Diogo Dalot has become one of Manchester United’s most criticised players in recent times. Despite this, Ruben Amorim, just like his predecessors Erik ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick, has made Dalot a key player in his set-up at Old Trafford. This begs the question: Why is Dalot so highly rated by managers, but so strongly criticised by fans and the media?
“He can be Manchester United’s right-back for 10 years.” That’s what the then Manchester United manager José Mourinho said about Diogo Dalot in December 2018.
Dalot’s time in Manchester has been anything but straightforward. He was plagued by injuries in his early days at Old Trafford, before being loaned out to Italian giants AC Milan after failing to convince Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he was ready to be United’s first-choice right-back.
The Portuguese full-back had a productive year in Italy. He made a total of 33 appearances in all competitions. Getting game time would’ve been Dalot’s main priority in Milan, having only made a total of 12 senior appearances in the two seasons prior.
Following the departure of Solskjaer, Dalot began to make his mark at United under Ralf Rangnick. In the 2021/22 season, Dalot made 30 appearances for United. Erik ten Hag then took over, a manager who truly understood Dalot as a player and helped him reach the heights United were expecting when they signed him from FC Porto in 2018.
Under Rúben Amorim, Dalot has struggled to reach the same levels he did under Ten Hag, but is still seen as a crucial player and is part of Amorim’s six-man leadership group.
Why was Dalot so good under Ten Hag?
Under Erik ten Hag, Dalot was deployed as an inverted full-back, meaning that when United had the ball, he became a midfielder. This role suited Dalot to perfection.
Dalot is a technically outstanding player in build-up. He is very comfortable coming into central areas, receiving the ball on the half-turn and carrying forward with speed.
He was used as both a left and right-back. After signing Noussair Mazraoui, an elite technician who has experience in midfield and suits the inverted full-back role brilliantly, Ten Hag continued to persist with Dalot as the inverted full-back. That is a testament to how good Dalot was in that role.
Diogo Dalot was voted as United’s Player’s Player of the Year for the 2023/24 season, showing that in addition to his managers, Dalot is also extremely highly-rated by his teammates.
Data from the 2023/24 Premier League season (via FBref):
- Pass Completion % (Long): 65.3% – top 11%
- Successful Take-On %: 59.6% – top 15%
- Key Passes: 1.05 per 90 – top 28%
- Carries into penalty area: 0.45 per 90 – top 29%
- Shot-creating actions: 2.21 per 90 – top 30%
The data also shows that Dalot was rarely dispossessed, very strong in the air, and very solid defensively. Dalot is a build-up specialist, and Ten Hag understood this.
Why has Dalot struggled under Amorim?
When you analyse the data from Dalot’s 2023/24 season, one thing stands out. His best stats relate to his technical security, impressive physical profile and defensive solidity. Very few of them have anything to do with final third contributions, particularly from wide areas.
Under Amorim, the wing-backs are tasked with staying high and providing width when United have the ball. United don’t build up and instead almost always goes long, but even if United did build up, the wing-backs would have a minimal role in this process.
Dalot was at his best centrally in deep areas. He is now being asked to stay high and wide. This completely goes against his biggest strengths, so it’s no surprise that he is struggling. He has simply been profiled horrifically by Amorim.
In a way, Dalot is a victim of his own immense quality. Mazraoui has regularly been used as the right centre-back, a role that would suit Dalot brilliantly. However, he has been used as a wing-back because his physical profile suits the role far better, even though his technical profile doesn’t.
To play at wing-back, you need to be an elite athlete. It is a physically demanding role. Mazraoui doesn’t have the engine to do it, while Dalot does. From a technical point of view, neither of them really has the skillset to excel in that role.
What position in Amorim’s system suits Dalot best?
As already mentioned, the right-centre-back role would suit Dalot brilliantly. However, as Manchester United evolve and begins to play out from the back more, Dalot could be the perfect central centre-back.
Amorim asks his central centre-back to push up into midfield in the build-up. There are very, very few centre-backs in world football who are capable of doing this reliably. Dalot, as seen under Ten Hag, is very comfortable receiving the ball in midfield. He also has the physical profile to play centrally in a back three. He is strong in duels and dominant in the air.
Read More: “I don’t really…” – Noussair Mazraoui reveals why he is key under Rúben Amorim
The Portugal international could also be utilised as a midfielder in a double pivot next to Bruno Fernandes. As already discussed, Dalot has the technical and physical profile to play as a midfielder. He has a good engine, meaning he can cover a lot of ground and is a strong dueller, both in the air and on the ground.
In addition to all his qualities as a footballer, he is also a leader and someone the coaching staff could well see as a future United captain. There’s a reason so many managers he’s worked with love him. A top person and a top player.
Amorim has to find a way to get the best out of him, but that isn’t going to happen by asking him to stay high and wide. His qualities are clear. Amorim simply has to profile him correctly.
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