Amad Diallo Gets Carrick Backing After 2026 Drought

amad diallo is still getting the same backing from Michael Carrick even after the Manchester United winger went through Brentford without a goal or assist in 2026. Carrick said the 23-year-old is playing well, and he framed the issue around contribution rather than headline numbers.

Carrick on Amad Diallo

"I actually think he is playing well," Carrick said. "There is an awful lot more in the game, playing in a winning team like he has, to worry about numbers."

He added: "He gives the team so much. He has got so much talent. His work ethic and attitude is fantastic. He has played different roles at times. I'm a big fan."

Brentford’s left side

Amad was taken off at half-time against Brentford, and Carrick said the move was tactical. The change was made to help stop Keane Lewis-Potter’s raids on the left side, which ended Amad’s night early even after he wasted a chance after being set up by Kobbie Mainoo.

That substitution came against the backdrop of a season that has been productive in flashes but quiet by his standards. Amad scored 11 goals and claimed 10 assists last season, with 18 of those goal contributions arriving after Ruben Amorim’s arrival in November 2024.

Amad’s return to output

This season has started more slowly. In the opening 10 games, he scored once and created three more goals, and his last goal came in Manchester United’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth before he left for the Africa Cup of Nations.

That leaves Carrick defending a winger who has been used as either a wing-back or in one of the number 10 roles under Amorim, but whose recent run has been measured against a much stronger return last season. For United, the immediate read is simple: the manager is not judging Amad only by goals and assists, and the next selection call will show whether that view continues.