Diogo Dalot

Cassidy said:

It was not a lack of protection in those games it was his poor play.

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I don't think you understood my comment correctly. It's possible he made a mistake, just as a keeper doesn't save all the shots a fullback is not winning all the headers. It's the volume of the defending that makes Dalot look bad sometimes, like yesterday he had to make a lot of last-ditch tackles.
If a defender is asked to do 10 saving tackles and he manages to do it 8/10 times, but the attacker scores from those two then it makes the defender look bad. It doesn't mean the defender is not doing a good job though.

Borys said:

I don't think you understood my comment correctly. It's possible he made a mistake, just as a keeper doesn't save all the shots a fullback is not winning all the headers. It's the volume of the defending that makes Dalot look bad sometimes, like yesterday he had to make a lot of last-ditch tackles.
If a defender is asked to do 10 saving tackles and he manages to do it 8/10 times, but the attacker scores from those two then it makes the defender look bad. It doesn't mean the defender is not doing a good job though.

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Again, in those games where we were dominating the opposition and in control of the game, until he made the mistake which changed the game....
He is a decent player but inconsistent and does not provide enough attacking output and he should be a backup fullback for us.

lex talionis said:

Someone flogged me last week that with the absurd claim that the stats never lie, that everything you need to know about how a football match is revealed by the stats. I don't believe that. Stats can provide useful insights, but stats are limited in what they can tell us.

Immediately above you've presented me stats that invite the conclusion that he played well, if not brilliantly. Yet what the stats don't tell us that Dalot left his post on the first Spurs goal, the ball gratefully traveling through the vertical plane that Dalot was supposed to protect. If Dalot stands his ground and does his job on the play, there is no Spurs goal and with no Spurs goal on that play we win the match.

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Dalot was so average on the ball again, offers nothing going forward. So many instances of him been too slow to react whether it be trying to close down an opponent or taking too long to take possession of the ball and leaving him in a tricky situation. Stats may say he had a good game but anyone who knows anything about football can see he didn't. United are in desperate need of a right back, the current 2 have more then had their fair share of chances and aren't good enough.

Nobby style said:

Thought he played well today.

Diogo Dalot's game by numbers vs. Spurs: ◉ 100% duels won (9/9) ◉ 100% tackle success (6/6) ◉ Most possession won (8) ◉ Most tackles made (6) ◎ 5 crosses ◎ 5 clearances ◎ 2 take-ons completed ◎ 0 x dribbled past ◎ 0 fouls A complete full-back.

Sofascore also rated him at 8.1, second only to Hojland

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Was about to say that: if some of you have the patience to see the foreign press ratings, he was out best player on the match. I still think it was not a good decision to renew with him, but if he continues to play like this there's a chance that I will open the door and there's an Uber Eats delivery worker with an humble pie in my name.

I assume this is per the managers instructions, but he leaves so much space out wide for the winger to attack. He's not helped by Garnacho not tracking back. Werner hasn't played a lot of ball this season, but he looked decent against us.

bosnian_red said:

I think he'd be looked at incredibly differently if the team around him was competent. He could play in other big clubs, and he'd do well and be looked at like a very good right back I think. Just like he does for the national team. Hopefully we sort ourselves out eventually, but I don't see him being replaced any time soon.

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Completely agree with this, I think it’s just a case of a player who can’t do it on his own in dysfunctional circumstances and flourish when things around him are just right.

Football base is there, he has the technical and physical ability. I really hope we can turn things around soon and be a proper team, I think we have a very good player in him.

Cassidy said:

We are out of the UCL partly due to his poor defending at the back post vs Copenhagen and Galatasaray

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Talk about having agenda against a player. United out of CL because their right back didn't defend the back post ( exaggeration) for a goal they conceded.

bond19821982 said:

Talk about having agenda against a player. United out of CL because their right back didn't defend the back post ( exaggeration) for a goal they conceded.

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In both of those games we were on top and his defensive mistakes changed the game. Especially the first game against Galatasaray

Snow said:

I'd say he got a good consistent run of form last season. He joined us at 18 though and around he was out for a long time so 6 years is not the amount he's been with the squad. We were fortunate enough to get a good loan for him to get him going after his injury and the fact that Milan even wanted to take a chance on him then is telling of how highly he was rated as a young fullback.

He's no doubt had some stinkers but he's not the kind of player where we have 7-9 players performing well and he performs badly.

There have been some overrated players and easily forgiven performances but I don't think he belongs in that group. Shaw was getting the same kind of stick during the Mourinho years.

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That was the period I was referring to, to be fair.

Not good defensively for the second goal conceded. Made an assist, though

He isn’t good enough

I still can't tell if I actually like him or not. I guess that probably means that I don't.

In reality, I think we're all just waiting around until he gets replaced. Like most other players at the club.

He's better than AWB when playing in the centre when he pops up there but compared to other inverted fullbacks at top clubs He's just not technically good enough to do that role well. He'll be a good backup fullback to have in the squad though.

Horrified at his failure to close down for that 2nd goal. Offers plenty going forward.

Stop doing flicks at 2-0 up to Newport that end up going back to the keeper. Got an assist at least.

I know people blame Varane for the second goal but Dalot just stood there watching, 0 effort to close down or block the cross. Absolutely pathetic from him, time and time again. Brainless feck.

Still ill said:

Horrified at his failure to close down for that 2nd goal. Offers plenty going forward.

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Aptly summarised, which is frustrating as I believe he's got a very interesting profile as a player with his athleticism and all around ability. He's had an incredible amount of brainfarts this season for someone, who can shut down his wing, be a driving force with the ball on his own and have the awareness to pick players out in the box like he did today with Antony's chance and Mainoo's goal.

