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Amad Diallo has been told he is ‘not a top player’ despite his recent Manchester United heroics. The Red Devils winger has seen his game time increase since the arrival of Ruben Amorim. Diallo re-paid Amorim’s faith in him by netting the winning goal in United’s 2-1 win at champions Manchester City last Sunday. And the 22-year-old was at it again on Thursday night, scoring in United’s 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat at Tottenham. Diallo’s impressive form comes at the perfect time for Amorim with Marcus Rashford’s future a contentious issue for the club. But it appears that not everyone is on the Diallo hype train. Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor believes the Ivorian still has much to prove before he starts to believe the hype. "I look at Bruno Fernandes as their one standout player, the rest of them are mediocre, " he said. Co-host Shebahn Aherne responded: "Not Amad. Amad's special. " But Agboblahor hit back: "He's not special. He's done well in recent weeks, but he's not special. " Aherne replied: "You watch his performances and his energy. He's not even starting every game. He's young and he will be an outstanding player. " But Agbonlahor would not back down and said: “He’s an okay player, he’s not a top, top player. “Maybe he will [become one] but at the moment, judging all of these players, I’d say they’ve [Man United] got a lot of mediocre players. " Diallo was named as a substitute for the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but it didn’t take long for him to make his presence felt, scoring United’s second goal after some high-level pressing on Spurs keeper Fraser Forster. Aherne put it to Agboblahor that Diallo must be considered a player to take United forward based on his impact off the bench against Tottenham on Thursday. But the former striker's response left her visibly shocked. “He did okay when he came on, he wasn’t a world beater, ” Agbonlahor added. “Yeah he got the block for the goal but he wasn’t outstanding when he came on. He did some decent things. “Maybe I’m coming from an era where I was playing against top players week in week out. Now, I’m looking at these players and they are average. ” Agbonlahor then took aim at Diallo’s teammate, World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez who was at fault for Tottenham’s second goals scored by Dejan Kulusevski. “Martinez at the back, I’m not having him. Weak, poor and bullied by [Dominic] Solanke, ” he continued. “This season he’s been very poor. He gets found out at set pieces everyone talks about his height. He always gets outjumped by the opposition. “Against Tottenham he was coming at times. His flick, who clears a ball like that for the Kulusevski goal? Clear the ball properly like a defender. " Amorim now has three competitions to focus on in his hope of adding an early piece of silverware while aiming to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Reflecting on his side’s Carabao Cup exit, Amorim said: “We showed that in the past games also when we were losing in difficult moments. We disconnect in the beginning of the second half, it was a tough moment for us, like ten minutes. "And then we return, I think we did a great job. I think if you look at all the game, I think we were the best team but they [Spurs] were more clinical. We lose the game but the fight from the lads was really important for me. “We cannot think in that way, that winning silverware makes everything okay. It will be a long way. We are improving as a team and our goal, I say the same thing after the game and before the game, our goal is to win the Premier League. How long it’s going to take? I don’t know but that is our goal. ” United return to league matters on Sunday when high-flying Bournemouth make the trip to Old Trafford. A win for United could see them leapfrog the Cherries who sit in sixth position. © 2024 talk SPORT Limited

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