Manchester United weren’t great against PAOK, but Amad Diallo was and at least they finally got another European win a mere 380 days after the last.
Funny old time for Manchester United, this.
The reasons for Ruben Amorim’s slightly delayed arrival are perfectly sound and reflect well on the man, but it does leave this handful of games under Ruud van Nistelrooy as awkward ones to place in any wider context.
Of course, that mission is hampered even further when a game comes in the Europa League where even United’s dreadful start hasn’t actually raised serious threats of an early exit from the competition.
What was clear was that United simply had to win this one, no matter the wider implications for the tournament as a whole. After 380 days without a European win, a home game against a PAOK side with one point from their first three games in the competition could only have one satisfactory outcome.
And United got it via a much-improved second-half performance, albeit one that answered even fewer questions than expected. Which was already on the low side.
There were worrying glimpses at 1-0 against demonstrably weaker opposition of United doing what they’ve so infuriatingly done already in this competition this season; sitting back and inviting inferior opponents back into the contest.
It could easily have happened again. That it didn’t was down to two things. PAOK’s lack of composure in front of goal, and Amad Diallo.
We might not really know what these games could end up meaning for United or Ruud van Nistelrooy, but they must be an opportunity for players previously on the fringes. While the manager-in-waiting might not have seen much to thrill him in United’s overall display – one that, perhaps inevitably and almost certainly unfairly was always likely to suffer in comparison to Sporting’s own efforts against City two days earlier – he must have been pleased with what he saw of Amad.
If this was an audition, he passed. You’d think he now starts Van Nistelrooy’s final game at the weekend and will surely be more prominent now in Amorim’s thoughts than he was before today. It’s all anyone can really ask, isn’t it?
Take away Amad’s two goals and he would still have been United’s best player. There is no Garth Crooks shoehornery required here. He was full of energy and running throughout, always providing an option and an escape route in United’s dicier moments.
And why would anyone want to take those two goals out? They were lovely. They were entirely different, but both fine examples of different elements of the modern wide player’s craft. Where exactly, Amad’s skillset fits into an Amorim 3-4-3 is another conversation for another day, but this was supremely eye-catching. The first came from a gorgeous Bruno Fernandes cross to the far post, but Amad still had mountains of work to do to guide a looping header back across goal and in off the far post.
The second was much more his own work and summed up both his industry and quality on the night. Having won the ball himself he drove at the retreating PAOK defence before unleashing a shot the deserved the serendipitous deflection that made it unstoppable.
It might mean everything, it might mean nothing. But at least now for United there is a sense again that these things could mean anything at all. As at the weekend against Chelsea there was a demonstrable difference to the mood, the freedom to look once again to the future and imagine it might be better than what has gone before for such a long time now here.
That the days when Manchester United don’t find themselves desperately needing a home win over PAOK at all costs might soon be back.
Play for free to win the new United kit! We’re awarding a new prize every PL matchweek, courtesy of Goat Kits! To play, just (1) Join this week’s brand new 
