Amad and Manchester United: A tactical analysis of what the future could hold under Erik ten Hag

In 2020, Manchester United paid Atalanta around £20 million for young winger Amad.

An exciting talent, Amad impressed in the youth team at Manchester United, and, after making some sporadic appearances for the first team, has since gone on loan to Rangers and is currently showcasing his talents at Sunderland.

Amad has had an excellent season so far during his Championship spell. Playing under Tony Mowbray, Amad started off slowly, but has been exceptional recently and has scored six goals in 19 games, along with two assists.

With less than half of a season remaining on his loan spell, here is a look at how he has performed and developed at Sunderland, his profile and how he could fit in at United in the future.

Key Traits

Amad has mainly played on the right-hand side of a 4-2-3-1 under Mowbray. He tends to favour playing as an inverted winger, rather than hugging the touchline, something which has been successful for him this season.

He has seen a lot of success come whilst operating in the right half-space. His heat map from this season shows just how much he has inverted and played in a more central area. Amad’s tendency to operate in the half-space also means that it creates a lot of space for the right-back to overlap him and exploit.

One area of his game where Amad most excels is his close control when dribbling. He can often be seen with two or three defenders around him, yet can fend off or ride their challenges and retain the ball, dribbling into space before passing or looking to get a shot off.

There was a particular moment against Birmingham City this season that best showcases an example of this. Amad received the ball in a tight area with two or three Birmingham defenders around him.

He evaded two or three challenges from Birmingham defenders, using his low centre of gravity to help him to keep possession.

Eventually, he managed to find some space and was able to play an excellent pass to striker Ellis Simms who scored for Sunderland.

Another great aspect of Amad’s game is his composure in front of goal. In his short time at United so far, we have seen him score some exceptional goals for both the academy and the first team. He scored an excellent goal against Liverpool for the academy in his first season at United. He pressured the defender and was able to win back the ball, before chipping the goalkeeper to give the U21s the lead.

His goal against Wigan Athletic recently was one of the strikes of the season and was the perfect example of how dangerous Amad can be from range. He played a one-two with teammate Patrick Roberts, before unleashing a powerful effort which comfortably beat the Wigan goalkeeper.

This season, Amad has registered two assists, including setting up Sunderland’s FA Cup winner against Shrewsbury last weekend. He is an excellent passer, who can play line-breaking balls to play teammates in behind opposition defences and create opportunities.

This season in the league, Amad has made 18 passes into the penalty box, the third most of any Sunderland player. He has also made 35 final third passes, and 46 progressive passes, the fifth most of any Sunderland player.

His previously mentioned assist for Simms against Birmingham is a brilliant example of the kind of passes Amad excels at playing. The ability to play a pass that split the opposition defence in half can be so important to his side.

Considering Amad enjoys operating in the right half-space, along with other factors mentioned, such as his ability to shoot from distance and his progressive passing numbers, we could see him move to a more central role, as an eight or ten.

The switch to becoming an eight would be comparable to that of Bernardo Silva, who started out as a winger, but now tends to play centrally for Manchester City. Amad is of a similar profile to Bernardo, and, especially when dribbling, shows similar qualities to that of the Portugal international.

This is certainly an interesting factor to bear in mind and is a change to Amad’s game that we could potentially see in the years to come.

What could Amad’s future look like at Manchester United?

Recently, Erik ten Hag was asked in a press conference if he has thought about recalling Amad, with his exceptional form at Sunderland. The United manager’s response was: “We consider everything. As long as it’s strengthening the squad. But at the same time, I have a little bit of a reservation for that because I don’t want to stop the process.”

Ten Hag on if he has considered recalling Amad: "We consider everything. As long as it's strengthening the squad. But at the same time, I have a little bit of a reservation for that because I don’t want to stop the process."

— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) January 2, 2023

With Ten Hag certain Amad will finish the season at Sunderland, it begs the question of how he will fit in at United next season when he returns. The first thing to consider is, whether will he adapt and become a central player, or continue to play on the right-hand side of a front three.

Whilst his profile certainly seems to suit the change to becoming an eight or a ten, his best chance at becoming a regular at United next season may be on the right. Currently, United’s first choice option on the right wing is Antony, whilst Facundo Pellistri made his United debut recently against Charlton. Antony and Pellistri are the two left-footed options on the right-hand side, whilst Jadon Sancho has also played there regularly in his career so far.

Having Antony and Amad as options on the right would be a luxury for Ten Hag. They are different types of wingers, and both offer different things to the team. Whilst Amad enjoys operating in the right half-space, Antony is more of a touchline winger who cuts in on his left foot to get a shot off. Diogo Dalot, who has been United’s first choice right back, has excelled this season when inverting and playing more centrally and has seen success when paired with Antony.

It may well be that United invest in another right-back to add an option who would work well with Amad. Whilst there is no doubt Dalot has the capabilities to also overlap constantly and with a lot of success, United could well look at bringing in another quality option.

The club already have Ethan Laird, who will return next season from his loan spell at QPR, or sign someone else. Young talents like Malo Gusto and Jeremie Frimpong spring to mind as potential options. Both two options, who currently play for Lyon and Bayer Leverkusen respectively, have played well this season whilst holding the width on the right, as both of their heat maps show.

With Amad constantly inverting and creating space out wide, it would allow Gusto or Frimpong, both excellent crossers of the ball, the chance to overlap and get into a position to put a ball into the box.

Whatever Amad’s future at United holds, he is certainly an exciting player. His role at United could well change over the years since his profile may well be more suited to that of a central player. However, there is no doubt that the Red Devils have a huge talent on their hands, and his excellent season at Sunderland could turn out to be the most important part of his career. Amad has the potential to become a crucial player for United under Ten Hag over the coming seasons.