Man Utd forward Amad reported back to Carrington on Monday morning following his post-World Cup break.
An important Manchester United player returned to Carrington on Monday. It wasn’t Altay Bayindir.
Amad reported for pre-season following his post-World Cup break. He underwent routine fitness tests and completed some light individual work in the training ground gym. He also visited a private physiotherapist on the eve of his return for a soft tissue massage.
“A new season. More motivation, more hard work and more determination. The goal is clear: to win trophies,” Amad wrote on social media on Tuesday, along with photos of himself juggling a ball in the gym.
Amad returned to Carrington with a spring in his step after a great individual showing for the Ivory Coast at the World Cup. He ended the season out of form at United, but returns to pre-season as an in-form player.
The forward impressed from the bench in the Ivory Coast’s opening World Cup game against Ecuador, scoring the winner with a superb first-time finish with his left foot.
Amad’s performance earned him a starting role in the second game. Germany won 2-1, but they were fortunate to collect three points. The Ivory Coast led 1-0 at half-time, ahead from a goal in which Amad had a hand, and he created a handful of chances at the start of the second half that were spurned.
He then scored one of the goals of the tournament when he danced into the box in a round-of-32 clash against Norway before finding the top left corner. The footwork and the composure were exceptional.
Amad came to life at the World Cup to send a reminder of his talent to the minority of United fans who had started to doubt him. There’s no denying his output of two goals and four assists wasn’t good enough last season, but players are written off too quickly in the modern era.
The 24-year-old’s superb performances at the World Cup were a huge boost for United ahead of the new campaign, as Amad has recaptured the form that made him one of the team’s most exciting players in 2024/2025.
It’s easy to forget that Amad had been United’s best player until February in that season. He scored a brilliant match-winner against Manchester City in December 2024, the equaliser against Liverpool at Anfield, and netted a sensational hat-trick in 10 minutes against Southampton.
He was in contention to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award but picked up an ankle injury during training which kept him out until May, and Bruno Fernandes picked up the accolade again.
Although Amad made a decent start to last season, he lost his way in the middle of it, and that felt partly down to the change in his on-pitch connection with Bryan Mbeumo, with whom he combined brilliantly in Ruben Amorim’s system.
Michael Carrick’s change of formation meant they no longer played on the same side if they were on the pitch at the same time. Carrick still felt compelled to defend Amad’s form when he was asked about his lack of goals. “I actually think he’s playing well,” said the United boss.
“I think, yeah, numbers in terms of goals and assists…. I think there’s an awful lot more in the game, playing in a winning team as he has, to worry about numbers.
“I think he gives the team so much. He’s got so much talent, he’s got so much ability, but his work ethic and his attitude is fantastic as well. He has played different roles at times. I’m a big fan of Amad.
“I think he was unlucky and unfortunate that we had to change things tactically the other night and that was purely on that, why he came off.
“But yeah, I think it’s given the team an awful lot and it’s the underbelly of what goes into the performance, not always what the headline grabs that actually provide you, or what proved to be as a team that’s going to be successful. Amad’s part of it.”
The truth is, Amad wasn’t playing well when Carrick answered that question. The 45-year-old defended him regardless. The good news is that questions about Amad’s form are likely to all be positive at the start of the new season.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login