The position Manchester United still need to strengthen despite two new signings this year
There was one problem position even as Man Utd defeated Liverpool FC in the Premier League last weekend.
Manchester United are full of optimism after their impressive win over Liverpool, but the match also identified a problem position within their squad.
The 2-1 win at Anfield was not only a huge victory for Ruben Amorim, but it was also a significant endorsement of their summer transfer policy, following strong displays from Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Senne Lammens. In fact, it was difficult to find too many poor performances from a United perspective. The concern is that United's two worst individuals against Liverpool both played in the same position.
If the 3-4-2-1 formation is going to work, Amorim needs to have world-class options in both of the wing-back roles. He might have the makings of one in Amad Diallo, who he declared was 'perfect' for the position after his latest showing. The Ivorian terrorised Milos Kerkez with help from Mbeumo on the right flank, though there is still plenty of work to do if he is to be as effective in defensive play.
The same can't be said for their options on the other wing. United took a gamble in the summer when they moved on their left wing options and banked on the potential of youngster Patrick Dorgu to solve that position. There is still huge hope for the 20-year-old, though he has been unable to build upon a strong pre-season and still looks very raw at senior level.
United knew they were taking a calculated risk when they signed Dorgu from Lecce at the start of the year and it is still early days in his development before he can be fairly judged. What is clear is that he needs some support in that position and Diogo Dalot is not the most obvious mentor to give him that.
The Portuguese full-back is strongly trusted by Amorim due to his dependability and consistency in the wing-back role, though he lacks the technical ability to play as an inverted wing-back as a long-term solution. There is still value in Dalot, particularly when you remember Amad will be away at the Africa Cup of Nations soon, though he is not that good a fit in the left-wing back role.
While the victory over Liverpool showcased the huge promise of the United squad under Amorim, it also highlighted the fact they will need a specialist left wing-back if they are to produce those performances regularly. Dorgu could get to that level after a couple more seasons, while youngsters Harry Amass and Diego Leon might also provide long-term cover in the role.
It has hard to make a case for any of those options in the short-term though, with none of them a standout candidate to nail down a starting role in the line up. If the current formation is to bring immediate success under Amorim, it still feels like United need to sign a specialist left wing-back next year, with their current options as understudy.
United have signed two left wing-backs this year. They still need another one.
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