As difficult as it may seem, there are a few positives to take from Manchester United’s start to the season.
The Red Devils find themselves down in 14th in the Premier League table after the opening three games.
A disappointing 3-0 loss to Liverpool has put a huge dampener on the mood around Old Trafford for the international break and Erik ten Hag has a mountainous task ahead of him to turn things around when club football resumes.
Despite back-to-back losses against Brighton and Liverpool, there have been a few shining lights in an otherwise dull start to the campaign.
Joshua Zirkzee’s last-gasp debut goal against Fulham got United’s £36m signing off the mark, and Amad Diallo is embracing a starting role under Ten Hag this season.
But another impressive performer is Diogo Dalot, who has been deployed at left-back so far with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia both injured.
Diogo Dalot has impressed at Man United this season
United invested heavily in their defence this summer. Leny Yoro was the first to arrive in a £52m deal ahead of a £50m double swoop for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
However, the left-back position has continued to be an issue with Shaw and Malacia sidelined. Thankfully, Dalot has filled in superbly.
Dalot was a shining light in the loss against Brighton and up against Mohamed Salah last Sunday he did well – although the defence was eventually let down by individual mistakes.
According to WhoScored, Dalot has performed better than any other Premier League player this season in one specific area.
They claim that “Diogo Dalot has won possession more times than any other player in the Premier League so far this season (26).”
It shows that the Portuguese full-back has been superb defensively and suits Ten Hag’s aggressive pressing style.
Kobbie Mainoo on the opposite end of the spectrum
While Dalot has been superb at winning the ball back, United have struggled this season when it comes to keeping possession.
Casemiro made two critical errors against Liverpool which both led to goals, while Kobbie Mainoo was caught in possession for their third of the match.
READ MORE: Kobbie Mainoo equals N’Golo Kante record, it’s actually a bad thing for Man Utd
According to Premier League stats, Mainoo has lost possession 10 times in the opening three matches – more than any other player in the top flight.
The 19-year-old is usually composed and confident with the ball at his feet, the fact Mainoo tops the dispossession stats suggests United’s star teenager is not getting enough support in the heart of midfield.
That is something Ten Hag will have to fix immediately – hopefully starting with Manuel Ugarte’s introduction to the lineup.
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