Are Family Ties Steering Dalot’s Game Time at Manchester United?

Manchester United’s recent revival has steadied the mood, but there’s still a hum of distrust around one big call: Diogo Dalot’s seemingly untouchable status. Four starts on the spin under Ruben Amorim and a storm of chatter later, and we’ve got ourselves a proper Old Trafford talking point.

The rumour that lit the fuse

Reports have surfaced suggesting Dalot and Amorim are distant relatives, with claims circulating – attributed to journalist Samuel Luckhurst – that United have “confirmed” a family connection. Let’s be clear: it’s a talking point born of reporting rather than club fanfare, but it’s been enough to set social media ablaze. Fans, never shy of a conspiracy, reckon that explains why Dalot’s minutes haven’t dipped despite a mixed year.

Form, results, and the Forest flashpoint

On the pitch, United had pieced together three wins on the bounce before clawing back a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest, having trailed for much of the second half. Dalot started again, but his display split opinion and he was hooked while United chased the game. That substitution only sharpened the debate: is he playing on merit, or is the family plotline more than just background noise?

Dalot’s United journey in focus

Brought in from FC Porto by Jose Mourinho back in 2018, Dalot has clocked 219 United appearances and chipped in with nine goals, including a season-long loan at AC Milan in 2020/21 that toughened him up. In recent campaigns he’s edged ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka as first-choice right-back, and under Amorim he’s been asked to operate as a wing-back on either side.

Most recently he’s taken over from Patrick Dorgu on the left, a role that demands constant running, recovery pace and tidy decision-making. That’s the theory. The reality at Forest? Too many loose moments for the purists’ liking and not enough incision in the final third.

Selection, system… or something else?

Amorim’s playbook leans on athletic wing-backs and quick switches – and Dalot, to be fair, has the engine for it. He’s two-footed enough to shuffle sides, which is handy when the manager wants a flexible back five. But he’s also prone to those streaky patches: one week crisp and composed, the next a touch rash. If there is a family link, fine – football’s full of them. The only question that matters is whether the shirt is earned every week.

Here’s the crux: selection must be about performance, not pedigree. If you’re weighing up form, fixtures and the weekend’s narratives, the smart punter keeps an eye on the numbers as well as the noise – and our hub for the best betting sites is a decent place to start.

Spurs on the horizon: stick or twist?

With Tottenham up next and United eyeing a five-match unbeaten run going into the international break, Amorim has a call to make. Does he persist with Dalot at left wing-back, restore Dorgu, or reshuffle to get Wan-Bissaka in on the right and balance the other flank differently?

Managers live and die by their picks. If Dalot starts and shines, the noise dies down. If he wobbles again, expect the volume to go up to eleven. Either way, this one won’t be settled by whispers – only by what happens on the grass.