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‘I’m Here Long Enough’—Man Utd Star Responds to Blunt Ruben Amorim Criticism

Diogo Dalot also set a challenge for his teammates which didn’t relate to matters on the pitch.
Grey Whitebloom
Diogo Dalot was called “far from the best” by Ruben Amorim.
Diogo Dalot was called “far from the best” by Ruben Amorim. / Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot dismissed Ruben Amorim’s criticism of his recent performances, insisting that he has been at the club “long enough to understand how it works.”

Amorim made his reservations about Dalot and his fellow wingback Patrick Dorgu abundantly clear at the end of November after neither offered the attacking inspiration of their right-sided counterpart Amad Diallo. The Denmark international took the brunt of the public tongue-lashing, yet Dalot was grouped together in his manager’s blunt summation: “I think they are far from the best and they know it.”

Dorgu was promptly dropped while Dalot came in to start United’s last two matches. The Portuguese fullback even scored the opener against West Ham on Monday night but watched on from the bench as his teammates conspired to concede a late equaliser after he’d been substituted.

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Amorim’s stinging words were put to Dalot in the aftermath of United’s latest setback. “I think it’s something in general,” he told The Independent. “He could be talking about me but I think he could be talking about everyone at the club.

“We always have to find ways to improve ourselves, be more consistent. We are in a team where you’re as good as your last game.”

It was Dalot’s first ever Premier League goal at Old Trafford seven and a half years on from his debut. The 26-year-old turned to that experience when outlining his next steps: “So, you just have to know that this is a type of pressure for a big club like Man Utd.

“Fortunately, I’m here long enough to understand how it works and find a way to help the team. I think that’s the aim for everybody.” Dalot had some more specific aims for his teammates as well.

Dalot Sets Challenge for Man Utd Teammates

From left to right: Diogo Dalot, Kobbie Mainoo, Matheus Cunha, Leny Yoro and Benjamin Šeško.
Diogo Dalot (left) has spoken about the attitude of his teammates. / Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Dalot called upon the entire United squad to become “more obsessed” with playing and winning.

“I think we’ve shown this season that we can be a very good team and we can beat anybody. Then, it’s something that we need to get into ourselves,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s not football qualities. It has to be from inside. It has to be from the anger and the drive that you have every day to win football games and to live your life like that.

“I think we need to become a bit more obsessed about playing for this club, winning games and winning trophies for this club. But it’s a process.”

Unlike Amorim, who has repeatedly called for patience when it comes to the wait for positive results and performances, Dalot acknowledged this “process” had to be immediate. “I’m not going to get into the ‘we need time’ thing,” he sniffed. “I think we have to win straight away because that’s what the club demands.

“That’s why it hurts sometimes even more when we have opportunities like this [against West Ham] and we don’t win.

“Even after winning three or four games in a row, people will expect you to win five or six or seven. So, we just have to focus on one game, one win at the time.”

That next game is against rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night. If Dalot and his teammates can’t earn a comfortable victory in that fixture, Amorim will be subjected to fierce criticism as well as his players.

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