Ruben Amorim says Manchester United need another attacking wing-back in the mould of Amad Diallo for his system to improve.
Amorim came under fire after Monday’s 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton at Old Trafford, when his commitment to a 3-4-2-1 formation was questioned. Chasing a goal after Idrissa Gueye’s red card, he replaced left wing-back Patrick Dorgu with Diogo Dalot — a natural full-back — a like-for-like change that left United light on attacking threat down that side.
Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace have enjoyed success using a similar shape, with attack-minded wing-backs Daniel Muñoz and Tyrick Mitchell key to their performance. United, by contrast, effectively have only Amad in that attacking wing-back mould, and Amorim accepts that will need to change.
Asked if wing-back is an area he wants to strengthen, Amorim said: “We need time to improve the characteristics of the team. I’ve said that over the last year. To give an example, in the last game [against Everton], we should have an Amad with the right foot to put on the other side to play against 10 men. It is these characteristics that in time we will try to get to be a better team. If we are the perfect set-up to play in this way, not yet. But like any team, we need time to put the right characteristics into every position.”
Amorim dismissed direct comparisons with Palace but acknowledged Glasner’s side are doing things better at the moment. Palace sit fifth in the table while United are 10th, separated by only two points, and a United win at Selhurst Park could see them leapfrog Palace.
“We play in a different way. You can understand that by data. It is hard to explain everything. They are a different club and they are doing things better than us. That is quite simple,” Amorim added. “You don’t say that all 4-3-3 teams play in the same way. We play in a different moment, we defend in a different space, we attack in a different way. They are just doing things better than us.”
Muñoz, who has been a standout wing-back for Palace, has previously admitted he dreams of playing for big clubs, naming Barcelona, PSG, Real Madrid and Manchester United, while also saying he is focused on doing well for Palace and will see what the winter transfer window brings.
Glasner defended Amorim’s system ahead of Sunday’s game, noting United’s attacking numbers and transformation in attack after heavy investment. “It’s really funny talking about the 3-4-3 system, and I think United have the highest xG in the Premier League for scoring goals,” he said, praising United’s added firepower and intensity.
But pundits and former players criticised Amorim’s in-game choices after Everton. Gary Neville said on co-commentary that Amorim “has a question to answer” over bringing Dalot on instead of a more attacking option, calling the substitution “embarrassing” and arguing United lacked pace and presence in the box. Jamie Carragher, on Monday Night Football, questioned Amorim’s stubbornness with the formation: “Ruben Amorim feels like the first manager I’ve seen who sticks with a system rather than an idea of how to play… It feels like the formation is his baby and to not change it or alter it in certain situations… I don’t understand how you can stick with it so steadfastly.”
Sky Sports analysis highlighted that at Sporting, Amorim’s wing-backs were key attacking outlets — in 2023/24 Nuno Santos, Geny Catamo and Ricardo Esgaio combined for 26 league goals or assists. At Manchester United, wing-backs have contributed roughly half that across a similar number of league games. Nine of United’s 13 wing-back goal contributions have come from Amad Diallo; the other players used in the role — Dorgu, Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Amass and Tyrell Malacia — have managed only four goal contributions between them in a combined 67 starts at wing-back. Those numbers underline questions over whether United’s current wing-backs are providing the offensive output required to make Amorim’s system consistently effective.