I guess this is his first proper season as the defactor first choice right back and he's still very young in terms of experience so perhaps it's just part and parcel of the learning curve.

flameinthesun said:

He's better than AWB when playing in the centre when he pops up there but compared to other inverted fullbacks at top clubs He's just not technically good enough to do that role well. He'll be a good backup fullback to have in the squad though.

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Totally agree as he equally at home on the left as the right, the only full back who can play that inverted role is Luke Shaw currently.

He has many flaws to his game but I'm happy seeing his name on the team sheet for the time being. We look twice as good slightly better (are you happy now AltiUn?) when he plays compared to AWB, who struggles to link up on the wing.

Vidyoyo said:

look twice as good when he plays compared to AWB, who massively struggles to link up with the wingers.

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I’m not sure that’s even remotely true.

He can provide good passes for goals at times and can score himself, the potential is there and he's fairly fast, the right build but too many lapses at the back. Maybe a better coach can keep him switched on during the match and guide him better so he can learn.

AltiUn said:

I’m not sure that’s even remotely true.

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1.25x as good?

Lux Thunder said:

I just want to draw attention to the importance of Dalot for our second goal. From his first touch and progressing the ball through centre to the underlapping run that opens a space for Garnacho to switch the side.

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Played the ball into Hoijlund for the first as well, had a good game

Lux Thunder said:

I just want to draw attention to the importance of Dalot for our second goal. From his first touch and progressing the ball through centre to the underlapping run that opens a space for Garnacho to switch the side.

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He also had a hand in the first goal where he played it inwards (instead of spamming a cross), which Bruno dummied for Hojlund to then assist for Rashford.

Poor for their 3rd goal but overall he's a big part of what we do good.

He's so unorthodox which is why I think people fail to see his quality but he's an asset for sure. Very good on the ball and far more two footed than most fullbacks. Just lacks the ability to consistently deliver good balls into the box (which is certainly an issue don't get me wrong).

He's very unfairly criticized on this forum. Very good on the ball and athletic.

He is the personifications of meh'ness. Had a few bad scenes, a few good scenes. But nothing that really sticks or tells me he will be anything more than "decent to good" one day.

Leave his men with acres every time.
His game sense for a PL level full back is atrocious.
Rooted to the spot for their second.

He's not it

Never know what the feck to make of him . I mean, he was pivotal in our first two goals , has a great touch and composure at times but I think the way we play just brings out the best and the worst in him.

I'd try Dalot as the 'defensive option' for our RW spot. I.e. if we are a goal ahead with 10 mins to go he can replace Garnacho. He looks okay going forward but lacks game intelligence and allows spaces in behind.

Am usually critical but I thought this was a very good performance from Dalot. Especially liked that he was especially good at taking the ball inside his winger in our defensive and middle third, which really helped us open the pitch when transitioning the ball from the back. Usually, I find his passing in the middle third to be a big weakness, but he did this really well today. Perhaps having Casemiro back is really helping him in this regard, since Bruno and Mctominay tend to provide really poor options for our fullbacks. Also did reasonably well defensively, though he wasn't heavily tested.

He's very comfortable at receiving the ball both centrally and out wide with either foot whilst being pressed. It's a quality that we need, and having Dalot, Shaw, Martinez in the backline together will only improve us going forward and hence help us potentially create more chances due to their ability to evade, resist pressure and progress the play.

Along with Mainoo, the aforementioned three players are our best players in the build up phase imo.

He surely is not the best RB there is but he gives our play a good balance.

flameinthesun said:

He's better than AWB when playing in the centre when he pops up there but compared to other inverted fullbacks at top clubs He's just not technically good enough to do that role well. He'll be a good backup fullback to have in the squad though.

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Yeah, if we were genuinely challenging for the best in Europe again he'd be the backup RB and 3rd string LB. Maybe eventually moves on if he wants to be first-choice at a solid club that doesn't quite compete for the CL like a Sociedad or Lyon or Roma/Lazio.

Played ok-ish yesterday. I'm just not a fan of this player. He seems sluggish and robotic.
Only stands out because he can receive the ball and play it under pressure (sometimes). That seems enough because we have had technically poor RBs for years.
Defensively not 'Him' either and is error prone. Crossing is not great either.

If we had a Luke Shaw equivalent on the right; our team would be much better for it.

He was fantastic in the first half. Thought he was quietly the best player until then.

As I keep saying for him... He'll have a long time as a starter here because it will be both difficult and expensive to replace him properly. Not to say he is perfect or even ultimately good enough for what we want to get to. But we have a lot more pressing concerns to address first, given Dalots age and wage situation are pretty much under control unlike many other positions.

Maybe when we sort out our CB group for Martinez cover, deal with replacing Maguire/Lindelof/Varane as starters and backups given they're all 30, replace Casemiro and Eriksen in midfield given their age, replace Martial up top, deal with our wing situation of Antony and Sancho being useless and Rashfords issues. And then even the goalkeeper. After all of those are dealt with, sure I'd put Dalot/right back next on the list. But that's a hell of a lot of issues we need to address before we get to him. And to add, to sign someone, you also need a clear target who is attainable and at a price point where they are worth the upgrade over Dalot. Are you spending 50m to get no better than Dalot? The most realistic path is going to be a punt on an unknown player to replace Wan Bissaka as the backup where they then develop and become a starter eventually. I don't see who out there is even seen as a good right back prospect like Luke Shaw was at left back. It's just a hard position to Shope for and there aren't clear options even if we wanted to prioritize replacing him.