After Manchester United’s disastrous 3-3 draw against Coventry City at the weekend, the Red Devils welcome bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United to Old Trafford.
Going into the tie, Erik ten Hag’s side simply have to prove themselves and put on a show for their loyal fans, who deserve to witness a dominant, exciting performance.
However, as highlighted by their position in seventh and the FA Cup clash on Sunday, even the simplest of tasks can be made extremely difficult by the team.
That said, there’s one player who’s impressed every time they’ve been on the field this season, and he surely must be given a chance over Marcus Rashford.
Why Marcus Rashford drops out of the side
After scoring an incredible 30 goals across all competitions last campaign, the expectation this season was for Rashford to continue his progression under Ten Hag.
The number ten now hasn’t scored in five matches for United, which means his goal tally for the season remains at eight across all competitions, just highlighting how he’s underperformed.
Other than completing three of his four attempted dribbles and having the confidence to shoot five times, Rashford wasn’t his usual self against Coventry, failing to have an impact on the game, as shown by his one big chance missed and the fact that he lost possession 17 times.
Given the fact that tonight’s opponents are rock bottom of the table, have won just one game since December, and Rashford is currently a doubt due to injury, the best option will be to not take any risks.
The best replacement for Marcus Rashford
Amad Diallo is a player that the United faithful are desperate to watch from the off, after impressing with 14 goals last season on loan at Sunderland and during pre-season.
Unfortunately, the Ivorian’s development has hit a brick wall this campaign due to an injury that kept him out until December, but since then, his cameos off the bench have been rather impressive with that goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals notably sticking out.
If the wide positions haven’t been occupied by Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, then Antony has been the first-choice replacement, but he’s only registered one assist in 25 Premier League games.
Amad himself has only featured six times this season with an average of 34 minutes per match, but he’s certainly done enough to prove he should start, especially after his performance against Coventry off the bench, making an eye-catching three key passes and succeeding with 100% of his dribbles.
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Amad Diallo vs Coventry |
|
|---|---|
|
Stats |
Amad Diallo |
|
Minutes |
30 |
|
Shots |
1 |
|
Key passes |
3 |
|
Dribble success rate |
100% |
|
Touches |
23 |
|
Passes completed |
19/20 |
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Via Sofascore |
|
In just 30 minutes of action, the 21-year-old was more of a threat than most of the United attackers on the day, not only showcasing that he’s more than talented enough but also having the mentality to fight for the team, which has been visibly lacking.
A potential “superstar,” as dubbed by football creator Liam Canning, Amad is an extremely creative player, who seems to always make the right decision when in possession.
The fact that Amad made three key passes while also completing 19 of his 20 passes serves as evidence of that, and this level of creativity and ball retention will be needed against the inevitably stubborn Blades.
With Sheffield United’s gameplan being to sit in their own box, the former Atalanta winger’s technical class and ability to play quick combinations in tight spaces will help unlock the defence.
The predicted defensive setup by the Blades will also mean that the majority of their attacks will occur via transitions, and Amad’s three tackles and six duels won against Liverpool in the FA Cup also highlight that he can make United much more secure defensively.
Amad’s inclusion in the starting lineup at right wing would mean a slight position change for Garnacho, with the Argentine potentially set to switch flanks to his preferred left-wing position.
Overall, Amad’s performances must be rewarded with a start – his first league one of the campaign – and if not, you have to question why he’s not being given an opportunity by Ten Hag.
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