Ruben Amorim summed up Amad Diallo perfectly: 'Great in talent, small in size.'
The 6ft 4in Ivorian winger has forged himself into an indispensable part of Amorim's Manchester United team and was this week rewarded with a new bumper contract.
One thing is certain: he earned it.
Diallo has given United fans three moments worthy of elevating one's name to cult hero status: his 121st-minute winner (and subsequent red card) in United's FA Cup quarter-final against old rivals Liverpool last season on the way to the waiting to lift the trophy, another late winner at the Etihad in December to beat Manchester City and then the equalizer at Anfield last time out.
Who would write him off if he conjured up some more magic against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
RUBEN'S CROWD
He had to bide his time at United. Diallo joined from Atalanta in 2021 for £19m, with a further £18.2m in add-ons, but it's taken until now for him to really make his mark.
When he started for Erik ten Hag against Arsenal in May last year, it was ten days earlier than three years since he had previously started a Premier League match. Three days later he scored against Newcastle.
He had loans at Rangers, which didn't go well, and a much more impressive spell at Sunderland, where he scored fourteen goals for the North East.
Ten Hag just didn't fancy him. Ruud van Nistelrooy rated him, but he is crucial for Amorim. He has played in every league match under the new boss. The only match he did not start, in the defeat to Arsenal, Amorim brought him on at half-time.
Only Diogo Dalot and goalkeeper Andre Onana have played more competitive minutes for United since Amorim's arrival.
No one has provided more goals and assists in that time than Diallo. Only Bruno Fernandes has been involved in more open moments for United under Amorim, taking the ball, creating the chance or playing a pass in the build-up, than Diallo.
It's no surprise that, even before Amorim, United scores more goals, concedes fewer and wins more games when he starts.
HE CAN DO A LOT
Diallo has proven to be tailor-made for Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system. He played as a right wing-back and, more recently, as one of the right-wing strikers in the two behind the striker.
His influence extends far beyond scoring goals and setting them up. He does most of it.
He wins the ball back, he carries it and he passes it on. He walks for days. He creates opportunities. He shoots. He wins his duels. He presses. He tracks back and gets into the box.
Diallo is at the top, or near the top, in almost every major metric for United under Amorim. He controls the game from both sides of the ball. His energy is contagious. There may be a reason why Diallo has become a key figure for Amorim, while Marcus Rashford has been frozen out.
Since Amorim's first race, only Dalot has run more kilometers. Only Bruno Fernandes has made more passes and created more chances in the final third. Only four players in the Premier League have completed more sprints.
Diallo has attempted the most shots and provided the most assists for United, but he has also won the ball in the final third more times than any other Manchester United player. In fact, no one in the entire division has won more possession in the final third than Diallo in that time. No one for United has won that many games.
He has had double the number of touches of any United player under Amorim and twice as many dribbles. No one in the Premier League has attempted more dribbles with a higher success rate than Diallo. He has had just five fewer touches since Amorim took over than Erling Haaland.
Is it any surprise that Amorim hangs his hat and scarf on the potential of this young lad from Ivory Coast?
And he's only 22.
Another key attribute that suits Amorim's system, both from full-back and from inside forward, is Diallo's ability to make diagonal runs from wide. He did that on the way to his victory at the Etihad.
ROOM TO IMPROVE
Diallo has established himself as one of the most crucial players within Amorim's United, but he still has a lot to learn. The biggest lesson from that is that he has to make the right decision more often when he is in promising positions. He has already captured big moments in his United career, but he has the potential to create even more.
He has had the most shots of any United player under the new manager, but only six of his 20 have been on target. Half of them are blocked. When he gets the ball in the area, as he often does, he tries to shoot too often when it would be better to keep possession or find a teammate.
“Let's be careful with Amad,” Amorim said after a recent match. “Don't make the same mistakes we've made in the past with younger guys. Let's put a little pressure on him, praise him, but the next game is a new story, so he has to keep working hard.'
Amorim again summed it up perfectly.
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