Pranav Kannan
Erik ten Hag praises Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot for his performance against Aston Villa
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has praised Diogo Dalot for his performance against Aston Villa, defending him against the ‘criticism’ he has been getting, speaking to BBC Match of the Day 2.
Diogo Dalot has been a player who has really had his critics over the years. Despite having been at the club for so many years now, the fans have not yet taken to the Portuguese fullback and he is often the first head to roll during a bad performance.
Credit where credit is due though. The 24-year-old had one of his best games of the season. He was everywhere defensively and came up with a number of crucial, last-ditch recoveries. It was going forward though, that he really stood out.
Some of his crosses into the box were really sumptuous. It was rather befitting that it was from a Dalot cross that McTominay headed home, giving Manchester United and Erik ten Hag the three points in a game that they didn’t deserve it.
Speaking about the situation, here is what Erik ten Hag had to say about Diogo Dalot’s performance and the criticism he has been getting.
“Everyone gets criticism but he is a fantastic player who is developing very well. He can play in so many positions and he is improving on crosses. He can score and his defending is improving so I am very pleased with him.”
Criticism is the order of the day
At this point, criticism has gone beyond all rationale in football. Every single person who watches the game seems to have an opinion. Players are constantly under pressure from the fans, especially since the advent of social media.
Fans tend to have certain scapegoats in the team. When they perform well, no one seems to be talking about them. However, they are the first ones to be targeted after a bad result. It happened to Maguire in the past and it has also happened to Dalot.
Erik ten Hag is right here. Dalot is improving when it comes to the defensive side of his game. This was the major criticism that used to be levied on him. Going forward, his credentials have never really warranted a doubt.
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Right back has been an area of concern for the Red Devils for many seasons now. Dalot has been the chosen one in that position for quite some time. He is still very young and can keep getting better. Let’s hope his career only keeps going upwards from here on.
