Manchester United supporters sarcastically cheered and booed Diogo Dalot as he was substituted during the draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, a reaction that was described as brutal and uncomfortable to witness.
Joshua Zirkzee was there to console Dalot as he returned to the bench, having himself been booed off by his own fans after being substituted in the first half against Newcastle in December 2024. Zirkzee was the only person capable of truly knowing what Dalot was feeling.
It was wrong for United supporters to boo Zirkzee off the pitch two years ago, just as it was to heckle Dalot on Sunday afternoon. Fans are entitled to boo what they want, as they pay for their match ticket, but that does not mean their decision to boo an individual cannot be questioned.
Manager defends Dalot after the match
Michael Carrick said "yeah" when asked if Dalot was alright during his post-match press conference, but he preached caution to a question about the fans' reaction and the possibility of taking him out of the team.
"We've got to be careful with that, I think," Carrick said. "I understand the frustration, I understand the disappointment of the supporters, so I get it. We're all frustrated, we're all disappointed, and the players are as much as anyone, I guarantee you that.
"Diogo gives absolutely everything. He's played in different positions, he's played left-back, he's played really well at times. He gives a penalty away today, he knows that. Maybe he can do a little bit better, all right, that's part of it, he's made a mistake, but he cares an awful lot and he's giving everything."
"I like what he brings to the team and the group. I like what he brings to the whole environment and the culture that we've got. Picking a team and who plays the next game, that's a whole different decision, but it's a whole different game that we've got to look forward to now."
Dalot has become a scapegoat this season
A reaction to Dalot's substitution was predictable given his awful performance. United did brilliantly to restore parity by half-time, clawing their way back level after conceding two early goals, but the Portugal international made a brainless challenge seconds into the second half to undo that hard work.
Fans would have been riled up regardless of which United player conceded the penalty, but it was made worse for being Dalot, as he has become a scapegoat for angry supporters this season. Has Dalot been good enough this term? No, his performances have been poor. But every player in the dressing room has underperformed, and he at least has the mitigating factor of playing out of position.
Dalot is naturally a right-back and has regularly played at left-back under Carrick. He is limited when he plays in his natural position on the right, so it is no surprise he is exposed more often when he plays on the opposite side.
A professional who deserves better
There have been examples of players being asked to play out of position at United, only to down tools. Dalot has never sulked and has remained the consummate professional. He is also practically always injury-free.
While there are valid reasons for Dalot to be given some slack, he instead attracts more scrutiny than any other player. It is important to stress he has not been good enough, but he deserved better than the reaction he faced when he was brought off against Villa.
There are plenty of players who have worn the United shirt over the last 13 years who have not been dedicated. Gary Neville even recently hit out at some of the current group for not living in the right way. Dalot has never been guilty of failing to do the right things, or not training hard enough during his time at the club. He has been guilty of delivering bad performances, that is for sure, but he is certainly not the only one.
The footage of Dalot going down the tunnel was difficult to watch. He looked numb, but at least the international break has begun, giving him a chance to get away and spend time with the Portugal national team. Dalot still gave his shirt away to a young fan as he left the ground on Sunday evening.
