On a day when the defense was playing poorly, Manchester United had to sadly stop in the League Cup quarter-finals, when they lost 3-4 to Tottenham Hotspur. However, Amad Diallo was still a rare bright spot in attack with a goal to reduce the score in the 70th minute. This is his 10th contribution (4 goals and 6 assists) in the last 10 matches - a better performance than any Man United player in this period.
Just at the beginning of January this year, Amad Diallo almost had to leave Man United to move to Sunderland on loan. Now, he has unexpectedly become the most prominent player under Ruben Amorim and has also started Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho. Opta Analyst even described the Ivorian striker as representing Ruben Amorim's new era at Man United.
So how has Amad Diallo changed before and after Ruben Amorim's appearance? Since joining Man United, the striker born in 2002's biggest mark was the 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup. The Ivorian player continued to be given the opportunity to play in the following matches but also gradually had to get used to the bench for the rest of the season.
According to statistics, since the match against Liverpool in the FA Cup last season, until the end of Ten Hag's reign, Amad has played 946 minutes in all competitions. This figure is significantly lower than the playing time of Rashford (1,522 minutes) or Garnacho (1,820 minutes). This shows that both are more trusted than the Ivorian striker.
However, everything has changed since Amorim took charge. Both Rashford (307 minutes) and Garnacho (327 minutes) have played fewer minutes than Amad (524 minutes). The Portuguese tactician even decided to drop the duo right before the Manchester Derby in round 16 of the Premier League. This decision was based on many factors, including performance in matches and training sessions.
Opta Analyst described that Amad Diallo has not only improved in a short period of time, but also shown enthusiasm and fiery spirit every time given the opportunity. Whether deployed as a full-back or any position on the pitch, the Ivorian player always shows his reliability in every decision on the pitch. Not only that, even when he did not have the ball, Amad also actively applied pressure and was ready to retreat to defend. This is an aspect that both Rashford and Garnacho need to learn from their juniors.
In terms of physical condition, Amad is rarely outclassed in one-on-one situations, thanks to his agility and abundant physical foundation. Although often deployed as a full-back, the Ivorian player still has an average of 7.1 blocks of counter-attacks per 90 minutes in the middle of the pitch and the last third of the pitch (causing pressure within 2 seconds as soon as the opponent takes possession of the ball). Of the Man United players who have played at least 250 minutes this season, only Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Bruno Fernandes have good stats Amad Diallo.
Not only that, the player born in 2002 is also highly appreciated for her ability to handle well in tight spaces. According to statistics, Amad Diallo successfully passed the ball 81.2% while under pressure from the opposing defender. This rate ranks 4th among wingers or midfielders who have played at least 500 minutes in the Premier League this season.
In addition to the defensive front, Amad Diallo also actively penetrates and makes dribbles in the penalty area.According to statistics, only Mohamed Salah (20 times) has made more dribbles in the opponent's penalty area than Amad Diallo (14 times) this season.This is clear evidence of why the Ivorian has been involved in the most goals at Man United (2 goals, 5 assists).In the Premier League this season alone, Amad Diallo has been involved in a goal every 111 minutes.This rate is superior to all Man United players and is only behind Bruno Fernandes (149 minutes).
In terms of statistics, the former Atalanta player is one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premier League this season, despite only playing 9 times.If he continues to maintain his current impressive form, Amad Diallo will certainly be an important factor in Ruben Amorim's era at Man United.
