Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United have found a new right-back for the next ten years in Diogo Dalot after the youngster made his first Premier League against Arsenal.
United fought back twice to secure a 2-2 draw against the Gunners on Wednesday night – the club’s third consecutive league draw – after Mourinho made wholesale changes to his line-up.
The Portuguese made seven alterations in total, including five to his defence, with Dalot entrusted to occupy the right-back berth, and his manager was more than impressed with his display.
The Red Devils were trailing Arsenal after Shkodran Mustafi broke the deadlock on 26 minutes but Anthony Martial pegged the north London club back just four minutes later. Arsenal would retake the lead in the second-half through a fortuitous Marcos Rojo own-goal, but their winning position lasted just 13 seconds as Jesse Lingard scored from the resulting kick-off.
Club captain and converted-winger Antonio Valencia has inhabited the right-back role for a number of seasons now, but at 33 Mourinho believes the torch will finally be passed on to Dalot.
“All my defenders were dead by the end,” Mourinho told reporters at Thursday evening’s press conference.
“The kid Diogo, fantastic. I think Gary Neville must be thinking that Manchester United now has a very good right back for ten years.”
“We feel frustrated”
Having not clinched a league victory in their previous four matches, United are somewhat staring down the barrel with the club 18 points adrift the summit, and eight points off a top four position.
Victory for Bournemouth against Huddersfield Town took Eddie Howe’s men above the Red Devils, with the latter now eighth in the Premier League, also behind Everton, who Mourinho claimed would finish below them come the end of the campaign.
Speaking after the Arsenal stalemate, Mourinho lamented a few errors in his side’s performance but was impressed with the intensity and mentality of his players.
He added: “The team had a good response, big soul.
“We feel frustrated with the result, frustrated with some mistakes, with some moments where a little bit more quality would be needed, but we have to be happy with the spirit, the effort, dynamic, and the intensity.”
Next up for Mourinho is another home tie against Fulham this weekend.
The post Diogo Dalot could be Man Utd’s new Gary Neville, says Jose Mourinho appeared first on Squawka News.
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