Ruben Amorim has overseen huge improvements at Manchester United, but one position is becoming an increasingly obvious problem, and Amad might be the saviour.
While Manchester United are pushing up the table and on a four-game unbeaten run, things have not been completely solved by Ruben Amorim, with one major issue still frustrating fans.
This is the left-wing-back role, with Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu both failing to make the position their own.
After Dalot’s poor performance against Nottingham Forest, he was even subjected to criticism by Amorim, which perfectly highlights why the Portugal international shouldn’t be in that role.
The reason for this is that Dalot’s right foot doesn’t allow him to hit first-time crosses into the box, always cutting inside instead. Amorim was also spotted having a go at Dalot during the game, but there might be a solution in the form of Amad, which would revitalise United’s attack.
Ruben Amorim should move Amad to left wing-back
Amad has caught flak recently for his wing-back performances from Gary Lineker. However, on the other hand, Rio Ferdinand has praised Amad’s offensive output at wing-back, which has been a highlight as he and Bryan Mbeumo form an excellent partnership.
But with so much attacking quality on the right side, the left has been abandoned, and United are a very unbalanced team as a result, with opponents willing to leave the left side free, knowing there is unlikely to be much danger.
Moving Amad to left-wing-back not only radically changes the threat on that side, but importantly, would give United the left-footer that Amorim desires.
So it would be a no-brainer. But what about the right side?
Amad moving to the left would work incredibly well because he and Matheus Cunha occupy different areas of the pitch. This would mean Dalot would be able to move back into his more favoured role, where he is on his right foot, holding width for Mbeumo to cut inside.
Benjamin Sesko would love to see Amad at left wing-back
This season has seen 6ft 5in tall Benjamin Sesko struggle enormously to get clear chances, which strikers at big clubs feed on. One big reason for that struggle has been the lack of quality crosses coming to his head.
Despite United having the third-best crossing average in the league at 33.3% success rate, this statistic comes mostly from set-piece scenarios and when the centre-backs are up the pitch.
Sesko has a massive vertical leap and is in the 89th percentile among strikers for the percentage of aerial duels won this season, so Amorim should be looking to get the ball on the Slovenian’s head as often as he can.
With Amad on the left, there would be frequent crosses from natural positions using his left foot and even vice versa on the right, regardless of the criticism Dalot often gets at Old Trafford.
This fix would make United so much deadlier at unlocking stubborn defences, compared to the crosses currently, which almost always involve a wing-back cutting inside before crossing into the goalkeeper’s arms.
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