Diogo Dalot warns Manchester United that losing cannot become ‘the norm’

Diogo Dalot has warned Manchester United that losing cannot become accepted at Old Trafford as Michael Carrick’s side look to recover from a mixed start to the Premier League season.

United opened with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City before responding with a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town. A 2-2 draw at Everton followed, leaving them with four points from their opening three matches.

Dalot, now one of United’s longest-serving players, believes dealing with expectations is one of the biggest challenges of representing the club.

“The biggest challenge of being a Manchester United player is managing expectations, especially because of the noise that comes from outside,” Dalot told DAZN Portugal.

The defender believes experienced players have a responsibility to keep the squad emotionally balanced when results do not go their way.

United entered the campaign with renewed optimism after last season, making their opening defeat at Hull particularly frustrating.

Dalot accepts defeats will happen but insists they cannot become commonplace at a club with United’s ambitions.

“In football, winning and losing are part of the game, but we’re at a club where that cannot become the norm,” he said.

“Manchester United was built to compete for and win trophies, and we know that, to be here, we have to win as many games as possible.”

Dalot also stressed that one poor result should not erase the work United completed during pre-season. However, he knows performances ultimately have to translate into victories.

Dalot has also set out what he believes Manchester United should be targeting this season: Champions League football, cup finals and remaining involved in the Premier League title race until May.

Achieving those ambitions will require sacrifices throughout the squad, particularly once United begin playing every three days.

“It’s about creating those routines every day,” Dalot explained.

“That’s what we want: to play in the Champions League, be at Wembley, compete in cup finals and get to May fighting for the Premier League title.”

After almost nine years at Old Trafford, Dalot understands better than most how quickly pressure can build at Manchester United.

His message is straightforward: performances matter, but United ultimately have to start consistently winning if they want to meet the expectations surrounding the club.

Manchester United now need to turn encouraging periods of their performances into consistent results. For Dalot, the real test will be whether Carrick’s squad can remain in contention for the major prizes when the season reaches its decisive months.