Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot has praised Erik ten Hag for having one of the biggest impacts in transforming his fortunes at Old Trafford.
Dalot spoke during a fan press conference and was quizzed on how influential Ten Hag has been on his form so far this season.
The Portuguese said, “A lot, as you can imagine. Since I arrived in pre-season, I knew I had to be at my best level to play the way that he wants to play. I think I fit right in with the type of play and the things he asks me to do on the pitch.”
“I think it suits the way that I like to see football so it helps. Obviously, he’s a very good manager. He wants every player available and every player at the best level physically so I have to push myself more.”
“Then it’s just about making progress, trying to learn, listening to what he’s asking you to do and I think, not only me, but you can see the progress in a lot of players, especially collectively, but he is obviously one of the biggest parts of that.”
Dalot also admitted that both individually and collectively, there have been problems in adjusting to club football, especially after the World Cup.
He said he did not know what to expect when coming back to United, more so because this was his first World Cup.
The 23-year-old remarked that while the team has enjoyed super results since club football resumed, in the end everything will come down to physicality and which team handles the difficult fixture schedule better.
A fan asked Dalot whether he agrees that the Premier League is the best in the world. He responded affirmatively and opined that it’s incredible for players who like excitement and challenges.
On the difference between Italy and England, Dalot stated that in Serie A, it’s a manager’s game while in England it’s a player’s game.
The right-back was put on the spot and asked to give his verdict on some of the club’s recent signings such as Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Raphael Varane.
Dalot insisted that what fans see on the pitch in terms of leadership is what occurs behind the scenes. He said that these players have injected a winning mentality into the side which spurs others to strive to win trophies.
Dalot said that he wants to emulate United’s recruits and become the guy that won multiple accolades and competitions at the Theatre of Dreams.
Another massive contribution made by the likes of Casemiro, Martinez, Eriksen and Varane is that they make the team understand when to do things, when to relax and when to push more. For these reasons, Dalot believes these players have made the squad better.
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