Journo believes one Man Utd man has been made a ‘scapegoat’ – despite ‘appalling’ performance vs Villa
Diogo Dalot was booed and jeered off at Old Trafford last night after a dismal 66 minutes of action.
The Manchester United defender was eventually replaced by Patrick Dorgu, who went on to assist and score the equaliser against Aston Villa.
Diogo Dalot: The state of play
Dalot has featured in all 10 Premier League matches this campaign, but has struggled to have a positive impact in any appearance he’s made.
Lack of depth in the full-back department means he is unlikely to be dropped irrespective of his lacklustre showings, although Michael Carrick undoubtedly made the right decision to withdraw him from the action when United were chasing goals.
Fans have been growing increasingly irate with the Portuguese’s form, so you can understand them finally voicing their dismay when presented with the opportunity to do so.
What’s been said about Dalot?
However, Samuel Luckhurst remarkably suggested that Dalot had been made a ‘scapegoat’ amid United’s poor run of results.
“The reaction to Dalot’s substitution [is] comparable with [Joshua] Zirkzee’s withdrawal vs Newcastle in 2024,” the journalist said.
“Boos for him and cheers for the decision to take him off. Unpleasant for Dalot, but his performance level has been appalling, and fans are bound to settle on a scapegoat.”
Meanwhile, Zirkzee also had a positive impact off the bench with Dorgu, as he reduced the Reds’ deficit to just one goal when scoring at the start of injury time.
Unfortunately for Carrick and his side, United will spend the next two weeks sitting in the relegation zone (18th), having extended their winless streak to eight games.
