UEFA Europa League: Reds not riding good!

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot demanded greater stability in the club’s set up after the Red Devils wrapped up another season without a trophy following their 0-1 loss in the UEFA Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur last week.

Speaking at a promotional event in the city organised by Apollo Tyres, Dalot, alongside teammates Andre Onana and Harry Maguire reflected on the campaign gone by, where the Ruben Amorim-coached team finished 15th in the points table with 42 points from 38 games.

‘We need consistency’

“I’m not going to lie. It’s not easy. It’s my seventh season at United, and I have already had six-seven coaches. It just shows what’s been missing around the club — some consistency, some stability, and we have been trying to find that. I think this is the cycle where Manchester United needs to go back to where they belong and I hope we manage to find that consistency in the next season. 

“We need to take firm steps if we have to fight for the best trophies and the best competitions. There are a lot of changes happening inside the club and I’m sure that things will change,” Dalot said.

Goalkeeper Onana, whose two years at the club have been marred with plenty of individual errors between the sticks, embraced a positive outlook, focusing on taking away optimistic learning that could help propel United back to their glory days.

“You never lose in life. You either learn, or you win. We didn’t win, so for us, it’s a moment of learning. Some of us have been playing this game for over 10 years. We are used to encountering such situations. The idea is to go back to the drawing board, learn again, and try to produce better results in the coming campaigns. We know football is about momentum and we need to catch hold of that,” said the goalkeeper, who has become the first player to reach three European finals with three different teams, but failed to win a single one, after previous unsuccessful attempts at AFC Ajax (2017) and Inter Milan (2023).
Maguire, one of the few shining lights for Man United amid a tumultuous year, is pleased with his performances over the last few months. His goal in the Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao earned him the nickname Harrydinho from fans, who appreciated his adaptability upfront.

Harry hopes for the best

“I’ve had a couple of good consistent years individually and it’s something that I’m extremely proud of. Hopefully, my best years are still ahead at this club, and I wish we start winning trophies again, getting back to the top of the Premier League table like we did in my first couple of years at the club,” Maguire signed off. 

This article first appeared on Mid Day