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“When you’re playing for Manchester United against Manchester CityI don’t believe they come in with the idea that we fear them.
“They know that we’re going to want to win that game, so they’re gonna be at their best level. And we have to be at our best level. That’s the perfect way you can approach a game like this but, at the same time, they know we can beat them. We have done it before. So on Saturday, we have to do it again.”
Diogo Dalot strikes a confident yet relaxed tone when talking to assembled media for Manchester United’s FA Cup media day.
It’s been an unusual season for the full-back, who has won the club’s players’ player of the season award. Few would have expected Dalot to be one of Erik ten Hag’s most important players across the 2023-24 season; the 25-year-old was on the bench for the season’s opening game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Yet, as the turbulent campaign developed, he emerged as one of the team’s more dependable players.
Dalot has 49 appearances for his club this season; his 4,274 minutes played makes him the most-played outfielder for Ten Hag across the campaign. This season has seen the Portugal international make himself not only United’s starting right-back but also prove important when covering for Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on the opposite flank (14 of his appearances this season have come at left-back). It’s led to Dalot taking on multiple defensive and attacking responsibilities.
Dalot cites his resilience as a byproduct of a more consistent approach to physical conditioning — 18 months playing with Cristiano Ronaldo made him “a little bit more obsessed” to ensure his availability for every match. He tracks his sleep and sleeping patterns to maintain consistent energy levels and is more particular with his nutrition.
Cristiano Ronaldo with Dalot on Portugal duty (Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images)
A goal against Brighton in United’s final Premier League game of 2023-24 illustrated his versatility.
As Ten Hag’s starting left-back, Dalot spent prolonged periods of the game inverting into midfield to aid his team’s passing options in central areas. He opened the scoring in the 73rd minute, running in behind Brighton’s defence to latch onto a long pass over the top from Casemiro. He calmly slotted away a right-footed finish to earn his third goal of the season.
“It’s about making overloads in midfield, and from there he is a very good runner in behind,” said Ten Hag of Dalot after the 2-0 victory over Brighton. “He can do it from left full-back and he can do it from right full-back and attack from there. Central areas as well as wide areas, where he can get crosses in.
“So he’s a player that developed into a full-back who can play, say, as just a full-back but also as an inverted full-back. I think his development is very good this season and we are very pleased.”
Diogoal Dalot 🇵🇹
Our defender made it three for the 2023/24 campaign with his strike at Brighton ⚽⚽⚽#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 20, 2024
“This year has been really good in terms of trying to do different things on the pitch that I wasn’t used to,” says Dalot. “Especially going to the midfield, which was something new for me, but something I enjoy, because it completes me even more.
“I try to be as complete as I can, whether that’s offensively or defensively, and this season was good in terms of that: trying to be good, trying to be more complete, to give the manager more solutions when I’m on the pitch. I think that just helped me to develop as a football player. Erik was the main help for that, because he was the one that gave me the confidence to do it, and he showed that I could do it.”
Dalot knows his improvement has occurred at a difficult time for the club’s collective. United finished the Premier League campaign in their worst-ever league position and were eliminated from the Champions League and League Cup before Christmas. For Dalot, there have been some mitigating circumstances for a disappointing 2023-24.
“Even if we win the FA Cup, people will still have the same opinion because you can’t hide from the results that we have had,” Dalot says. “But you cannot hide the amount of problems that we have — through injury especially — and it’s been really difficult. It has been pretty much in every game and you feel that it’s difficult to create routines and dynamics when the team is constantly changing. But, at the same time, we as players can’t use it as an excuse.
“We are Manchester United players, and no matter which player is on the team, they have the quality to win games. There were times when we should have done much better than we did, but we can’t hide from that. It was difficult to get the amount of points we needed and the results we needed.”
Dalot challenges Coventry City’s Victor Torp during the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley last month (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
However, poorer performances earlier in the season will not dampen hopes for United ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final.
For Dalot, beating City comes from having a confident mental outlook.
“Obviously, you can talk about the tactical side of it, but I think it comes a lot from your heart, from your head, to be able to be at your best level, be able to suffer,” he says.
“There are going to be times when you have to suffer. And, at the same time, when you have the ball, (you must) have the personality to play because you can play against City. They are very good at counter-pressing, but you can still find spaces and dominate the game, and that’s what we should need to do on Saturday.
“Without the ball, be ready to suffer. When we have to suffer and defend well, let’s be compact. And when we have the ball, try to hurt them in the spaces.”
Dalot, who was named to Portugal’s 26-player squad for Euro 2024 along with Bruno Fernandeswill have a busy summer. United fans will hope both men will help deliver one further bit of silverware this Saturday afternoon.
GO DEEPER
Lessons for United from the 2023 FA Cup final before Saturday’s rematch
(Top photo: Diogo Dalot at the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City at Wembley; by Richard Heathcote via Getty Images)
