Ruben Amorim’s start to life at Manchester United has been a mixed bag so far. Since replacing Erik ten Hag at the beginning of the November international break, the Portuguese manager has taken charge of eight games.

Of those games, he has won four times, lost three and drawn once, his first game against Ipswich.

The highlight of those eight games so far was probably the impressive 2-1 Manchester derby win against Manchester City. It’s the second time he has beaten Pep Guardiola’s men this season, after winning 4-1 as Sporting boss.

The man who was integral to that win, and has been superb under Amorim, is Amad Diallo.

Amad’s 2024/25 season so far

What a start Ivorian attacker Amad has made under Amorim so far. In the eight games under the new Red Devils boss, he has two goals and six assists. According to football statistician Statman Dave, he is averaging a goal or assist every 80 minutes under Amorim.

His season had been a bit frustrating under Ten Hag. Despite a fantastic start to the season, with goals against Brighton and Hove Albion and Southampton, he found himself on the bench, struggling to even get minutes.

Amroim’s arrival, however, changed the course of the 22-year-old’s season, and he has become undroppable. Whether he is playing as a flying wingback or a creative number 10, Amad has been deadly. In total this season, he has five goals and eight assists in 24 games.

Impressively, the former Atalanta star is third in the list for the most assists in the Premier League. His seven so far in the top flight is bettered only by Bukayo Saka with ten and Mohamed Salah who has eight.

Amad is flying this season under United’s new boss and has been such a crucial player for him in the eight games of his tenure. Another player who has been impressive is Harry Maguire, who could start against Bournemouth on Sunday.

Why Maguire could start vs. Bournemouth

If there is one word to sum up Maguire, it is resilient. The England international has had a few ups and downs at United, but his attitude has been second to none.

Now, his class is shining through, and he could well be rewarded with a new deal. He explained after the Manchester Derby win that “the chat that I’m having is really positive”, regarding his new deal.

The Sheffield-born defender has struggled with injuries at times this season, meaning he has managed just 13 appearances in all competitions. Nine of those have come in the Premier League, and two in the Europa League, where he scored against FC Porto in one game to earn a crucial point.

Indeed, the 31-year-old was fantastic against the Cityzens in the derby last weekend. Football analyst and host of The Overlap Breakdown H described him as a “monster” following his efforts against United’s biggest rivals.

The stats from the game at the Etihad Stadium reflect just how well the defender performed. According to Sofascore, Maguire had 52 touches of the ball and completed 89% of his passes. He kept Erling Haaland quiet, winning three out of three tackles and six out of eight duels. It was an excellent display from the experienced centre-back.

Stat

Number

Touches

52

Pass accuracy

89%

Passes completed

34/38

Ground duels won

4/4

Aerial duels won

2/4

Tackles won

3/3

Interceptions

5

Amorim has managed the England international’s fitness well. He has not played him too much, thus risking aggravating any injuries. The United number five was rested for their 4-3 Carabao Cup defeat away to Spurs, to manage his workload carefully.

Starting Maguire against Bournemouth might make sense for Amroim on Sunday. They could be once again without Matthijs de Ligt, who was ill for the game in North London, Lisandro Martinez struggled and Victor Lindelof went off injured.

With all that in mind, it seems that Maguire could be in line for a start against the Cherries. Amorim will be hoping the defender can keep up his good form as the Red Devils look to climb up the table.