Manchester United are arguably facing their most important season since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, as Ruben Amorim takes charge of his first full season at the club.
Diogo Dalot figures to be an important player again, being re-energised by getting his favourite squad number from Victor Lindelof and emerging as a leader in the squad.
The 2024/25 season was a nightmare for everyone involved, including Dalot, who had to face a lot of form dips and injury issues.
Fortunately, he says that two players who were ‘big headaches’ for Man Utd last season are not a problem anymore.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty ImagesDiogo Dalot on Man Utd’s ‘big headaches’ last season
For a club that finished 15th in the league and ended the season trophyless, it isn’t a bold take to say that they faced a lot of problems.
Ruben Amorim is addressing those problems one at a time, be it by adding goals to a goal-shy team, or removing players he deemed were not in his plans for personal or professional reasons.
Dalot, speaking to CBS, said that Man Utd have already dealt with two players who were a ‘big headache’ for the club last season in the best way possible – by making them a part of the team!
He said: “I’m very happy that they [Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo] are on our side now because every time we went to play against them, they always gave us big headaches.
“They don’t need to prove anything in terms of trying to adapt to the country. They know the league well. They just have to come to a big club. They are two big characters, humble people. They have adapted really well.
“Now they just need to adapt to the manager, what he asks them to do, and for us to create connections, dynamics on the pitch so we can be even better.”
Man Utd can continue on Cunha-Mbeumo’s path
What Dalot says is so important because United have achieved two things at once by signing Cunha and Mbeumo.
Not only have they added proven Premier League quality to the squad, but they have also removed the same from a team they will play against at least twice in the season.
At a time when they are looking to sign a striker next, this should simplify the debate over who they should go for.
Ollie Watkins will serve the same purpose as Cunha and Mbeumo, in that his absence will hurt Aston Villa and will help United immeasurably.
Adding 51 Premier League goals (Cunha-15, Mbeumo-20, Watkins-16) to a team that scored 44 as a whole last season. Now that is a successful window and then some!
Three headaches gone in a single summer, and to add to it, they become headaches for the rest of the league now.