For those who support Manchester United, the news of Amad’s recent injury may have solidified their acceptance of a disappointing conclusion to the season. This revelation arrived shortly after a transfer window that witnessed the departures of both Antony and Marcus Rashford, neither of whom were replaced, leading to a sense of dread among fans regarding Amad’s condition.
In a matter of weeks, Ruben Amorim’s attacking resources had been significantly diminished, as the Portuguese manager confirmed that the Ivorian talent is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury.
At just 22 years of age, Amad had emerged as a beacon of hope during a challenging start for the former Sporting CP coach at Old Trafford, showcasing his talent with impressive performances at venues such as Anfield and the Etihad, in addition to scoring a hat-trick in the comeback victory against Southampton.
Although the former Atalanta player’s promising run has been abruptly halted, he has already demonstrated his potential value within Amorim’s strategy for the future. Furthermore, this situation may have left Erik ten Hag in a somewhat embarrassing position.
Amad’s record under Ten Hag vs Amorim
As Erik ten Hag assumed leadership of Manchester United in the summer of 2022, few anticipated that the young Amad would secure a position within the first team. The £19 million acquisition had just endured a challenging six-month loan at Rangers, where he made only six starts across all competitions.
Consequently, the decision was made to send the winger to the Championship for the 2022/23 season, where he excelled at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland, scoring 14 goals under the management of Tony Mowbray.
Regrettably, an injury sustained during the pre-season tour in 2023 curtailed Amad’s prospects of breaking into the first team in Manchester. Furthermore, Ten Hag appeared reluctant to utilize the agile forward even when he was fit and available at the beginning of the year.
Ultimately, the £120,000-per-week player concluded the 2023/24 season with merely 12 appearances across all competitions, although he did provide one of the standout moments of Ten Hag’s tumultuous tenure with a decisive goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Despite building on that fleeting success by performing well during the pre-season tour last summer and scoring against Brighton in the early weeks of the campaign, it seemed that Amad never fully gained the confidence of the Dutch manager. In fact, he played only 36 minutes in Ten Hag’s last four Premier League matches.
While he was marginalized under the former Ajax coach, the 5-foot-8 talent has since taken center stage, already surpassing his goal and assist tally under Amorim despite fewer appearances.
Given the significant impact this relentless player has made in recent months, it is perplexing why he was not granted more consistent opportunities under the previous management.