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Even Ruben Amorim must appreciate the irony of Patrick Dorgu’s transformation as a rampaging left-winger under Michael Carrick’s tutelage – with the 21-year-old producing two imperious performances in the back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal.
Signed from Serie A minnows Lecce in the January transfer window last year, Dorgu was intended to provide the Portuguese coach with a ‘specialist’ wing-back on the left to complement the threat Amad carried on the opposite flank. This was thought to be key to helping unlock the much-maligned 3-4-2-1 system.
And while the Denmark international enjoyed a bright start to life at Old Trafford, his form quickly suffered the malaise which seems to consume every new signing in a red shirt, save for the indefatigable Bruno Fernandes.
Anxious on the ball
In November, while explaining why United had fallen to an abject 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton at home, Amorim revealed he could feel Dorgu’s “anxiety” every time the Dane received the ball, before going on to contend his side needed a left wing-back like Amad to improve.
It was rather explosive for a coach to speak about a young player in their charge, particularly one with less than twelve months of experience in Premier League football. It is understood to have been poorly received by the executive branch, particularly given the club’s historical connection with blooding youngsters.
However, Dorgu later stated he did not take the criticism to heart, instead recognising it as constructive feedback and using it as fuel to improve the attacking part of his game – you need simply ask Pep Guardiola or Mikel Arteta whether he was successful in doing so. After Amorim’s explosive departure at the beginning of January, under-18s coach Darren Fletcher took charge of the senior side.
The former Scotland international immediately switched back to a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation for his two matches at the helm, an obvious change. A less clear choice, however, was the decision to start Dorgu as a left-winger within that structure, given his struggles to affect matches in the final third as a wing-back.
But the Copenhagen native immediately rewarded his interim manager, delivering a peach of a cross to assist Benjamin Sesko’s second strike in the 2-2 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor. A disappointing exit in the third round of the FA Cup at the hands of Brighton – or, more specifically, the right foot of Danny Welbeck – followed as Fletcher’s final game, with Dorgu redeployed as left-back in the 2-1 defeat.
A week later, Michael Carrick took the reins from his ex-teammate as caretaker coach until the end of the season.
The 44-year-old Englishman reverted to playing Dorgu on the wing, starting him on the left in the victories against City and Arsenal – with the Dane scoring, and playing brilliantly, in both, looking anything but anxious. His thunderous strike at the Emirates to propel United to a pulsating 3-2 win will be a Goal of the Season contender.
The cruel hand of fate intervened to stymie Dorgu’s rich vein of form as he picked up a serious hamstring injury against the Gunners, ruling him out for up to ten weeks. But Denmark boss Brian Riemer delivered a positive update today, revealing there was hope the 21-year-old may be back earlier than expected.
Stick or twist?
Whoever INEOS settle on to become the permanent head coach this summer, be it Carrick or an external hire, a back four with flying wingers is expected to remain in place as United’s ‘game model’. So this raises the interesting question: where is Dorgu’s best position in this new-look system?
From a sample size of four matches prior to his injury, he returned an assist and two goals in the three games at left-wing, and nothing but an FA Cup exit in the match at left-back. So the answer is simple?
No – for United to go to the next level as a team next season, Dorgu must drop back to full-back, enabling a more attacking winger to be signed as a complement to Matheus Cunha. The alternative – to continue with him further forward – will leave the squad imbalanced, and negatively affect the collective performance.
It’s imperative the club targets one of the standout options on the left this summer, be it RB Leipzig starlet Yan Diomande or Everton trickster Iliman Ndiayde. There are other candidates on the radar elsewhere in England, such as Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon or Wolves’ Mateus Mane, but the former two, in Germany or on Merseyside, should be the priority.
Dorgu’s best qualities are his physicality and ability in duels. He possesses a potent pairing of speed, strength and size, while demonstrating a monstrous ability to win the ball. The fact that he is capable of quick link-up play, crisp first-time passing, and delivering a deliciously whipped cross are simply cherries on the cake of an outstanding prospect as an attacking left-back.
He lacks the technique and dribbling ability to thrive as a winger, particularly against low blocks – a significant weakness for United as a team. In tight spaces, he is more of a bulldozer than a surgeon; a sledgehammer, rather than a scalpel. And his eye for a pass is closer to Phil Neville than Ryan Giggs.
Attacking fullbacks vs. defensive wingers
From this perspective, it makes sense that Dorgu’s best two matches in a red shirt came in high-pressure derbies against the club’s bitter rivals, given both Manchester City and Arsenal want to try and dominate with the ball. In many ways, the Dane was more of a secondary left-back to support Luke Shaw, particularly at the Emirates, with the freedom to then drive forward.
It would have been interesting to see if Carrick stuck with the same starting eleven the next week for the clash against Fulham – a midtable side – at Old Trafford had Dorgu not been ruled out. In his place, Cunha came into the side, scoring the second goal, and offering a completely different profile on the left wing.
The Brazil international does his best work centrally, preferring to drift to the left then invert with pace and power at the heart of the opposition defence. He is not a natural ‘winger’, though he has the quality to play there.
However, at this stage of Shaw’s injury-ravaged career, the 30-year-old full-back is not capable of providing a constant overlap on the outside of his partner on the left. Indeed, for virtually the entirety of Amorim’s tenure, he was played at centre-back, rather than wing-back, due to his inability to meet the physical demands of that role.
This means, despite both Shaw and Cunha being outstanding technicians, United’s left-hand side has become somewhat impotent since Dorgu’s injury as neither player will hug the touchline and maintain width in the way both Amad and Diogo Dalot provide on the right. If Dorgu was fit for tomorrow’s match with Crystal Palace, he would offer the physicality and mobility required to bomb down the outside of Cunha, while the 26-year-old Brazilian cuts inside, helping balance the side better.
Cunha’s preference to play in the half-spaces in the opposition half are both a strength and a weakness. It’s vital United sign a player like Diomande – a dribbling demon who stays wide, with the pace and power to dominate an entire flank by himself – as an alternative to Cunha, thus creating different options in attack, if one approach is not working.
United have been linked with a move for FC Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde. Does a left-hand side of Balde overlapping Dorgu, or Dorgu overlapping Diomande with Cunha emerging off the bench sound like a more dynamic attacking combination?
Furthermore, repositioning Dorgu as a left-back allows the only other option in the squad, Shaw, to be rotated. This is important as the schedule of games will dramatically increase next year with a return to European football – a demand Shaw’s body is incapable of meeting in the way he has, touch wood, so far this season.
Final Thoughts
Dorgu’s future at Old Trafford is better served, for both the player and the team, by focusing on developing as an attacking full-back, rather than a defensive winger.
The 21-year-old has drawn comparisons in profile to Paris Saint-Germain superstar Nuno Mendes, widely considered the best left-back in world football. The Portugal international possesses a unique blend of physical and technical attributes, with the ability to produce decisive moments in the opposition half.
However, there is not a single person in Paris nor Lisbon who would want to see the 23-year-old play at left-wing, despite these qualities. The same must be true for Dorgu, whose skillset aligns perfectly with the demands of a flying full-back, as well as the gaps in the United squad.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
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