Manchester United’s conceded goals reveal the same issue, one defender criticized! Amrabat’s most recruited position remains the weakest

In the 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, the two goals conceded were mainly due to the wing-backs. Amad Diallo did not defend Morgan Gibbs-White on the first goal, who took the initiative to head home the equalizer. Since both are similar in height, the issue was defensive awareness rather than stature. The second goal was even clearer: Diogo Dalot watched the ball but not the man, hesitating for a second, which allowed Niccolò Zaniolo to steal possession and score the go-ahead goal.

Dalot received more criticism after the match, especially since Amad scored a stunning goal in the final moments to rescue a point for Manchester United, compensating for his defensive mistakes with his attacking contribution.

However, Amrabat clearly acknowledged Amad’s defensive shortcomings: “I put Amad at right wing-back, but he isn’t the best at defending crosses. If we had another player there, maybe we could defend better. His strength in this position is his attacking ability, which is indeed a risk.”

Amrabat explicitly stated that Amad still needs to improve: “Amad is highly talented and developing very quickly. We have many young, gifted players, but they need support in every aspect. He has made great progress and can play multiple positions. I believe he can become much better. This requires more consistency in every detail—when receiving the ball, organizing attacks, and when near the opponent’s penalty area. In the first half, he missed some chances. In many games, he has opportunities to cut inside, but his shooting is not yet sharp enough. We are working on improving this, so he has the potential to do better.”

It’s well known that Amad’s original position is right winger, but with the arrival of the £71 million signing Mbemou, he now has to drop back to start. This €40 million Ivorian winger often recovers possession in the attacking third, but defensive principles differ between the back line and high pressing. While pressing high up allows risk-taking, defending deeper requires caution. Amrabat emphasized that Amad excels more in high pressing defense.

Nevertheless, Amad and Mbemou have gradually built good chemistry, leading Amrabat to decide to start them as the right-side duo even in away matches or against strong opponents.

“I think our relationship is very good, especially since he speaks French,” Amad said about his connection with Mbemou. “We work hard to build a good relationship both on and off the pitch. He is a great person, very humble, and trains diligently. We give our all on the right flank; everyone does. We want to win games as a team.”

In contrast, Portuguese international Dalot, who has been filling in at left wing-back this season, has faced more criticism due to underwhelming performances in both attack and defense. He remains a starter mainly because the alternatives for that position are Patrick Dogu or Diego León. All three share similar traits: high energy and fighting spirit but not at a level to fully satisfy Manchester United fans.

Therefore, many still hold a grudge against former coach Ten Hag’s decisions, particularly for rejecting 22-year-old Alvarez Fernandez Carreras. The player, once dubbed “A Fee” by United fans, now plays for Real Madrid and scored a brilliant goal against Valencia last weekend. He will return to northwest England in the Champions League to face Liverpool.

Manchester United sold Carreras to Benfica for just €6 million plus €3 million in add-ons. A year later, he transferred to Real Madrid for €50 million, with the Red Devils receiving a £5 million sell-on fee. However, that money was insufficient to buy an ideal left-back.

Ten Hag signed Tyrell Malacia for €17 million, and after Amrabat took charge, the club spent another €30 million on Dogu and €4 million on León. Despite spending over €50 million, they still had to deploy a right-back to fill in on the left, clearly indicating a transfer market failure.

Now, Amrabat is pinning hopes on Dogu’s development. British media compare the 21-year-old Danish full-back to a new Nuno Mendes, urging him to learn the style of the Paris Saint-Germain star, but not all fans are optimistic.

Eighteen-year-old León mostly plays with the reserves currently, so expecting him to immediately establish himself in the Premier League may be unrealistic. Another option for Amrabat is to wait for Lisandro Martínez to recover from injury and then move Luke Shaw back to the left side.

However, it remains uncertain whether 30-year-old Luke Shaw can handle the higher physical demands of the left wing-back role without injury. If these plans fail, Manchester United will likely have to buy wing-backs again in future transfer windows.