After a whirlwind few weeks at Manchester United, Diogo Dalot appears to have come through the other side in better shape. The sacking of Ruben Amorim caught the squad off guard, something that showed in their performances during Darren Fletcher’s brief time as caretaker.
After a whirlwind few weeks at Manchester United, Diogo Dalot appears to have come through the other side in better shape.
The sacking of Ruben Amorim caught the squad off guard, something that showed in their performances during Darren Fletcher’s brief time as caretaker.
Michael Carrick then stepped in to steer things through to the end of the season, and he has provided some stability, guiding United to three straight wins so far.
Dalot is settling well into a more defined role under Carrick’s system, thriving as a traditional right-back in a flat back four.
Diogo Dalot’s impressive form
Between November 2024 and January 2026, Diogo Dalot was one of the regular features in the starting XI under Ruben Amorim.
Dalot appeared 54 times during Amorim’s tenure, with only Bruno Fernandes (58) playing more matches.
Amorim often used Dalot as a wing-back, deploying him on both flanks. While his flexibility was valuable to the squad, it also presented challenges.
In his more defined right-back role now, Dalot has shown improved form. This was evident in two key metrics from United’s recent match against Fulham.
Both were season highs for him. In the 3-2 win over Fulham, he completed more passes and more passes into the final third than in any other game this season.
This highlights an issue with Ruben Amorim’s system – Dalot managed to complete more final third passes as a full-back than he did when deployed as a wing-back.
A stable lineup around him has also helped. Under Carrick, he has played all three games alongside the same centre-backs and with the same player ahead of him on the right wing.
The partnership between Dalot and Amad on that side of the pitch looks promising. Although United have let in four goals across their last two games, their overall defensive play over these three matches has shown signs of improvement.
Dalot faces pressure for his spot
With Noussair Mazraoui back from international duty with Morocco, Diogo Dalot now has more competition for his place.
But even with that added pressure, Carrick hasn’t rushed to make a change. He’s kept faith in Dalot, who continues to get the nod in the starting XI.
Before the Arsenal match, Carrick publicly backed Dalot, praising his defensive efforts against City and calling out some of the criticism as misplaced.
While Mazraoui is likely to see action before the season wraps up, Dalot is doing all he can at the moment to keep his spot in the side.
The extra competition should be a positive for United overall. In fact, Mazraoui’s return may have played a part in pushing Dalot to reach some of his best form of the season so far.
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Category: General Sports
