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Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has outlined a perfect blueprint that will see the club hit the ground running as soon as the new season starts.
United secure big win vs. Bournemouth
United beat Bournemouth 4-1 in the early hours of Thursday morning to make it back-to-back wins on their pre-season tour.
Rasmus Hojlund set the Red Devils on their way with a clever header before Patrick Dorgu doubled the side’s lead.
Amad would go on to make it 3-0 shortly after the break, bringing to an end whatever hopes the Cherries may have harboured of mounting a comeback.
At around the 70th-minute mark, Ruben Amorim made wholesale personnel changes. Ethan Williams added a fourth as he beat Will Dennis at his near post before Matthijs de Ligt scored an own goal late on to give Bournemouth some consolation.
After the final whistle, Dalot spoke to MUTV and gave his verdict on the performance and how the squad is preparing for the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
Dalot’s remarks
The Portugal international said, “Yeah, I think it’s important. We’re obviously working very hard to get that mood continued. I think it’s something we have to create now, as a team and as a club- this feeling of winning and getting used to it.”
“But at the same time, it’s a lot of hard work to be in the position we’re in today. We’re talking about pre-season but we have to create momentum, this feeling of winning games and playing well. I think that’s the best combination to prepare for a season and we have a difficult first game against Arsenal. So no better way to do it than we’re doing now.”
On the Arsenal fixture and whether the players are thinking about it, Dalot explained, “Listen, I’ve heard of everything. You [can] win all the games in pre-season and lose the first game [of the competitive season]. You can also lose the first games of pre-season and then win the first game of the season, so I think the focus should be on building something.”
“Obviously fitness, we need to be at the best level we can, building something, creating dynamics and the spirit of the group is good, the mood is good and we have to create that connection between us and then win games.”
“That’s the best way for you to work. We are doing that fortunately, and then we have one more game to play and then we play at home with out fans, so I think we now have two good tests for us to finish pre-season.”
“But overall, apart from what we do on the pitch – which is what everybody sees and obviously the fans are happy that we win games – what we are doing every day is the most important in terms of trying to build what we want the fans to see.”
Asked to name any training instructions from Ruben Amorim that were evident against Bournemouth, Dalot answered, “He likes us to be prepared for the game and for any scenario.”
“But it’s the mental part. It’s the willingness for you to go onto the pitch and to do what he’s asked for, but it comes from inside, it comes from the heart, it comes from what you are willing to do. If you are willing to run more for your teammates and I think today you can see a little bit more of that.”
“Not just today but even the previous games. We try to improve game by game and I think today was a good test against an intense team because we had problems against them last season. But I think today we did well.”
United are back in action on Sunday when they face Everton in their final pre-season clash of the United States tour.
Featured image Patrick McDermott via Getty Images
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