Manchester United were stunned for most of the match against Southampton at home at Old Trafford on Thursday, but were once again rescued by Amad Diallo in a 3-1 victory. Amad scored a hat trick in the second half and all the goals came after the 80th minute of play, turning around a match that seemed destined to be lost. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a great season under Ruben Amorim and now has six goals and six assists in the Premier League. Amad became the first Manchester United player to score a hat-trick since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2022, very good company to be in.
His goals also came at key moments and four of them changed the game. Scoring the winning goal in the Manchester derby, a goal to draw against Liverpool and this hat-trick to defeat Southampton have all been hugely important to the Red Devils during what has been a frustrating season.
Much has been said about Manchester United being closer to the Premier League relegation places than a Champions League place, but after Amad rescued them against Southampton, it’s a good time to see how The danger for United is real. In the last five seasons, safety’s number has been 36 points in the Premier League, with 39 points being the highest total to finish in 17th place.
Following their victory over Southampton, Manchester United are 12th in the table and are on track to pick up just 47 points this season. With five league defeats in 10 games under Amorim, United’s positioning has gone from poor to worrying, with avoiding relegation a very real concern. Currently, United should be comfortably safe, but all it will take is for this poor run to continue any longer and the projected points will drop quickly. Facing Brighton, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Everton in their next five games, anything could happen.
The Europa League will be back soon which means there will be more rotation to come and United cannot rely on Amad to bail them out every game. Since Amorim took over, strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have combined for just three Premier League goals. Add to this the fact that United conceded 10 goals from corner kicks, the most in the league, and it’s easy to see why the struggles have continued even when facing the bottom team at home.
Amorim inherited a team that needs a lot of work, and with the January transfer window open, the process to improve that team can begin, but first a new home for Marcus Rashford must be found. Clearing the striker’s wages will give United more flexibility because, while Amad has done a lot on his own, he can’t do it all.
The Europa League must be prioritized because it is the only chance at European football next season, but that is difficult to achieve if United continue to drop points in the league, putting themselves in greater danger. It’s great that Amorim has discovered who his main goal-scoring option is, but United now need to find who else they can turn to besides the 22-year-old.
