“We consider everything but I have a little bit of a reservation about that,” Manchester United Head Coach Erik Ten Hag vocalised when asked about whether or not he would recall Amad Diallo in the January transfer window.
I, for one, am glad that the Red Devils boss is hesitant to recall the Ivorian. He has been nothing short of a standout player for us this season, playing a vital role in our positive start to life back in the Championship.
Now, in some delightful utopian universe (where Sunderland would be the undisputed champions of the world, where Ross Stewart would have signed a 10-year contract and where Luke O’Nien would have gained a knighthood in recognition of his services towards Sunderland AFC) we would have the £30 million plus to sign Amad Diallo on a permanent deal. But we don’t live in that world. Which is a shame. And which is why we need to enjoy his outstanding talent in the present, and think about his very recent success at Sunderland.
When we first signed Amad, I wasn’t fully convinced, to be honest. I saw him as a young talented prodigy, of course, but I was slightly hesitant as to how he would perform in the physical nature of the Championship - particularly as his loan move up in Scotland was deemed a failure, and he couldn’t get to grasps with the physicality. How I was proved wrong…
Amad brings an element of class to the side that ,simply, no other player can match. His start to life at Sunderland was slow, yes, but he has quickly become a first team regular and rightly so.
After a few non-effective appearances in his first couple of games off the bench, Amad found his feet. Coming on at half time at home against Wigan, his impact was felt immediately. Our 2-1 turnaround to win the game was inspired by his presence of quality and energy on the ball; Wigan did not know how to contain him.
He also greatly helped the team when we were striker-less. After playing most of the Luton game without a striker, in his pre-match talk, Mowbray said: “Amazing, Amad, amazing”. This was after he had moved the number 16 to the right hand flank, and was really impressed with Amad’s aggression and enthusiasm in play. Those three words that Mowbray stated, for me, epitomise everything Sunderland fans think about Amad.
Amad has also directly contributed to the outcome of games. In his 19 appearances for us, he has scored six goals since getting off the mark at home to Burnley. One of his most memorable goals has been his goal at St Andrew’s against Birmingham. After Dan Neil played a brilliantly weighted ball to Amad on the right wing, it looked certain to me that he was going to pick out someone with a cross. He, however, had other ideas. He took the shot early, and the ball glanced off the post and curled into the top left corner… queue the limbs!
Amad is a special player. He really has set the standard for this club, and hopefully we will have him until May, so we can continue to see his talent…
