0 key passes, 0 tackles, 56% duels lost: United star has been off the boil for some time now, INEOS need to have a look

Manchester United produced a flat display against Sunderland on Saturday and were lucky to escape the Stadium of Light with a point. This was their first 0-0 draw of the season, and the visitors had Senne Lammens to thank for the fortunate point away from home. Michael Carrick handed rare starts to fringe stars like Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee as he played a heavily rotated side. Safe to say, the duo failed to grab their chance, and INEOS must be ruthless in the summer if they are serious about the club mounting a challenge on all four fronts. Amad has been poor since AFCON return But the biggest worry for the caretaker head coach will be the form of Amad, who has been off the boil ever since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. Both his goals and all three of his assists came under Ruben Amorim, and the Ivorian has looked a shadow of his former self under Carrick. CategoryStat Goals0 Expected Goals (xG)0.06 Assists0 Expected Assists (xA)0.04 Key Passes0 Crosses (Accurate)3 (1) Accurate Passes19/21 (90%) Passes in Opposition Half (Acc.)16/18 (89%) Passes in Own Half (Acc.)3/3 (100%) Total Shots1 Shots on Target0 Shots Blocked0 Touches41 Unsuccessful Touches5 Dribbles (Successful)3 (1) Was Fouled2 Possession Lost12 Total Carrying Distance104.4 m Carries16 Progressive Carries2 Total Progression51.7 m Progressive Carrying Distance34.6 m Longest Progressive Carry17.2 m Defensive Contributions1 Tackles (Won)0 (0) Interceptions0 Clearances0 Blocked Shots1 Recoveries1 Ground Duels (Won)7 (3) Aerial Duels (Won)2 (1) Fouls1 Dribbled Past1 match stats via sofascore Against Sunderland, it was expected that the 23-year-old would shine bright, as he knows the opposition well having represented them on loan. But during the 75 minutes he was on the pitch, the former Atalanta ace failed to create a single chance for his teammates. Amad was poor with and without the ball vs Sunderland Amad did not have a single shot on target, and found a teammate with only one of his attempted crosses (all stats via sofascore). Normally such an assured dribbler, the United No.16 completed a single take-on and he fared little better off the ball. The right-winger attempted zero tackles, while completing zero interceptions. He contested a total of nine duels, winning a mere four. Not too long ago, the fanbase was yearning for him to start, with former manager Erik ten Hag denying him minutes. INEOS need to address this Amorim’s usage of Amad in a wingback role seemed to get the best out of him, but with the 3-4-3 system now thrown out of the window, INEOS need to take a good, hard look at his future. A left winger seems to be the what the 20-time English league champions are targeting in the summer. It could be time to look at the opposite flank as well. Feature image George Wood via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25