Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted that his side needs another attacking wing-back similar to Amad Diallo to fully thrive in his tactical system. The comment comes after Monday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton at Old Trafford, which again raised questions over United’s use of a 3-4-2-1 formation.
During the match, Amorim opted to replace left wing-back Patrick Dorgu with Diogo Dalot following Idrissa Gueye’s red card, a move many viewed as conservative. Dalot, being a natural full-back rather than an attacking wing-back, left United’s left flank lacking offensive threat, highlighting the scarcity of players with Amad Diallo’s attacking qualities.
Amorim referenced the effectiveness of wing-backs in other Premier League setups, pointing to Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell, who have been central to manager Oliver Glasner’s success. “To play this system effectively, we need players with the right characteristics on the wings,” Amorim said, emphasizing that Diallo alone cannot fulfill both sides.
The manager stressed that strengthening the squad is an ongoing process. “We need time to improve the characteristics of the team,” he said. “In the last game against Everton, we should have had another Amad-type player on the right side to face 10 men. Over time, we will work to get the right attributes in every position to make the team better.”
While Amorim downplayed comparisons with Palace, he acknowledged that Glasner’s side are currently outperforming United despite being only slightly ahead in the league table. “They defend differently, attack differently, and are simply executing their plan better than us at the moment,” he admitted.
Crystal Palace’s Munoz, a Colombian international and one of the league’s top-performing wing-backs, has previously expressed admiration for Manchester United, admitting to Spanish outlet AS that playing for a club like United, Barcelona, PSG, or Real Madrid would be a dream. However, he insisted that his current focus remains on performing well for Palace until any future opportunities arise.
