Patrick Dorgu’s first-half performance and goal were the major takeaways from last week’s game against Newcastle. It wasn’t a major turning point in the season, but we saw a player who has struggled to make a significant impact in the final third look like a useful contributor in attack for once. This had little to […]
Patrick Dorgu’s first-half performance and goal were the major takeaways from last week’s game against Newcastle. It wasn’t a major turning point in the season, but we saw a player who has struggled to make a significant impact in the final third look like a useful contributor in attack for once.
This had little to do with formations and was just a simple switch in flanks for a player. No one in their right mind believed that this would lead to consistent performances from the young wide player, but it was encouraging. With so many attacking players out of the side, this was a positive development.
United did not look limp yesterday because Ruben Amorim did not deploy him on the right, but there have been instances this season where he has retreated from something that has given him relative success. There have been times this season when Amad Diallo has been pushed to the left or into a more central role, despite his being most effective as a right wing-back.
Even Bryan Mbeumo played on the left against Spurs. Now, Mbeumo scored in that game from the one decent attacking sequence that he was a part of, but it was clear for most of the game that this move wasn’t working.
Ruben Amorim’s spell as United manager has been terribly underwhelming. This season, there have been times when he has overestimated the performances and abilities of his team and its players. There are other times when he has gone back on some of the things that have increased his chances of winning a game.
This brings to mind the famous game under Louis van Gaal against Leicester when United lost 5-3 after leading 3-1 in the first half. Van Gaal ditched a lot of things after that game, with Angel Di Maria coming out as the big loser. Di Maria wasn’t looking like a player of the season contender, but he had impressed until that point.
Ruben Amorim’s a young manager, but he has to learn quickly that with teams that can’t rely on marginally better performances for results, it’s not a great idea to set aside one of the handful of things working in his favour.
Category: General Sports
