In the match between Real Sociedad and Man United in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, when the game was tense, the away team from England had a dangerous attack on the right wing. Diogo Dalot accelerated, heading towards the home team's central area in the context of Rasmus Hojlund approaching the penalty area in a position of waiting to cushion the ball.
However, Dalot did not cross for his teammate. He stopped the ball for a beat, then returned it to Garnacho who was rushing up. In the end, Garnacho's shot unfortunately sent the ball over the crossbar. After the match, Dalot received a lot of criticism for handling the situation so badly.
Leaving behind the unsatisfactory result, that incident showed that the 3-4-3 playing style, more accurately 3-4-2-1 is gradually becoming smoother under Ruben Amorim's hand. The full-back Dalot in this situation has known how to drill into the opponent's midfield. Forwards like Hojlund have caught the rhythm from a distance, running past the opponent's central defender to penetrate the penalty area at the right time.
Hojlund has failed to score in the last 19 matches, but if only counting this one, he shows a very dangerous threat, much more dangerous than Patrick Dorgu if this defender enters the penalty area. When everyone looked at this and blamed Dalot, Amorim looked at another aspect.
"It was a very difficult situation to say because perhaps Dalot himself could not see whether Hojlund was at good range or not. However, one thing I am sure of is that both Dalot and Hojlund want to score and win. As for decisions on the pitch, sometimes they can't be perfect all the time.
It was a situation where they did very well but the final decision was not accurate. The important thing is to continue to create such plays in the coming time" - Amorim shared.
Amorim's statement is seen as an act of easing the tension aimed at the two students. The 40-year-old strategist also said that some Man United players are thinking too much when receiving negative feedback from the media. This was shown on the field when in some situations, instead of players needing to decide to keep the rhythm of the game, they held the ball in their feet and thought for a long time. This is something that needs to be improved at full-back.
It is very important for the full-backs to cross the ball inside at high speed. Previously, Man United's right wing with Gary Neville and David Beckham made such overlaps very smoothly. Later, Patrick Evra and Cristiano Ronaldo also took the same stance.
With Dorgu and Dalot on both wings, Amorim hopes such plays will come more often. As for Hojlund, who was very disappointed after the match, Amorim needs more than ever a goal in a relaxing style to help this young star recover.
