Perhaps why Diogo Dalot is still getting a starting berth ahead of Wan Bissaka is due to his attacking attributes, which he offers Erik Ten Hag's side, and that's the priority of the Dutch manager's philosophy.
Recently, the 23-year-old Portuguese international hasn't been able to rekindle the form he was in prior to the World Cup break. Injury struggles have compounded the player's lack of appearances for Manchester United since he returned from the World Cup with Portugal.
He has been replaced at halftime in recent important games in which opponents appear to be exploiting the full back's affinity for going forward and below per defending. Erik Ten Hag always had to throw in Aaron Wan-Bissaka to sort out the opponent's threats on those occasions. He was replaced against Barcelona, Newcastle United, and others.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose future has been up for debate due to his poor contributions to Erik Ten Hag's attacking style, has however been able to revive his career under Erik Ten Hag. He was already frozen out of the starting lineup and forced to languish on the Red Devils' bench at the start of the season while Diogo Dalot enjoyed a sensational run of games.
Diogo Dalot's reoccurring injuries and loss of form mean Wan Bissaka has been able to get a shot at the starting eleven and as well convince Erik Ten Hag that he has something to offer. His brilliant tackles which Manchester United fans have grown used to are still flawless.
He has improved attack-wise but not to the standards Erik Ten Hag would have wanted, but the manager will not deny the fact that he still needs the team's best tackler for special occasions.
His brilliant defending ensured Manchester United's disappointing trip to Selhurst Park ended in a draw. He pulled a late tackle on Wilfried Zaha to ensure the score remained 1-1. He as well stopped Saint Maximin, who terrorized Manchester United's defense from the right during the Carabao Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
Diogo Dalot may be the second player in Manchester United's squad with the most progressive passes this season. In addition, he produces the second-most forward assists per 90 minutes on Ten Hag's team. The Portuguese ace retrieves 5.8 more balls on average per game than Wan-Bissaka and won 68% of his duels.
Diogo Dalot has one goal for the Red Devils this season and also has the greatest aerial win percentage in the United team (71.1%), tying him with teammate Raphael Varane for seventh-best in the Premier League. He averages seven defensive challenges per game as well.
Diogo Dalot has scored three times this season for both club and nation, averaging almost two crosses per game and having a 73% success rate on dribbles. Additionally, he has an average of 43 accurate passes per game.
The truth remains that Wan Bissaka is showing Erik Ten Hag that defending is the best type of attack.
Post a Comment