Manchester United were in a daze for most of their match facing Southampton at home at Old Trafford on Thursday, but yet again they were bailed out by Amad Diallo in a 3-1 victory. Amad netted a second-half hat trick with all goals coming after the 80th minute of play, turning around a game that looked set to be a loss. The 22-year-old has been enjoying a breakout season under Ruben Amorim and now has six goals and six assists in Premier League play. Amad became the first Manchester United player to score a hat trick since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2022 — pretty good company to be in.
His goals have also come at key times with four of them being match-altering goals. Scoring the winner in the Manchester derby, a goal to draw against Liverpool, and this hat trick to down Southampton, they have all mattered significantly for the Red Devils during what has been a frustrating season.
Much has been said about Manchester United being closer to the relegation places in the Premier League than they were to a Champions League place but after Amad bailed them out against Southampton, it’s a good time to look at how real the danger is for United. In the last five seasons, the number for safety has been 36 points in the Premier League with 39 points being the highest total for a 17th-place finish.
Following their victory over Southampton, Manchester United sit 12th in the table and are on pace for only 47 points this season. With five league defeats in 10 games under Amorim, United’s positioning has gone from poor to worrisome as avoiding the drop is a very real concern. Currently, United should be comfortably safe but all it takes is for this poor run to continue for longer and those projected points will quickly drop. Facing Brighton, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, and Everton in their next five games, anything could happen.
Europa League play will return soon meaning that there will be more rotation to come and United can’t rely on Amad to bail them out in every match. Since Amorim has taken over, strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have combined for only three goals in Premier League play. Add that with United conceding a league-high 10 goals from corner kicks, and it’s easy to see why the struggles have continued even while facing the bottom-of-the-table team at home.
Amorim inherited a squad that needs a lot of work, and with the January transfer window open, the process to improve that squad can begin but a new home has to be found for Marcus Rashford first. Clearing the wages of the forward will provide United with more flexibility because while Amad has done a lot on his own, he can’t do everything.
Europa League must be prioritized because it’s the only chance at European soccer next season but that’s hard to do if United continue to drop points in league play, putting themselves in further danger. It’s great that Amorim has found out who his top option is for goals, but now United need to find who else they can look to outside of the 22-year-old.
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