Manchester United’s five things noticed as three Rúben Amorim changes save him vs Leicester City

Manchester United are through to the fifth round of the FA Cup as Harry Maguire’s winning goal sees Rúben Amorim over the line against Leicester City on Friday evening.

Rúben Amorim chose to hand Patrick Dorgu his debut as Manchester United welcomed Leicester City to Old Trafford in the FA Cup on Friday evening.

The tie started with Ruud van Nistelrooy setting his visiting team up to soak United’s early pressure and held out well in the opening 30 minutes.

Although United became more adventurous, Leicester opened the scoring with only a few minutes left in the first half as Bobby De Cordova-Reid converted, while Amorim’s men had no shots on target.

Second-half changes saw Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee introduced into the attack, and Garnacho had a shot cleared off the line, which really woke up the Old Trafford crowd. Zirkzee then grabbed a much-needed equaliser after Højlund’s close-range effort was deflected straight into his path.

United’s consistent pressure across the final 20 minutes finally paid off after a world-class free kick from Bruno Fernandes floated the ball into the area, and Harry Maguire nodded in a lovely header to score the winning goal deep into injury time.

#1 – Dorgu’s first impression was mixed

Although many thought Dorgu would be playing as a left wing-back, Amorim chose to play the new signing on the right-hand side, with Diogo Dalot continuing on the opposite flank.

The Denmark international was positive during the opening minute of his debut as he combined with Amad on multiple occasions, although there were a few moments he could have picked better passes.

The 20-year-old was taken off at half-time in place of Garnacho, with Amorim wanting more attacking threat. Dorgu was bright, and hopefully, he can develop as he settles in the squad.

#2 – Mazraoui cover for Martínez didn’t work

With the fixture being United’s first since Lisandro Martínez was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, it was Noussair Mazraoui who Amorim chose to cover for the Argentina international in the left centre-back space.

In the first half, Mazraoui completed the most passes (45) of anyone on the field, although he left much to be desired when he helped hand De Cordova-Reid plenty of space to finish off his effort.

Once Mazraoui had switched sides with Yoro, both players looked much better, with the former playing good cross-field passes from the right while Yoro looked more comfortable.

#3 – Amorim’s second half changes saved him

For the second half, Aorim chose to add Garnacho to the attack, with Amad slotting in on the right, while Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui swapped sides in defence.

Immediately, Yoro had an impact as he stepped into midfield to deliver a great ball to Højlund, although nothing game off it after the striker’s good spin. Garnacho offered a more direct threat on the left, which pinned Leicester back as he changed the game completely.

Finally, bringing on Zirkzee was a third change from Amorim that helped United. Scoring the equaliser, the striker was fantastic with the ball at his feet and helped Amorim’s side sustain their attacks.

#4 – Amad must stay at wing-back

For all his brilliance as a right-sided attacker, Amad’s best position in this current United squad is as a right wing-back as it allows him to combine with the attacking midfielders and drive inside from the touchline.

Amad was much more effective in the second half as the space on the right allowed him time to consider his options as well as forcing Leicester back towards their own goal.

Although he was not directly involved in either goal, it’s clear that for the sake of United’s balance and to use his squad best, Amorim must keep Amad as a wing-back until the end of the campaign.

Read More: Player Ratings – Manchester United vs Leicester City (FA Cup)

#5 – Garnacho wreaked havoc, and it was brilliant

When Garnacho came on, the dynamic of the fixture completely changed. Although there have been complaints that the winger sometimes makes dodgy decisions, his directness cannot be understated.

He completely changed the tie once he was allowed space on the left flank, and it was apparent just how afraid Leicester became of the 20-year-old once he created Zirkzee’s equalising goal.

Garnacho is at his best when he has the ball ahead of him and he is running directly at an opposition defence, and he was rightly awarded the Player of the Match award.

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