After a turbulent week for Manchester United one of the last teams they wanted to face were Leeds United. One of the last grounds they wanted to visit was Elland Road.
Yet, during a first half in which Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring, it was one of the best 45 minutes of the season so far for Michael Carrick’s side.
A positive at long last had been found but can they build on that? It remains to be seen.
The signs remain ominous. Leeds battled back in the second period and through Dominic Calvert-Lewin found an equaliser. A run of no wins continues for United and Carrick. His tactical changes over the last week haven’t exactly come off.
Amad Diallo, in particular, has struggled.
How Amad struggled against Leeds
It wasn’t long ago that Amad looked like Man United’s best player. That was, however, under the reign of Ruben Amorim.
Not many figures at the club came out of that era with their stock in tact but the Ivorian certainly did. In 2024/25 he scored 11 goals and supplied eight assists.
Sadly, he has failed to kick on since. Last season he scored just two goals and this term he is yet to register a goal involvement across three matches.
Amad is only just coming back from injury but he has so far never really delivered under Carrick’s tutelage. Indeed, his goalless outing against Leeds on Sunday now means that he has played 20 times under the current manager without finding the net. He has just one assist in that time too.
At Elland Road, things did not get much better for the winger. Featuring on the right-hand side, the 24-year-old certainly wasn’t totally anonymous; he had two shots and won seven of his nine duels.
However, his poor positioning and awareness led to two offside calls in the second period that wasted wonderful opportunities in transition for United.
|
Amad vs Leeds |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
90 |
|
Touches |
41 |
|
Accurate passes |
21/23 (91%) |
|
Chances created |
0 |
|
Shots |
2 |
|
Shots on target |
0 |
|
Successful dribbles |
0 |
|
Accurate crosses |
0 |
|
Duels won |
7/9 |
He didn’t produce a key pass, nor did he complete a dribble. In truth, it was an inefficient display from a player who is no wonderkid anymore. The hype was real when Amad first arrived but now 24, he really needs to start showing more end product.
Perhaps it is time to invest time in a younger option.
How Man Utd can replace Amad
Whether you like them or not, Carrick does have a number of first-team options ready and raring to go. On the bench on Sunday were Marcus Rashford and Matheus Cunha, as was 19-year-old Shea Lacey.
The teenager has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign so far, notably scoring against Brighton the League Cup. Yet, he’s not been seen much since which is something of a disappointment.
All of the attention has been around JJ Gabriel in recent months but Lacey has simply let his football do the talking and has been rewarded as a result.
Another player Carrick could turn his attention to in light of Amad’s form is 18-year-old Amir Ibragimov who has been making all of the right noises at Carrington for a good few years now.
Previously celebrated as the “next Wayne Rooney” by his brother Ibrahim, Ibragimov is a particularly versatile player.
A winger by trade, the teenager has played in a variety of positions. In 2024/25, he scored six goals in eight games as an attacking midfielder for the U18s. Then, last term, the Russian also played seven times as a central midfielder.
This campaign, the youngster has been given the license to play as a centre-forward. He has thrived in that position, scoring twice and supplying a further two assists in his five appearances at youth team level.
Not just clinical but also creative, Ibragimov ranks among the top 19% of positionally similar players in Premier League 2 this term for assists per 90 minutes. He’s efficient, too, something Amad is not. The forward has completed 90% of his passes this term, thus ranking among the best 9% of forwards in Premier League 2 for that statistic.
Ibragimov has never been seen in the senior team before but given United’s plight, surely it will not be long before he features in the match day squad. After all, he has trained with the first team already.
Carrick has a real talent on his hands here and with Amad struggling, perhaps the teen could be the one to benefit in the years to come. Let’s put it this way; his attitude certainly looks better than JJ Gabriel’s.
