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Ruben Amorim warned about making ‘devastating’ Manchester United ace ‘look bad’

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Rohit Sarkar | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 11:08 PM ET

Ashley Williams reveals how Amad has created a glaring problem for Manchester United and Ruben Amorim

Manchester United started the 2025/26 season under Ruben Amorim in a pretty bad way, and there was a lot of pressure on the team. However, they finally strung together three straight wins on the trot in the Premier League. When they arrived at the City Ground to play against Nottingham Forest, everyone might have felt that they could have registered their fourth straight win.

However, Amorim’s side succumbed to a 2-2 draw, which put an end to their winning run. The Red Devils did have the spark in attack, but suffered defensively due to their weaknesses when not on the ball. The Portuguese manager wants his full-backs to push high and, at the same time, track back quickly in defensive transitions. This requires the players in that position to show awareness, have the skills and discipline. After the match, the manager even pointed out that the team lost control in key moments of the game.

The structure has improved somewhat, but some players still keep playing out of position. Talking about this, BBC pundit Ashley Williams pointed to Amad Diallo being one such player, and he is creating brilliance and problems at the same time for Amorim and his structure.

Williams said on Match of the Day that Amad’s attacking flair makes him one of United’s most exciting forwards, but his defensive duties often pull him into uncomfortable areas. The Ivorian scored a stunning volley to rescue a draw against Forest, but his earlier defensive mistake allowed Morgan Gibbs-White to equalise. Williams said this moment sums up the contradiction in Amad’s role; his instincts push him forward, but Amorim’s tactics keep forcing him back.

Here is what he said:

“He’s in the team because of his attacking qualities but he can’t play in the two No.10 positions because they have Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha who are playing really well.”

“So where does he play? He plays right wing-back and finds himself in defensive positions at times which isn’t his strength.”

“He’s in this full-back position because he has to do his work. He’s an honest lad and he’s trying to get back and do a job for his team but it’s not his quality. His quality is going forward.”

“[Then] Amad gets in a centre-back position trying to head a ball out which is not his strength and they concede from that.”

“On the flip side, going forward he’s devastating. His goal, what a strike it is, the technique is perfect.”

“This is not a player you want defending. He’s in the team because of his attacking play and he’s such an honest lad that he ends up doing lots of defensive work and then it looks bad on him.”

“But realistically, Ruben Amorim has to sort this problem out and get Leny Yoro across a bit quicker so Amad can play higher up the pitch.”

Quote via BBC MOTD (h/t Metro)

Amad’s tactical role and positional fit under Ruben Amorim

Amad’s tactical strengths include his exceptional technical ability, quick dribbling in tight spaces, and high footballing intelligence. Playing as a winger or wing-back under Ruben Amorim, he thrives on the right, cutting inside to create chances with his left foot or combining with teammates. The Ivorian also presses relentlessly without the ball.

However, Amad’s weaknesses include inconsistent final-ball execution and decision-making in the attacking third, though this area has improved. Stronger opponents often expose his defensive weakness, and his lack of natural defensive instincts shows when he plays as a wing-back.

How can Amorim fix or solve the issue?

The 23-year-old also needs to maintain consistency throughout full matches. Ruben Amorim does not need to drop Amad but should make specific tactical and positional adjustments to maximise his impact. The key tweak involves shifting him from a defensively demanding wing-back role to a position that leverages his attacking strengths, such as an attacking midfielder or right-sided winger. With defensive cover behind him, Amorim can unleash Amad’s full creative potential closer to the goal.

Tactically, Amorim could deploy Amad as an inside-right forward in a 3-4-3 formation, giving him more attacking license while a more defensively solid player operates behind him. This setup, possibly featuring a robust wing-back providing overlapping runs, will allow Amad to focus on combining with other forwards and using his vision in the final third.

He could also play as one of two attacking midfielders in a central position, which would maximise his instinct for goals and assists, or as a traditional right-winger in the back-four system, where his one-on-one dribbling can isolate and beat defenders effectively. However, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the squad, it looks tough as of now.

This article first appeared on We All Follow United and was syndicated with permission.

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