish to water, the youngster is expected to get even better with Bryan Mbeumo operating ahead of him in the team.
They have started together twice this season, and are already showing signs of a budding partnership. Mbeumo’s tendency to stretch the opposition, interestingly, will provide Amad more space to run into.
The Cameroonian’s work ethic will also complement Amad’s tenacity during defensive transitions.
United need Amad in the Manchester Derby Amad endeared himself to United fans last December at the Etihad in the Premier League. United trailed to a Josko Gvardiol goal for much of the game, before the Ivorian provided the inspiration for a stunning comeback against the noisy neighbours.
Amad displayed his tenacity by winning a late penalty after intercepting a back pass. His second of the night, however, was a moment of individual brilliance.
Latching on to a long pass from Lisandro Martinez, Amad flicked the ball over the onrushing Ederson, before scoring the winner.
Understandably, United will be counting on their indomitable right wing-back next weekend at the Etihad as well.
From Abidjan to Old Trafford, Amad has already come a long way so far. But it is at the right wing-back role in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system that the Ivorian has found his calling.
And he is just getting started.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
