Manchester United winger Amad has been one of the standout performers in recent weeks, but he was surprisingly dropped to the bench for the clash against Arsenal.
Since Erik ten Hag’s departure, Amad has been one of the most impressive players at United. The Ivorian was on the brink of being sidelined, especially with his contract expiring at the end of the season. However, under both Ruud van Nistelrooy and now Ruben Amorim, Amad has stepped up, thriving under the added pressure.
In his recent appearance against Everton, the 22-year-old provided two assists and played a key role in another, making his omission from the starting XI against Arsenal all the more surprising. Even more so because Tyrell Malacia, with limited game time in the past two seasons, was selected to start at left wing-back.
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Amorim explained his decision in his first interview, offering insight into his tactical approach.
“We should start with full-backs as wing-backs because teaching a winger how to defend is harder,” the Portuguese manager told Sky Sports ahead of the Ipswich Town match. Amorim understood that Arsenal would likely dominate possession and apply more pressure than any other team, so having Malacia, a natural full-back, play at left wing-back made sense to shore up United’s defensive structure.
Although the decision was controversial, it paid off. In the first half, United were compact and solid defensively, effectively nullifying Arsenal’s attacking threat. While this meant sacrificing some offensive output, Amorim’s approach was a response to one of the main criticisms of Ten Hag’s tenure: United’s vulnerability to being too open defensively.
Bringing Amad on at half-time signaled Amorim’s intention to add more attacking threat in the second half, but the more conservative start allowed the team to stay in the game and build momentum after the break without being overwhelmed.