EMOTIONAL MOMENT: AS Amad Diallo broke down in tears after Full-time against Crystal Palace – Reason revealed Today by Ruben Amorim
EMOTIONAL MOMENT: AS Amad Diallo broke down in tears after Full-time against Crystal Palace – Reason revealed Today by Ruben Amorim
Manchester United resumed their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Just as Manchester United were building up some momentum with three consecutive wins under Ruben Amorim, they slipped up again in the Premier League.
United kicked off at Old Trafford with Crystal Palace just two points behind them in the Premier League table.
The London side have now leapfrogged United in the table thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s double in the second half. The Red Devils have slumped back down to 13th.
Here are six things learned from United’s 2-0 defeat to Palace:
Ruben Amorim sends striker message
Amorim raised eyebrows before a ball was even kicked at Old Trafford.
Amorim was expected to make changes against Palace, but what wasn’t expected was for the Red Devils to line up without a striker.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have been struggling for form in recent weeks and Amorim dropped both to the bench for Sunday’s clash. They joined the action as a double substitution in the 70th minute.
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With United in talks with Mathys Tel, perhaps it was a message to those above him…
Kobbie Mainoo’s new position
With Hojlund and Zirkzee benched, Amorim gave Kobbie Mainoo the opportunity to lead the line.
Mainoo starred against FCSB in the Europa League after being deployed in a No.10 position. Amorim took that one step further and started him as a striker against Palace.
The 19-year-old impressed early on after hitting the post in the opening few minutes and dropping deep to link up play – something Hojlund has struggled with in recent weeks.
However, as Palace grew into the game, the space available to Mainoo shrunk and he became more and more isolated.
Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven are ready
United announced the £25m signing of Patrick Dorgu on Sunday, just a few hours before kicking off at Old Trafford.
The 20-year-old was in attendance alongside Ayden Heaven, who signed from Arsenal on Saturday.
Both signings were unveiled in front of a packed-out Old Trafford on Sunday, and both could feature in Amorim’s first-team squad on Friday for the FA Cup clash against Leicester City.
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Scoring crisis continues
At the start of his tenure, Amorim cut a frustrated figure due to the number of defensive mistakes his side were making.
United have improved defensively with clean sheets against Fulham and FCSB, but the lack of goals is becoming a major worry.
United have only scored six goals in their last five games. Amorim has tried several combinations up front, but the issue remains.
Amad Diallo a shining light
While things are improving defensively, this side is still struggling for goals. After a bright start, United were frustrated by Palace’s low block.
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As he has been all season, Amad was United’s brightest spark. Starting on the right side of the front three, he caused problems with his direct running and set-piece delivery.
Amorim will be eager to improve United’s threat going forward. But for Amad, that means doing more of the same.
Lisandro Martinez out injured
United’s woes went from bad to worse in the second half when Lisandro Martinez went down injured.
Martinez has been in superb form in recent weeks, having scored against Fulham and Liverpool. His passing from deep has also been a great asset for Amorim’s side.
However, United’s World Cup winner went to ground clutching his knee and was stretchered off. Unfortunately, it looks as though the Red Devils will be without Martinez for a long period of time.
