Manchester United came into the Nottingham Forest game on a three-game winning streak, but the draw showed that this side is still very much a work in progress.
Ruben Amorim praised the growth of this team in the sense that they would have lost this game last season after the double-blow by Forest in two minutes.
Amad was outmatched in the air for the first, and the second was confusion central, where multiple Man Utd defenders challenged for the same ball.
However, neither of those is a genuine worry. That (dis)honour goes to a new problem position emerging at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim’s left-wing-back dilemma
For the first time since taking charge at Man Utd, Ruben Amorim named an unchanged XI for consecutive Premier League games.
The logic was sound, since this team put four past Brighton to end their cursed streak against a bogey team.
However, the pain point from that game continued here, with Diogo Dalot struggling to make a mark as a makeshift left-wing-back.
Amorim accepted himself after the game that Dalot’s right-footedness restricts him from going outside and putting crosses in.
Instead, he cuts inside where there’s no space, and it kills most attacks when they should be gaining pace.
Dalot’s introduction into the team as a left wing-back came because Patrick Dorgu is a project player who hasn’t shown the ability to start every week for the club.
Dorgu is an athletic monster who wins duels for days, but if Dalot’s problem is that he won’t cross the ball, Dorgu just can’t.
The Dane’s final product is extremely frustrating as he slowly inches towards a year in Man Utd colours. Amorim has gone from the heights of Nuno Mendes at left wing-back to two players, one of whom is a makeshift solution and another who’s not ready.
Fortunately, he can unleash the ideal solution soon.
Lisandro Martinez’s return will unleash Luke Shaw
From Amorim’s comments about Dalot and his treatment of Dorgu, it’s clear that he wants a left-footed player there who can make a difference in the final third.
He already has that player, but he plays as a centre-back right now.
Luke Shaw has all the qualities to be a dynamic wing-back, a position he has publicly advocated to return to recently.
As soon as Lisandro Martinez returns from injury, he should take the left centre-back spot, freeing up Shaw to move to wing-back.
Shaw’s fitness remains a concern, but at least for this season, he should be easily able to play one game per week, and that too for 60-70 minutes every game since Dorgu can come on for him.
It will allow Shaw to run his socks off in small bursts for the benefit of the team, the ball progression from centre-back won’t be lost as Martinez returns, and Dorgu will get more time to improve.
Dalot can be a capable backup for both wing-back spots, which is what his ability justifies. It’s the perfect solution.
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