Former Manchester United star Paul Parker has blasted Diogo Dalot for making ‘too many mistakes’, also accusing the full-back of being ‘more interested in high-fiving people than doing his job properly.’
Dalot, one of United’s longest serving players having arrived in Manchester as a 19-year-old in 2018, is one of Ruben Amorim’s most trusted options with only Bruno Fernandes playing more minutes under the Portuguese coach.
Regularly starting at right wing-back, Dalot has also been moved over to the left this season, selected ahead of Patrick Dorgu in United’s run of three consecutive wins against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton.
The Portugal international had a day to forget away to Nottingham Forest at the start of November however and was subsequently dropped from the starting XI last time out against Tottenham.
Dalot is often spotted congratulating and amping up his teammates during breaks in play after goal-saving moments from United’s backline. ‘Us defenders, we don’t score goals too often, so these are our little goals during the 90 minutes,’ he once said.
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‘This is the goal for us so we will celebrate and I think it’s something that came completely naturally from us.’
Parker however has little time for the full-back’s cheerleader role, insisting high fives ‘don’t win you games of football’.
‘Dalot’s making far too many mistakes, unnecessary mistakes. He’s more interested in high-fiving people when he makes a tackle than actually doing his job properly,’ Parker told Metro via online casino Unibet.
‘So, high-fives don’t win you games of football. By the time you’ve done your high-five, they could have actually bounced off of your great tackle and gone and scored a goal. So, high-five at half-time or after the game. So, no, you can’t trust Dalot there.
‘You’re not getting enough quality in the final third from him as well. He doesn’t do enough defensively. He switches off too much, his clearances are poor, very poor, that’s one reason.’
‘Keep Manuel Ugarte on the bench’
Elsewhere in the side, Casemiro has remerged as one of United’s most integral players. While United are on a lighter fixture schedule this season, Amorim has still sought to rest the Brazil international, replacing him before the 75th minute in seven of the nine league matches he has started this term.
Manuel Ugarte regularly replaces the former Real Madrid star but the drop off in quality has been clear. On average, United concede a goal every 129 minutes when Casemiro is on the pitch, compared to every 29 minutes when he isn’t.
‘He hasn’t done that well,’ Parker said of Ugarte. ‘I quite liked him because he was a breath of fresh air when he arrived, someone who wanted to run around and he got stuck in, very rarely lost possession even when under pressure.
‘But when he comes on now, United concede. They generally concede. At best they start to be under pressure, and that’s because of someone like Casemiro’s coming off for him. So, at the moment in time, if I’m the manager of Manchester United, no need to make systematic changes.
‘Full-backs might change, but the middle stays the same. Get continuity in that midfield. Even when things are going okay and you’re 1-0 up and the team look comfortable, they can be more comfortable.
‘Especially if you keep it the same rather than making three or four changes. Unnecessary changes, just to give people minutes. Keep Casemiro on, keep Ugarte on the bench.’