Coach Ruben Amorim inherited a mess at Manchester United. But amid that chaos, the Portuguese tactician has found Amad Diallo and at least for now, that is enough to help Man United move forward.
In most of the games against Southampton, the "Red Devils" played at a disadvantage. The visitors took the lead in the first half and could have been even better. But as Southampton approached their first away win in the Premier League since February 2023, Amad scored a hat-trick in just 12 minutes to help Man United come back to win 3-1.
When the final whistle blew, the cries and lamentations filled Old Trafford for more than 80 minutes, turning into a cheer for the Ivorian player.
It is no surprise that Diallo is currently the only one to be praised at Old Trafford. Within 1 month, this player scored the decisive goal against Manchester City, scored the equalizer against Liverpool and pulled his team back from an unimaginable defeat against bottom team Southampton. It is no surprise that Amorim quickly signed a new 5-year contract with Diallo.
"Amad Diallo did very well. This is a great time for a young player to score a hat-trick for a club like this," Amorim said of Diallo after the win over Southampton.
However, Diallo's timely brilliance still cannot hide the truth about the "Red Devils' poor performance". Southampton traveled to Old Trafford without a win since November last year and have also failed to win away from home all season. However, they were the team that played much better in the first 45 minutes and Man United was lucky to only 1 goal behind.
"We didn't play well but if we look at all the opportunities we created, I think we deserved to win. In the first half, we were slow in every phase, trying to put too much pressure and had to suffer the consequences" - the Portuguese strategist added.
Perhaps, Amorim wished that Man United would have more than a Diallo. He needs more players with energy and the ability to put pressure on the pitch. The problem is, with little chance of making a change in the January transfer window, Amorim will have to accept what he has.
When the excitement of the dramatic victory subsides, Amorim will realize a harsh truth. They struggled to beat a team at the bottom of the table, so what will happen to the next formidable opponents?
Obviously, difficulties are inevitable for Man United in the rest of the campaign. Until he can carry out a large-scale squad overhaul, Amorim will need Diallo to continue to shine.
