All the eggs had been placed in the Bilbao basket, with May’s Europa League final providing Ruben Amorim and Manchester United with the chance to save their season, amid the backdrop of a worst-ever Premier League campaign.
Up against an equally as turbulent Tottenham Hotspur side, the top-flight rivals unsurprisingly – considering their domestic fortunes – played out a dour and drab showpiece in the end, with United limply falling to defeat courtesy of a scrappy Brennan Johnson strike.
That 1-0 loss looked set to be a defining moment for Amorim and the INEOS regime, wth intrigue rife over the potential repercussions of a lack of European football, particularly in a financial sense.
While those fears were somewhat eased following an almost £250m outlay on four new faces over the summer, a grim(sby) start to 2025/26 had looked to seal Amorim’s fate even further, with speculation over his future rife heading into recent international breaks.
Thankfully, the Portuguese has managed to stop the rot with a run of three wins and a draw from his side’s last four outings, teeing up a mouthwatering clash with Thomas Frank’s new-look Spurs outfit on Saturday afternoon.
On a day which could expose or highlight the progress made by the Red Devils since that crushing defeat almost six months ago, questions remain over just how to get the best out of this group of players – not least on the flanks.
Man Utd's wing-back conundrum
Last weekend’s entertaining 2-2 draw away at Nottingham Forest showcased the benefits and flaws of Amorim’s current set-up, with there a sense of risk and reward surrounding the use of Amad at right wing-back.
The diminutive Ivorian was beaten at the backpost by Morgan Gibbs-White as Forest levelled things up after the break, albeit before then lashing home in stunning fashion late on to rescue a point, prior to even going close to snatching a winner at the death.
There is an argument that the 23-year-old’s talents would be better served in a more advanced attacking berth, although the chance to work in tandem with Bryan Mbeumo ahead of him is a fine compromise, with the positives of deploying the left-footer on that flank far exceeding any potential negatives.
The use of Amad in that role has perhaps been a factor in Amorim seeking more balance on the opposite side, hence utilising more of a defensive presence in the form of Diogo Dalot, ahead of January addition, Patrick Dorgu.
While Dalot has had his moments this season, not least when teeing up Mbeumo against Sunderland, he has emerged as something of a justified scapegoat of late, looking distinctly uncomfortable in that left-sided berth.
That was evident at the City Ground, having been caught napping as Nicolo Savona pounced behind him to poke home his first goal for Forest, to complete a quick-fire comeback for the hosts.
That unorthodox position may not be helping matters, although it isn’t as if the Portuguese full-back has exactly flourished in the past, even on his favoured side, having racked up just nine goals and 18 assists in 219 games for the club to date, as per Transfermarkt.
For context, the much-maligned Aaron Wan-Bissaka is only just behind with 13 assists – and two goals – from his 190 outings when playing for United, with the Red Devils sorely lacking a creative, attacking threat from the flanks in recent times.
Of course, Amorim could deploy Dorgu in his place once again, although the Dane’s quality is also up for debate, with the 21-year-old also registering just two assists in 30 games following his switch from Lecce.
With teenage talent Diego Leon still on the periphery, the solution on the left flank may need to be found with an alternative option.
How Man Utd can replace Dalot against Spurs
There is an argument for a resurgent Luke Shaw to be relocated from his left-sided centre-back berth and into a wing-back role, not least with Lisandro Martinez in line to make his return to action in the near future.
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Whether the Englishman has the physical capacity to flourish in that position is another matter, however, while it would appear foolish to unsettle the backline right now – at least not until Martinez is fit and firing again.
With that in mind, Saturday’s trip to north London could then be the perfect time for Amorim to find room for Noussair Mazraoui in his side once again, with the Moroccan having endured a frustrating, injury-hit start to 2025/26 thus far.
The 27-year-old did feature in a right-sided centre-back berth off the bench last time out, as United chased a winner, although he does appear to boast the technical quality to be able to thrive further forward, having even been utilised in a number ten role under Erik ten Hag.
A natural right-back by trade, this 3-4-3 system doesn’t appear to suit Mazraoui in truth, although Amorim must surely find room for a player whom he described as “the future” of Manchester United last term.
Indeed, it had proved to be a surprisingly impressive first year in English football following his bargain £13m arrival from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024, with content creator Ronaldo Brown even going as far as to describe him as the club’s “best player” last season.
Versatile, almost ever-present in 2024/25 and with the silk to match the steel, the elegant defender truly is a class act, possessing that knack for being to able to weave his way past opponents with ease, while retaining possession no matter where he receives it.
Bruno Fernandes
51
Noussair Mazraoui
44
Diogo Dalot
44
Manuel Ugarte
43
Leny Yoro
43
Rasmus Hojlund
40
Alejandro Garnacho
40
Harry Maguire
39
Matthijs de Ligt
38
As per FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles made per 90, as well as in the top 6% for pass completion, again highlighting just what an all-rounder he is in the backline.
Of course, the best bet for getting the one-time Ajax man thriving again would be to deploy him on the right flank, yet with there no need to unsettle the Amad and Mbeumo combination, a new role on the left side might be where Mazraoui can slot in.
Something of a Scott McTominay in the sense that he doesn’t necessarily have a clear route into the starting XI in a positional sense, while also being a player who appears too good to leave out, Amorim needs to find a home for United’s number three somehow or another.
He’s too good not to play.
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