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Diogo Dalot has been a Manchester United player for five years to the day, having completed his move from FC Porto back in 2018.
At the time, Red Devils’ manager Jose Mourinho was certain he had signed the best European fullbacks in his age group and, while it has taken some time for that assessment to bear fruit, there have been signs of encouraging development from Dalot this season.
This term he has made 41 appearances, almost twice as many as he has managed in a United shirt since signing as a 19-year-old.
And while he slipped into a squad rotation role after Aaron Wan-Bissaka‘s resurgence in the latter part of the season, his new contract suggests that Erik ten Hag is more than happy with the Portugal star’s contribution this season.
It was immediately obvious from Erik ten Hag’s first games of preseason last summer that he intended to use his fullbacks in a different way to what they were used to. Throughout the season, the Dutchman has regularly been seen on the touchline, yelling at his wide-most defenders while seemingly miming a pincer snap – the clear intention being to compel his fullbacks to play more centrally.
Dalot immediately took to this instruction and has seemed to relish operating more as an ‘interior’ fullback in United’s build up. He is up to 19 accurate passes in his own half from 15.1 last season, demonstrating his greater involvement in aiding his team in deeper areas. That has not blunted his contribution in the opposition half either, with a slight increase on last terms 17.7 accurate passes per game (18.3). He has matured into a player capable of offering his central defenders and goalkeeper more comfortable solutions while playing out from the back. (Stats via SofaScore)
Where The Portuguese right back has really shone through is in the defensive side of his game, and his fellow defenders will certainly thank him for that improvement. While he will never be the one-v-one cheat code that Wan-Bissaka is, there are notable areas of the game where Dalot is clearly better. Chief among them is his aerial ability. Dalot wins 1.49 aerial duels per 90 minutes, ranking him in the 82nd percentile amongst all fullbacks in the ‘Big 5’ leagues in Europe. With an addition 1.49 interceptions made per 90 minutes ranking him in the 87th percentile for that particular metric, the stats back up what the eyes see: Diogo Dalot is positionally very sound, and has a wider range of tools for winning his team possession than some of his colleagues. (Stats via Fbref)
There is plenty of room for improvement still, however. Often regarded by fans and pundits as the more attacking of United’s right backs, Dalot is still lacking in end product. He registered just two two assists over the course of the season gone and, unlike some of the side’s more creative talents, he cannot put that return down to the poor finishing of his teammates. Dalot’s return of 1.53 Expected Assists proves that over the course of the Premier League campaign.
Perhaps a striker who thrives on crosses could see those numbers improve – it is, after all, a joint effort between the passer and the receiver to create chances. United are unlikely to get many assists from wide positions so long as they persevere with such an absence of penalty-box threat.
But Dalot clearly can do more. His solitary Premier League goal against Nottingham Forest – while playing at left back, no less – was a fine indication that he has the intelligence to attack the spaces between defenders in an effective way. While he may feel more inclined to do so when given the opportunity to cut in onto his right foot, seeing him make such aggressive underlapping runs from his regular right back spot would be welcome at Old Trafford. Such movements, applied consistently, would lead to more goals and assists for Dalot.
Diogo Dalot is 24 years of age now, and he will be expected to develop further over the course of his new long-term deal. He may not be a guaranteed starter, but a summer without competitive international football may at the very least bring him back to the level of performance he enjoyed in the first half of the 2022/2023 campaign.
Standing now at a halfway point in his Manchester United career, it will be exciting to see exactly what the next five years have to offer.
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The post Season Review: Diogo Dalot primed for rapid improvement under Erik ten Hag appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.
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| Article Name | 5 years gone, 5 years left: Man United star primed for rapid improvement - review |
| Description |
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| Author Name | Candyboy |
| Published On | June 06, 2023 |
| Post Category |
Man Utd
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