DIOGO DALOT HITS BEST FORM AS CARRICK REVERTS TO TRADITIONAL BACK FOUR
Michael Carrick has abandoned Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3, restoring Diogo Dalot to right-back and helping Man Utd climb into the top four.
If you look at the choices Michael Carrick’s made since taking over at Manchester United, there’s a clear theme: keep it simple. He’s gone back to basics, putting players in spots where they actually feel comfortable and can do their thing.
Take Bruno Fernandes, for example. He’s back where he belongs, pulling the strings as an attacking midfielder. Kobbie Mainoo, one of the brightest young midfielders around, is finally getting a real shot and showing what he can do. Then there’s Luke Shaw—England’s best left-back for years—back in his spot on the left.
These are just the obvious ones. Carrick’s basically undone a bunch of Ruben Amorim’s old tactical tweaks, and suddenly players look sharper. Diogo Dalot’s a great case. He’s finally finding his form again, and honestly, it’s just common sense. Dalot and Amorim got along well, but that plan to turn him into a world-beating wing-back never really worked. It didn’t fit his strengths, and all those switches between left and right wing just left him looking lost. Asking him to play like a winger? He never really convinced anyone that that was the answer.
Now, with Carrick in charge, Dalot’s back at right-back. Instantly, he looks more at home. He had one of his best games of the season against Fulham, getting forward, staying involved, and touching the ball more than anyone else on the pitch. Sure, sometimes that stat can be misleading—maybe Fulham just didn’t mind him having the ball out wide—but he still created chances, and you could see his confidence building again.
Earlier in the season, he took a real hit. You could feel the crowd turning on him at times, and, let’s be honest, he fell below the standard United expects. But now, if he puts together a strong finish, he might just secure his placeonn the team. Gary Neville talked about him last month and said something interesting—he thinks Dalot still has a role to play long-term.
Neville said, “He gets a really harsh view at times from United fans. I think there’s a half-decent full-back in there. I watch full-backs closely. He’s good in the air, he’s athletic, and he’s decent on the ball. He’s not world-class, but neither was I. He’s got 7/10 performances in him every week, but we’ve seen him out of position so much—left wing-back, right wing-back, exposed all the time. If he just played right-back, I wouldn’t be rushing him out the door.”
That’s not exactly a glowing review, but it’s fair. Dalot probably wants to be more than “half-decent”, but if Carrick keeps him at right-back for the rest of the season, he’ll get the chance to show what he’s really about.
United have been linked with new right-backs for a while, but honestly, that might not be a top priority this summer. They’re after two central midfielders, a left-winger, maybe a new centre-back if Maguire leaves, and another goalkeeper. Depending on the budget, the club might just stick with Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui at right-back.
If that happens, Dalot’s heading into his ninth season at Old Trafford. When he signed in 2018, Mourinho called him the best young right-back in Europe and said he could be in the side for a decade. For a while, that seemed pretty far-fetched, especially when he fell out of favour with Solskjaer. Some fans still say the fact that he’s the first choice shows United haven’t recruited well enough.
But, from what we’ve seen lately, United have bigger problems than right-back. If Dalot can keep up this run until May, keeping his spot is up to him.
INSIDE SENNE LAMMENS’ BLUEPRINT FOR MAN UNITED’S MASSIVE 2026 SUMMER TRANSFER OVERHAUL
"We want to be stronger." Read Senne Lammens' honest assessment of Manchester United’s squad needs after the Sunderland draw.
Senne Lammens isn’t hiding from the truth; he knows Manchester United have to beef up their squad this summer if they want to handle both the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland showed just how thin United are right now. Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, and Manuel Ugarte all sat out with injuries, and you could feel their absence on the pitch.
It’s been a weird season for United. They played just 40 games, the fewest in over a century, because they were eliminated from Europe and both domestic cups so early. But now they’re back in the Champions League, and Lammens realises the team has to get deeper if they want to compete seriously.
“Yeah, definitely. This league’s tough, and next year’s schedule is going to be insane,” the goalkeeper said. “You want to have enough reliable players, people who can step up whenever they’re needed.”
Lammens made it clear that United must invest in new signings during the summer window. He’s not saying the squad lacks quality now, but he knows things will get tougher. “Honestly, I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” he said. “But next season’s going to ask a lot more from us, and you need to be ready for injuries and everything that can come with a busy year like today, when we missed a few regular starters. Being able to call on others to jump in really matters.”
He wants a strong, well-rounded group ready for the challenges ahead. “We’re already building towards that, but we want to be even stronger for next season.”
Some people wondered if United relaxed after they clinched their Champions League spot by beating Liverpool last weekend. Lammens brushed that idea off. He said head coach Michael Carrick was all over them, reminding everyone to finish the season on a high.
“I don’t think so, not for me at least,” Lammens said. “The manager made it clear that these last games are important. We want as many points as we can get and to finish as high as possible. How you end the season carries over. It’s your launchpad for next year. We want to keep the momentum going.”
He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “Honestly, if we’d played at Sunderland a few weeks ago before securing the Champions League, it still would’ve been tough. That wasn’t in our minds.”
Carrick echoed those thoughts after the match. He sounded almost annoyed when asked if the players were mentally on holiday already.
“I get almost offended by that,” he said. “The way the players prepared and battled out there, it’s clear they’re still focused. If we’d been off it, we’d have lost. Sunderland pushed us hard at times.”
He thinks the pride and responsibility of playing for Manchester United is all the motivation the team needs. “That’s what keeps us sharp, knowing we represent something big. That doesn’t guarantee we’ll always play brilliantly, but it’s enough to fight through tough days.”
MANCHESTER UNITED HOLD ADVANCED NEGOTIATIONS FOR RECORD-BREAKING £18M BETWAY SPONSORSHIP
Despite the upcoming front-of-shirt gambling ban, explore how Man United’s Betway deal targets training apparel at Carrington.
Manchester United are currently discussing a potential sponsorship deal with Betway, reportedly worth up to £18 million. This comes despite the Premier League having banned betting companies from featuring as main shirt sponsors starting from the 2026-27 season.
Back in 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of their shirts. From that point, no top-flight team will carry betting advertisements on their kits during matches. But this new deal would see Betway appear on United’s training gear, not their matchday shirts.
According to reports from the MEN, talks have progressed significantly. If an agreement were reached, the Betway logo would be quite visible on the training apparel worn by players at Carrington, United’s training ground. That means fans would regularly see the branding in video footage and photos taken during training sessions.
Previously, United’s training kits featured Tezos, a blockchain company, until that partnership ended in June 2025. Betway has its own history with English football; they’ve been shirt sponsors for West Ham United and maintain global gambling partnerships with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The financial terms on the table for this Betway deal would be substantially close to £18 million, putting it on a similar scale to Bayern Munich’s partnership with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights. This is quite a significant figure for a single training kit sponsor.
This season, United have gone without a sponsor on their training gear. After the Tezos contract expired, the club chose not to rush into a new agreement. They wanted to carefully evaluate potential partners, both from a financial standpoint and in terms of brand alignment.
There were even conversations with the African division of the Six Rivers Foundation, a conservation project in which United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has invested. However, those discussions didn’t lead to a deal.
When majority owners Joel and Avram Glazer visited Carrington earlier this year, commercial revenue and sponsorship opportunities were among the key topics addressed. The club has also brought in marketing agency Two Circles, where ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson works, to help find a new sleeve sponsor, given that the current contract with DXC ends this summer.
Securing Champions League qualification for next season under Michael Carrick’s leadership has somewhat eased the process. United guaranteed their place in Europe’s top competition after a 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford, which should make the club more attractive to potential commercial partners.
