We have been following Amad’s spell at Rangers with interest, and to say the Manchester United loanee’s stint at Ibrox so far has been rocky is entirely fair.
Amad is currently getting some stick from some sections of the Rangers support, and the Scottish media, who just don’t ‘get him’.
When Amad signed for Rangers, he joined to huge fanfare and excitement. He was given the number 9 shirt and thrown straight into the starting line-up 24 hours later. Scoring just four minutes into his debut saw hopes surge further.
Amad played a role in a second goal for Rangers during his debut, forcing a save which was turned in for a rebound, but his sides’ poor defending led to a 3-3 draw and soured the mood amid an anxious fanbase ahead of the Old Firm derby.
Amad has to show he is a team player
If there was a moment it all began to sour for Amad, it was after his debut. He posted a compilation video on his Instagram page from his debut, a highlight reel of trickery and impressive moments.
This may seem harmless enough, but it did not go down well with many Rangers fans, on a weekend they dropped points, and showed a mindset of ‘individual over team’.
Amad probably didn’t see the backlash coming. United fans have indulged him to the point where his social media posts celebrating winning in training has been encouraged. Just a bit of fun perhaps, but it left Amad backed into a corner – he had to perform against Celtic days later.
Unfortunately for Amad his first taste of the Old Firm derby was a disaster. Not just for him, but for Rangers. They were tanked 3-0 after some woeful defending and Amad barely got a kick before being subbed at half-time. From this 45 minutes, many minds were made up – from fans and opposition, viewing the teenager as a rabbit in the headlights.
Since then he has been back on the bench save for a cup game against Annan Athletic in which he provided an assist, and didn’t see the pitch against Dortmund.
There was criticism for Amad at the weekend after he was through on goal and hit the post, when he could have squared it to a teammate for a tap-in. He was entitled to take the shot, but with Rangers drawing the game, criticism followed.
Rangers fans are fair to be frustrated. They are invested in winning the title and that matters above all else. Amad needs to get up to speed, and providing Rangers supporters continue to be fair to him, he should still flourish.
The critique that Amad is not a team player is misguided. He is a creative player who thrives on assists as much as goals, and will take pleasure in his side winning matches with his help. He just needs time to show it over a sustained stretch. He has only started three games so far and has one goal and one assist, that’s not bad.
There also needs to be some realism from Rangers fans too. Amad is 19, is not used to the intensity of regular gametime being thrown at him, and there will be some speed bumps along the way.
He is at Rangers to develop, so they must let him. If he was the finished product he would be a regular in Manchester United’s first team already, not out on loan. He bounced back from the weekend with a brace against Brentford in a friendly on Monday, upstaging Christian Eriksen on his return. If Rangers fans stick by him, they will see more of that in competitive matches.
Scotland doesn’t quite get Amad yet
There is an eagerness to criticise Amad from the Scottish media which makes us somewhat uneasy. The first issue is, and it sounds silly, it’s his name.
Every report from Scotland refers to Amad as Diallo. Technically, that’s his name. But when was the last time you heard anybody in England reference him as Diallo?
The teenager wears Amad on the back of his shirt and this is how he wants to be known. He was first known as Amad Traore before identity issues came to light surround him being trafficked into Italy as a young boy, The Telegraph reported. But with little affinity for the name Diallo, he prefers to be know as simply Amad.
More ignorant is the constant referring to his £37 million price tag. This is a fee United have never paid, and probably will never. United paid less than half that, and the media know it. Yet it doesn’t stop them trying to pile the pressure on the kid.
Former Celtic midfielder Kris Commons, hardly an unbiased figure, told The Mail this week: “As for Amad Diallo, he already looks like he’s in the wrong movie. Just because Manchester United spent £37million on him, that’s no guarantee of success.”
Well, one, United have not spent that amount. And two, he has started three games, so give him a proper chance. And three, he’s just 19.
With signing for United, there is also pressure, and that gets magnified in the heat of the Glasgow rivalry amid a title run-in. The papers are playing into this by publishing incorrect information about his price tag, and giving air-time to pundits like Commons who are more interested in points scoring and jabs at Rangers than any proper analysis.
If Rangers and the Scottish media just let Amad breathe a bit, and stop criticising every mis-kick, they will discover they have a top young player on their hands.
Choosing to blame Amad not squaring a pass on a failure to beat Dundee United is an easy option. Rangers showed against Dortmund they are capable of more, and the focus should be on the manager and the rest of his teammates instead.
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