Dalot: 'This won't erase what we are doing'
Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has assured Manchester United supporters that the 3-1 loss against Aston Villa will not hinder the team’s mentality.
The Reds were defeated at Villa Park for the first time since 1999, with Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Jacob Ramsey all scoring for the Midlands side, with United’s only goal coming from a Luke Shaw shot taking a massive deflection off Ramsey for an own goal.
Speaking to MUTV after the defeat, the Portugal right-back insisted that United’s mindset will not change after the setback.
"It does not change our mentality or what we have been doing for the last few games," he explained. "It has been really good. This will not erase what we are doing.
Dalot: We didn't start the way we wanted
Diogo Dalot acknowledges United's slow start to both halves in the defeat to Aston Villa as "decisive"...
"Obviously, it is a step back and we have to look at it as a lesson and try to do it better in the next games and we have another opportunity on Thursday [against Villa again, in the Carabao Cup], and it is a competition we want to get through."
United looked confident going into the match, having been undefeated in nine games but Villa took advantage early in both halves, and Dalot spoke about what impact that had on the game.
"I'm disappointed," he said. "We knew that today was going to be a difficult game but we didn't start the way we wanted, the first 10 minutes and the first five minutes after the second half. I think it was decisive for them. And it is a lesson for us for the next games. We have to start much quicker; much sharper and we are disappointed because we wanted to win.
"That's why I said we had to start with energy, we knew they wanted to bring the crowd with them. And they did, and I think we let them gain confidence during the first 15 minutes. And then we started to have the ball, we had a bit of control and we created chances. We could have gone into half-time with at least a draw but we should have really started better in the second half, and when we conceded that goal, it was decided."
Shaw’s deflected effort did come at a time when the Reds looked like we had made their way back into the game, creating more chances and efforts. This caught the eye of Dalot who admitted it should have given his side the boost to go for an equaliser.
"I think that goal helped us, it gave us a little extra energy for the second half," he added. "But, like I said, we didn't start the way we wanted in the second half. We should have not conceded that goal and it would have opened spaces after that. They just defended well and it was hard to find spaces there. But I think we can do better and improve."