2 weeks Ago By Evan Bartlett
Man Utd 2-0 PAOK (Diallo 50′, 77′) OLD TRAFFORD — No Ruben, you have signed the contract now. There is no going back. After this correspondent’s return from Lisbon, where Ruben Amorim’s exhilarating Sporting side humbled the might of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City with a breathless display of attacking intent , heading back to Old Trafford for a Europa League clash was always going to be quite the comedown.
Amorim has been keen to point out he cannot simply transfer the philosophy that has awoken a Portuguese giant to the Premier League, as English football is an altogether “different world”. But Manchester United are certainly crying out for it. In terms of vigour, what Amorim has created in Lisbon – where even at 3-1 up Sporting threw caution to the wind against City – is a far cry from the lethargy that has engulfed Old Trafford in recent years.
Read Next Nine Man Utd players Amorim should get rid of and 11 he should keep And had it not been for Amad Diallo, United’s embarrassing inability to dispose of mid-ranking European teams would almost certainly have continued on Thursday night against PAOK. Amad has been getting quite disgruntled over his lack of game time. But unlike many of his team-mates, the Ivorian, when given his chance, let his feet do the talking to break United’s European curse in front of a relieved if sedated Old Trafford, giving Amorim at least one reason to get on the plane this weekend.
“He [Amad] is a great character, a hard worker, he shows it in every training session,” interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy said. “He also puts in extra work every day in training. What a strike this was from Amad Diallo 😮💨 It's his second of the night for Manchester United 💥 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.
twitter.com/g4uqrnAFo1 — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 7, 2024 “He comes to me and wants to do extra finishing, crossing, one versus one, how he can improve his shooting, heading, he is constantly focused on learning, getting better, very motivated to get the most from his career.” Amad’s impact was certainly telling.
It has taken 379 days, but at long last, Manchester United have won another match in Europe. Like many of those teams in that winless run since their 1-0 victory over Copenhagen last October, PAOK are anything but part of Europe’s elite. That did not stop the three-time European Cup winners making hard work of what should have been a routine success.
Two second-half Amad goals settled an unflattering affair that posed Amorim more questions than answers. But the monkey is finally off their back, with that first three points in Europe’s secondary competition this season catapulting United up to a lofty 15th in the Europa League standings, behind Hungarian giants Ferencvaros. Van Nistelrooy was clearly suffering with a severe bout of Ten Hagitis when he penned his pre-match programme notes.
Read Next My first impressions of Amorim: Man Utd can expect risks, goals and an identity One of the side effects of that ailment is delusion, with Van Nistelrooy insisting like his predecessor that he has seen great cause for optimism in United’s performance in their previous match with Chelsea , and their play warranted more than the one point they achieved. What followed was another sub-par attacking display bereft of ideas that made the stand-in manager’s words seem somewhat spurious. United were woeful in the opening 45 minutes.
In typical United fashion, there were some nice faints through the legs, neat one-twos around the halfway line, but when it came to coming up with that killer pass, the decision making let the hosts down time and again. A second-half improvement was inevitable, it couldn’t get any worse, with Amad’s goal, a well-placed header, finally settling the home nerves. Amad Diallo kisses the badge after giving Manchester United the lead in his first start in a month 🤩 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.
twitter.com/tHteJfXsZz — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 7, 2024 As always, the hosts did their best to quickly relinquish a lead in Europe, with Tarik Tissoudali wasting a golden chance to lift the leaky roof over the away end off its hinges. Amad took it upon himself to banish the European demons, fashioning an opening out of nothing, winning the ball back himself with tenacity rarely seen around these parts, before arrowing a shot, via a slight deflection, into the far corner.
If Amorim is going to get the fire started in Manchester, Amad can be the spark. There are more talented figures hanging around Old Trafford , but on the evidence of what Sporting mustered to put City on the canvas, more than talent to going to be needed to be part of Amorim’s United future..
