There are two types of managerial or coaching headaches in football: one, where injuries mean you don’t have enough players and it’s just a challenge to pick a team; two, because you have multiple options and you have to figure out the best combination and how to handle disappointment.
The latter is the good kind of headache that bosses really want.
And that’s the situation now facing new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim when it comes to the wide forwards at his disposal.
The Portuguese is expected to bring the 3-4-3 with which to such good effect at Sporting CP evidence of this system that has already been seen in the training highlights this week United still have issues at centre-back, with Harry Maguire sidelined, Lisandro MartÃnez retires of the Argentine selection and Victor Lindelof was injured while playing for Sweden. But the full-back department, which could even include Antony in a “Victor Moses under Antonio Conte”-style redemption arc, looks healthier than it might have done amid Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw returning to training complete
At the top end of the pitch, with likely first-choice striker Rasmus Hojlund, United have too many players for the wide forward positions on offer. It doesn’t mean the lineup will be locked and unchanged, but if only two players are regular starters, one may have to accept a reduced role.
Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo each have their individual strengths, as well as being versatile enough to play on both sides. But they all have a preferred role and Amorim will have to figure out how to use and get the best out of the trio.
The most proven goalscorer of the Manchester United the team as it stands is Rashford. Despite not being in top form for around 18 months, the now 27-year-old scored 30 goals during the 2022/23 campaign. He had also topped 20 goals in two of the previous three seasons. These kinds of numbers don’t happen by chance or accident, especially not multiple times. There is a very good player ready to be unleashed once again, and it will be up to Amorim to get him out.
Rashford has mainly played on the left in recent years, although there have been several appearances on the right this season alone. He has also been known to play centrally, both when he broke into the team in 2016 and occasionally during his 30-goal campaign. But from a goal-scoring point of view, if Amorim wants to unearth the former Rashford, he may be best suited on the left.
This is where the problems start, because Alejandro Garnacho is also primarily a left-back, from where he has scored six of his seven goals this season. So if the 20-year-old Argentine plays in the same team as Rashford, one of them will not be in his preferred position on the pitch, as has been the case several times in recent months.
Right now, Garnacho bears considerable similarities to Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age. It is very clear how talented he is, and he is already capable of achieving decisive and/or game-changing moments. Where Garnacho needs to improve is consistency, which came to Ronaldo before the 2006/07 season when he was 21, then supercharged in 2007/08.
Of the three, Amad Diallo is the most comfortable on the right, but he is also the least proven.
The Ivory Coast international, signed in a stunning deal worth up to £37m as an unknown 18-year-old, has been a bit of a slow-burner so far. This is now Amad’s fourth season with United and he has had loan spells at Rangers and Sunderland, as well as facing a frustrating injury lay-off when he returned from the latter with a huge .
Amad started this season with promise and then strangely fell out of favor towards the end of Erik ten Hag’s reign, before find their feet again during Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim term. If Amorim wants a natural right-back, the 22-year-old is the best fit, but it involves leaving one of the others.
