Man Utd’s Amad Diallo advances with hat-trick winner against Southampton at Old Trafford | Football news
Man City winner. A tie in Liverpool. And now the winning hat-trick, a week after signing a new long-term contract with Man Utd.
Amad Diallo is the shining light of Ruben Amorim’s reign so far.
“This might be one of the best weeks of my life,” he said TNT Sports after his 12-minute hat-trick changed the story for United. It was the first senior hat-trick of his career, just seven days after the deal a contract that keeps him at United until 2030.
An unfortunate 75 minutes led them on their way to defeat against the last Premier League club. Instead the United fans at Old Trafford went home singing Amad’s name. “I am very happy about this victory,” added Bjelokovac.
Only Wayne Rooney has scored a hat-trick in the Premier League as a youth player for Manchester United. However, even at only 22 years old, Amad is showing his more experienced teammates how to adapt and progress in an unfamiliar system.
Whether he’s playing as one of two strikers supporting the striker or switched to a winger position – as he was for his late treble – Amad finds ways to influence play in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1.
It is significant that of Amad’s six league goals this season, two were game-winners and three were equalizers. In big moments, he stepped up. Not bad for a player that Erik ten Hag only made three starts in the first division last season.
Ironically, the man who ignited Amad’s form is the one who diminishes his achievements.
“He’s having a very good season. That’s it,” Amorim said in his postgame press conference.
“We have to be careful with the young kids. It was a very good job today. There is a lot to improve. But this game is in the past. We have to prepare for the future. In football, life is like that.
“He did a great job. It’s a great moment for a young kid to get a hat-trick for a club like this. But he has to focus on the next game because it’s in the past and get ready for the next game.”
Amorim obviously wants to keep the hype around Amad under control. This is probably due to the weight of the wider task before him. But United fans – who are going through another challenging season – find it hard not to be excited by the potential of this rising star.
Analysis: Amad steps up again
Sky Sports’ Adam Bate at Old Trafford:
“Tactically, United were undone by Southampton. Leny Yoro was exposed by Kamaldeen Suleman, the pressing – against a team notoriously error-prone at the back – was uncoordinated throughout and the team play cautious.
“Some of these players are still uncomfortable with what Amorim is asking of them, and the coach himself admits that the demands are a complete reversal from what they were taught. Some may simply not be adapted to what is being asked.
“But in those circumstances you learn even more about players and people. Amad stepped up again. As he did when he scored the winner away to Manchester City. As he did when he scored the equalizer at Liverpool recently. Here it was hat trick to turn everything around.
“He didn’t wait for it to happen, he made it happen. The first goal came after a second search. The second came from a smart move inside the penalty area, hoping to find it. The third came after a gamble on a defender miscontrolling the ball.
“He did it as a nominal full-back in Amorim’s system, moved there to cover the absence of the suspended Diogo Dalot. How his coach would love it if everyone in his team could accept the challenges – mental and tactical – as he has this season.”
Analysis: Amado contract extension is Man Utd’s best transfer
Sky Sports News’ Anton Toloui at Old Trafford:
“There has been so much talk in this transfer window about the futures of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnach and Kobbie Mainoo, but tying Amado down to a new deal looks like the best deal Man Utd will do.
“They needed someone to step up, take risks, push forward and take the game away from their opponents – the Ivorian did just that.
“Mainoo was taken off early, Garnacho missed key chances, Rashford is nowhere to be found, but Amad stepped up.”
Amorim: We have so much to do
While Amad’s heroics spared United blushes, Amorim is in no doubt about the scale of the challenge he faces.
“It feels like we have so much to do,” he said TNT Sports after the game. “I felt the team was really tired – Liverpool, Arsenal 120 minutes, it’s not just the physical part, it’s the mental part of the players. So it was a win, let’s continue.”
He also pointed to the pressure his players feel playing in front of their own fans. United have lost their last three defeats at Old Trafford – the club haven’t lost four in a row at home since 1934. Another problem was the team’s struggle to press cohesively as a unit, while Southampton did well in the first half.
“Playing in this stadium, we’ve lost the last three games here, the pressure is different,” he said. “We try to press the opponent in the build-up and you can feel the difficulties. Then they connect between the lines and cause us a lot of problems.
“We have difficulties in high pressing at the moment. This team is not used to it and then it seems like a lack of enthusiasm. [Manuel] Ugarte is late, Kobbie Mainoo is late, Bruno [Fernandes] it goes outside and the ball is inside. Then one transition and [Leny] Yoro can’t catch [Sulemana].
“These are small things and then we are nervous without the ball. But then when you have one goal, one chance, you feel that the team can control the game better.
“I want to be fair to my players. There was no lack of enthusiasm today. It was a lack of speed and sometimes a lack of control of the game.”
