Manchester United had one of the biggest statement games of this week in European football, ripping Everton to shreds 4-0 in Ruben Amorim’s first truly successful game at the helm of the ship.
After drawing Ipswich Town and being thoroughly outplayed in his managerial debut, Amorim showed signs of tangible growth in his previously unbalanced squad with a hard-fought Europa League win at mid-week.
But this Premier League encounter was a Manchester United demolition from start to finish and a highly promising sign that the Red Devils can finally start playing out on the front foot and creating their own chances through legitimate playmaking actions rather than relying on moments of brilliance.
It was a ruthless and opportunistic display from Manchester United, who seemed to grow into the game. And although Everton are among the easiest challenges the Red Devils will face in the Premier League, here are three positives the team can take with them going forward.
Amad Diallo wreaking havoc
Amad Diallo was probably the best player on the pitch for Manchester United in Amorim’s debut against Ipswich, creating two chances with two dribbles completed and two fouls drawn along with five clearances defensively,
Normally, inverted wing backs haven’t worked out for teams. Andrea Pirlo actually tried Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski in this role during the 2020/21 season for Juventus with poor results, especially for Kulu, who is now shining with Tottenham as a right winger or center midfielder in a 4-3-3.
Diallo, however, seems to be born for this role, and Diogo Dalot is having unsurprising success on the left side. But Dalot was already established as an inverted fullback this season; Diallo was an inverted winger making a name for himself as a very welcome Antony replacement.
The Ivorian wide man has been even better a little further back in this new scheme, because his progression and even ability to win possession are showcased more in an active wing back role.
Diallo was the star of the show against Everton, producing two assists, including an excellent feed for Marcus Rashford to kick off the second half, and led the team with four tackles.
He is a real X-Factor for Manchester United right now, because he can both start and accelerate counterattacks as a ball-winner and the initial wide outlet. Diallo can take feeds from the deep playmakers like Bruno Fernandes or from the center backs like Noussair Mazraoui, and because he is left-footed, he can drift inside as a playmaker and allow, say, Marcus Rashford to push up as a striker.
Diallo had three key passes and seven combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn on Matchday 13, turning in one of the most valuable all-around performances in the Premier League this weekend. He’s here to stay.
Joshua Zirkzee setting the table
Rasmus Hojlund made the difference for Manchester United in the Europa League, and with Marcus Rashford an established fixture in the XI even when he struggles, the onus was very much on new signing Joshua Zirkzee to prove he has a future at Old Trafford.
After all, Zirkzee wasn’t Amorim’s 40 million euro signing, and as good as the ex-Bayern Munich prospect was for Bologna last season, he wasn’t much of a goal-scorer for the Rossoblu with a modest 11 goals.
On Sunday, Zirkzee scored twice against Everton at Old Trafford to make it three on the season, even though he’s started just five games thus far. He made a serious case for more minutes, which will make things interesting since Rashford and Hojlund have also been strong in recent games.
As much as Manchester United fans and Ruben Amorim may want the sharpshooting Viktor Gyokeres, Zirkzee made a great case for himself by supplementing his brace with trademark all-around play.
Zirkzee created two chances and made so many smart, defense-clearing runs to help generate space for the other players in and around the box. Bologna were so successful last season beyond even Zirkzee’s raw numbers at striker because he does so much off the ball that the statistics do not capture.
He showcased that on Sunday vs. Everton, and although there’s a bit of trepidation in praising Zirkzee because he was miles off the pace for much of the season, this isn’t necessarily a case of 1 game against 12.
Remember, Zirkzee was brilliant last season for a team that reached the Champions League. He has ability, and it would be more harsh to judge him for struggling to adjust as an attacker under Erik ten Hag, of all managers.
Zirkzee will have to keep growing in order to prove to Amorim and Co. that Gyokeres shouldn’t take his spot, but if Hojlund and Rashford can be the primary goal-scorers, Zirkzee is a great option to utilize as a table-setting forward who can help those two score more goals – and poach 10-15 of his own.
Marcus Rashford getting real chances
There’s never been a question of quality with Marcus Rashford, who has notched 17 goals in two seasons as a left “winger” for Manchester United. He has the technical tools, football IQ, and athletic ability to be one of the best attacking players in the Premier League.
But his performances have often ebbed and flowed with how his teammates at Manchester United do, as he is very reliant on the atmosphere of the club and the volume of clear opportunities he gets for himself.
In other words, Rashford is more of a ceiling-raiser than a floor-raiser, so as Manchester United improve tactically as a team with positive motivation under Amorim, you have to figure more days like this one will be coming for Rashford.
The England international was at his clinical best on Sunday, bagging a brace of his own while taking exactly what the defense gave him. He only created one chance and didn’t do much in one-on-ones, but, well, he didn’t need to do anything else but make smart runs off the ball and finish with aplomb.
Manchester United have other guys who can dribble and create chances. Zirkzee and Hojlund are all-around monsters, Diallo is lightening in a bottle, and Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho are two of the best playmakers in the Premier League.
What Manchester United from Rashford are goals, and he can provide them when he is confident. A lot of that confidence comes from having an implied grace to miss, because, ironically, with less pressure to make good on just one or two chances, Rashford seems to improve his efficiency in front of goal by scoring two of four instead of zero of two.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.