"Effective and Industrious Diallo Has 'One of the Best Weeks of My Life'"
"Effective and Industrious Diallo Has 'One of the Best Weeks of My Life'"
Even Manchester United's own social media team nearly gave up.
The drive for interactions is intense at every Premier League club on match nights, but sometimes, it seems like there's little point.
"Probably an obvious winner, but the poll's open regardless," was the notification United pushed through about 10 minutes after the final whistle of their 3-1 victory over Southampton. They knew, as did everyone in the stadium, who the man of the match would be.
Amad Diallo wasn't even off the pitch at that point. After grabbing the match ball and soaking in the adulation from all sides of Old Trafford, the Ivorian was quickly taken to the portable broadcast table to talk about his momentous achievement. He had equalized in the 82nd minute of what had been a tepid performance before scoring twice in stoppage time to secure United's victory.
"In football, you have to believe," the 22-year-old began.
He was referring to the game, but he could have been talking about his entire journey at United.
By the time Erik ten Hag was dismissed on October 28, 2024, Diallo had started 12 games since joining the club from Atalanta in 2021. He had spent 18 months on loan at Rangers and Sunderland, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, there seemed to be no obvious sign that it would be extended beyond triggering the option to keep him from leaving for nothing.
How different Diallo's world looks now.
Since Ten Hag's departure, he has started 12 games under Ruud van Nistelrooy and then Ruben Amorim. He has scored eight goals, including a late winner against Manchester City, an equalizer at Liverpool, and now a 12-minute hat-trick in a home game against Southampton—who were at the bottom of the table and threatening to cause a hugely embarrassing defeat.
He has also signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract.
"[It is] maybe one of the best weeks of my life," Diallo told TNT after scoring his first senior hat-trick. "We believed until the end and are happy to win this game. We drew with Arsenal and Liverpool, so the confidence was there."
Diallo was speaking about United's previous two results, which Amorim admitted had come from a counter-attacking tactic that United simply could not deploy at Old Trafford against a side that had won just once previously in the league and was struggling at the bottom.
Yet Amorim's concerns were in danger of turning into a nightmare reality as the clock ticked down on what was shaping up to be one of United's poorest performances since he left Sporting to try and fix the mess the club had become.
More than any single player, Diallo has truly risen to the challenge that Amorim has set for his squad.
Whether playing as a wing-back or inside forward, he is effective, industrious, and unafraid to threaten the opponent's goal. It’s no surprise that United officials have now secured him with a contract that runs until 2030.
Only Mohamed Salah (20) and Alexander Isak (17) have more Premier League goal involvements since November than Diallo’s five goals and five assists.
However, Amorim is determined not to let Diallo's recent success go to his head.
Mindful of how young players can often be overwhelmed with praise after minimal success, the United head coach is committed to keeping Diallo grounded.
"I didn’t say anything to him," said Amorim. "I will tell him tomorrow that he needs to rest, eat good food, and be ready for Sunday [against Brighton] when we need him again."
"He is having a very good season. Congratulations to him. I hope he enjoys tonight because he needs to appreciate these moments."
"But we have to be careful with young players. This game is in the past."
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