Diogo Dalot has say on Ruben Amorim treatment of Man Utd 'bomb squad'

Diogo Dalot has thrown his support behind Ruben Amorim's firm approach with Manchester United's outcasts. The Portuguese manager took a hardline stance by preventing the so-called 'bomb squad' - Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia - from training alongside the first team following their desires to depart Old Trafford.

Whilst Rashford has secured a season-long switch to Barcelona, the remaining quartet remain at the club, working out in Manchester as the main squad embarks on their pre-season American tour.

Amorim had previously axed both Rashford and Garnacho from his matchday squad for the Manchester derby back in December, whilst also green-lighting temporary moves for Antony and Malacia to Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven respectively.

Meanwhile, Sancho hasn't featured competitively for the Red Devils since August 2023 and currently lacks a squad number.

The United boss has made it abundantly clear he's solely focused on working with players committed to the club, and Dalot believes this no-nonsense strategy has proved beneficial for the touring squad.

"I think he's really good as a manager of trying to [get] the best out of you," Dalot explained. "He's very clear in his messages that you want to be a part of the team or you cannot be here. If you want to be in Manchester United, you need to match some standards. If you're not able to match it, it's not a place for you. The message is really clear."

Dalot conveyed a message of unity and progress at Manchester United, saying: "The message was that if you started the pre-season, it's because he believes that we are the group that needs to come. Obviously, we had players coming in, which is always amazing. You can feel straight away that they match those standards."

He continued with cautious optimism about the team's development: "We are really happy with how things are going, but we're not going to get carried away by the results of what we are doing. It just has to give you motivation that when you do things right, you get the results."

Highlighting the strong camaraderie within the squad, Dalot mentioned: "I think we are now creating a group that fights for each other. I think that's what we are trying to create."

He acknowledged there's more work to be done, aiming for excellence: "Obviously, there's still a long way to go. I'm not going to say perfect because it's difficult, but that's where we want to go, towards perfection."

Dalot also noted the visible improvements in the team's dynamics: "But obviously, I think you can see straight away some signs of the team fighting a bit more, having more intensity, and that's what we are trying to do."

In related news, Bruno Fernandes, Dalot's teammate both at club and international levels, turned down an opportunity to join the Saudi Pro League earlier in the summer. After drawing interest from football giants Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, Fernandes renewed his commitment to United with a new three-year deal in August 2024 and bagged his fourth Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award.

Despite this, United faced their most challenging season in over half a century, and Al Hilal made an offer to Fernandes, who decided to remain with the Red Devils.

Dalot expressed his optimism about the club's future, saying: "I think it's a clear message that he still believes that this club can go to the places that it should be," and added, "I don't think there's a better way of starting a season than your captain staying and believing that this can go in the right direction. It's a clear message for the other teammates, for everybody, that we have to believe.

"We have to work really hard to put Manchester back on the place that it deserves."

Patrick Dorgu, who starred alongside Dalot in United's 4-1 triumph over Bournemouth in Chicago, was hailed as the man of the match following his assist for Rasmus Hojlund's opener and netting the decisive goal.

Dorgu, who made the switch to United from Lecce for £29 million during the winter transfer window, had been a regular feature on the left wing but hadn't notched up any competitive goals or assists until then.

The 20-year-old has dazzled in United's pre-season, adopting a more offensive approach. Dorgu said: "You can see it on the pitch that we're playing a more active team. With the press, we run more for each other, so you can see that the pre-season has helped everyone.

"I think we will hopefully see a United team that is attacking more, that's on the front foot, that's trying to dominate games, every game. We just take the rest of the pre-season to get even better."