United View: Amad inspires derby win

Manchester is Red once again, as United shocked a struggling City side with a late comeback in the Derby on Sunday.

The Reds were inspired by the brilliance of Amad Diallo as Ruben Amorim made several surprising changes to his side for this key fixture.

As it so often happens with United, the main talking point was before the game had even begun, with Ruben Amorim choosing to drop Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the squad. The manager suggested their levels of training played a part in his team selection but was adamant this was not a disciplinary reason.

It was a bold choice, and getting the win helped to quieten the noise around this decision, although Rashford went on to hint that his time at Old Trafford might be coming to an end, saying he’s ‘ready for a new challenge’. Regardless of what happens with him or Garnacho, Amorim is showing his players he isn’t afraid to make big calls and set the standards, which have dropped significantly in recent years.

One man who is showing what it takes to be starting consistently under Amorim is Amad Diallo, who turned what had been a rather dull Manchester Derby into an extraordinary climax, leaving Pep Guardiola’s men stunned with his contributions in the final minutes at the Etihad.

The Ivorian is one of the standouts of the season and was one of the only players on Sunday who looked to try to make things happen in the final third. First, winning the penalty to tie the game before producing an excellent piece of skill before scoring the match-winner in the 90th minute, prompting an exodus of City fans amidst United’s bedlam.

Amad’s ability is obvious, along with his work rate, so it’s no wonder he’s becoming a favourite amongst fans, and United’s equaliser highlighted both sides of his game. Yes, it’s a mistake from Nunes, but Amad’s running and mindset to anticipate an error is what helped get United back in the game before going on to earn a first win at the Etihad since March 2021.

This was a huge win for Amorim. United were on track to lose their third successive game in the Premier League, instead, they now sit six points off fourth, having won away to one of the ‘big six’ for the first time since November 2021 (3-0 win at Spurs). With so little time in the week to embed his philosophy, results like this will help to build confidence in his players and the ideas he’s trying to teach them.

This was a much different Manchester Derby to those in recent years. So often, City have dominated the ball, and United has tried to hit them on the break. However, this tie saw City much more passive, with United relatively untroubled from open play and less rash in possession. Meanwhile, City find themselves in great turmoil having only won one in their last 11.

Amorim has an incredibly difficult job on his hands, and he’ll hope this result could be what ignites his time at Manchester United, as on Sunday, his side showed signs that they are becoming more comfortable with his playing style.

Probably the most poignant line from the weekend was when he said, “When people in our club are losing their jobs, we have to put the standards high.”

There’s still a long way to go, yet Amorim has got his first big win as manager of Manchester United and is the first man since Sir Alex to beat City in their Manchester Derby. A busy Christmas period now looms, as he and his squad will look to continue to build momentum before the new year.