Manchester United’s results have steadied under Rúben Amorim with three wins and two draws from the last five matches, but the underlying structure still shows a clear imbalance.
The biggest one remains the left wing-back position.
When Amorim arrived, I expected the 3-4-3 to bring balance: wing-backs to push high, inside forwards to narrow, and the double pivot to control restarts.
Instead, United’s left flank often feels half-finished.
Diogo Dalot, playing out of position as a left wing-back, has become a symbol of that tension as he is useful in some moments but a liability in others.
There are warning signs in almost every game that repeat: small defensive decisions, positional habits, and tempo-killing choices that limit United’s rhythm.
This Diogo Dalot scout report breaks those down clip by clip, examines the numbers behind them, and then offers two realistic solutions within the Red Devils squad.
What Should A Wing-Back Provide In Rúben Amorims 3-4-3?
Out of possession, the wing-back’s job is to press wide, high and aggressively in each phase, whether that be a low, medium or high block.
You need intensity to get pressure on the ball early, because in a back-five chain, hesitation invites crosses and pins you deep.
In possession, the shape becomes a 3-2-5.
The wing-back now acts like a winger: stretch the pitch, threaten the byline, and maintain tempo in circulation.
In modern football, you’re asked to be a full-back out of possession and a winger in possession.
It’s a brutal dual demand, and Dalot, a natural right-back, is struggling to bridge the two.
Diogo Dalot Strengths
Diogo Dalot isn’t a bad player by any means, certainly not in every phase.
Aerially, he’s strong.
He wins around 55% of aerial duels, and United often target him from goal-kicks to escape pressure and a pattern that worked against Arsenal in last season’s FA Cup when Bruno Fernandes scored after Dalot’s flick.
Amorim's pattern allows swicth of play to wing back. Dalot wins aerial dual.
Amorims pattern allows a switch of play to the wing-back. Dalot wins an aerial duel.
Bruno scores amazing goal which all came from Dalot's initial aerial dual win
Bruno scores an amazing goal, which all came from Dalots initial aerial duel win.
Dalots pass accuracy sits around 82%, and he rarely panics under short pressure.
Furthermore, teammates clearly respect him, he plays through knocks, and carries himself like a pro.
The problem is that
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