‘I feel anxiety on every touch

RUBEN AMORIM admits he feels a rush of “anxiety” every time Patrick Dorgu touches the ball.

The Portuguese manager point-blank confessed that 21-year-old Dorgu is struggling with the pressures of playing for a goliath club like Manchester United.

Dorgu has come under scrutiny this season, his lack of quality in the final third laid bare in the dismal 1-0 home defeat to 10-man Everton on Monday.

Minutes after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall broke the deadlock, the left wing-back blasted a chance into Row Z of the Stretford End from six yards and frequently killed United’s rare first-half attacks.

Today, United face a banana skin trip Crystal Palace, who employ the very same 3-4-2-1 formation that Amorim champions, and are unbeaten at home against the Red Devils since July 2020 during Covid.

Amorim, 40, said: “You can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touches the ball. 

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“I can feel the anxiety. You remember the shot against Everton. That was easier than the decision he had to make for Denmark against Scotland. 

“He made a great decision then, and I saw it when he played in Italy. But here it is different, and sometimes the pressure is hard for them in the beginning, but he has time to improve.”

Amorim was pivotal to signing Dorgu for £30m from Lecce in January as he looked to upgrade his options amid long-term injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. 

It remains baffling that any manager would repeatedly select a player whose every touch induces anxiety. You would be forgiven for thinking Amorim is feeding him to the wolves.

Dorgu has started seven of United’s 12 league games this season, creating just two chances and grabbing an assist in the 2-1 win over Chelsea. But he does look uneasy on the ball.

Four months on from a breakout summer tour, the young Dane is rapidly becoming a scapegoat in Amorim’s rigid formation. 

A system that leaves him exposed as the highest attacker on his flank. A system that shows he lacks the skillset to make the chances that come his way count.

Two seasons ago, it was Arsenal‘s Bukayo Sako who found himself in the most one-on-one situations in the Prem. Last year, it was Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah. Now it’s Dorgu.

He did manage to shine for Denmark in November, producing a standout display in the winner-takes-all 2026 World Cup qualifier against Scotland.

His 81st-minute strike nearly rescued a crucial 2-2 draw for his side, only for the Scots to snatch victory with two goals in stoppage time at Hampden Park.

Dorgu further showcased his talents by creating three chances, winning 10 duels, making eight ball recoveries and five tackles and registering four clearances. Denmark now must qualify through the play-offs.

But Amorim has also accepted that Diogo Dalot, United’s second-longest serving player behind Shaw and squad leader, has endured a difficult time at left wing-back.

The former Sporting manager said: “When I see them training, they are doing so much better than in games. 

“The decision that Patrick made under pressure against Scotland was completely different to the decisions that he is making in our team, so I just need to understand the context and try to help them.

“They are far from the best and they know it. So like a lot of players in our team, like myself, so I just look at them and they have so much more to give.

“We have time to think about that, I don’t know what is going to happen in January.”

Palace boast two of the most hard-working and prolific attack-minded wing-backs in England in Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell.

They have been a cornerstone of Oliver Glasner’s success, helping to secure European football after lifting the FA Cup in May to end the club’s 164- year trophy drought. 

But United only have Amad Diallo in that mould. 

Despite playing with an extra man for 80 minutes following Idrissa Gueye‘s red card, Amorim pushed on with five defenders and struggled to create against the Toffees.

At halftime Mason Mount was brought on in place of right wing-back Noussair Mazraoui, and Dalot got mixed up with Shaw frequently after replacing Dorgu.

Like so many Amorim matches, United’s best chance came in the final minutes, and like they typically do, it fell to a defender. It was Matthijs de Ligt again. 

The 3-4-2-1 style lives and dies on the wing-backs. They are responsible for performing the defensive duties of a full-back and the attacking quality of a winger.

Munoz, who dreams of playing for United one day, is the most intense player in the Prem, clocking nearly 14.5km per game at high intensity this season – nearly 1.5km more than the next-best man Adrien Truffert.

Munoz has the second most goal contributions of any full-back since his Eagles debut in February 2024, with six goals and 11 assists in 37 starts last term.

That is more than the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold before he moved to Real Madrid, Marc Cucurella and Arsenal‘s Jurrien Timber.

Amad has the most, but he has also played as a winger and attacking midfielder during that time.

Any system that dulls the edge of your best players and exposes the flaws of your weakest is fundamentally doomed. 

For Amorim, starting players he feels “anxious” about is alarming. Now that Lisandro Martinez is nearing return, Shaw could get a run at left wing-back.