Ruben Amorim has made a worrying admission about his first Manchester United signing Patrick Dorgu.
Denmark international Dorgu became Amorim’s first signing as United manager when he accomplished a £25m move from Lecce in February 2025.
Amorim signed Dorgu within the hope he can be a key player in his favoured 3-4-3 system however the 21-year-old has struggled for consistency since arriving at Old Trafford.
Fellow defender Diogo Dalot has fared higher at United but his long-term future is unclear given he is just not a natural wing-back.
Amorim, speaking ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday, admitted neither Dorgu or Dalot were playing ‘at their best’ and said each had ‘more to present’.
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But in a more worrying admission, Amorim suggested Dorgu felt ‘anxious’ each time he receives the ball resulting from his stuttering Red Devils profession.
‘Once I see them training they’re doing so a lot better than in games,’ Amorim said.
‘Then Patrick, after I see him playing for the national team, he’s scored a great goal against Scotland [this month], the choice that he made under pressure was completely different to the choices he’s making in our team.
‘You may feel the anxiety each time Patrick touches the ball [for Man United]. I can feel it, the anxiety.’
‘I remember the shot he had against Everton [which he dragged wide. That was easier than the decision that he had to make [against] Scotland – and I saw [his quality] when he played in Italy.
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‘But again, here [United] is different and sometimes the pressure is difficult for them at first, but he has time to enhance.
‘I just need to grasp the context in attempting to help them [Dorgu and Dalot]. They’re removed from their best, and so they comprehend it.
‘Like loads of players in our team, like myself. I just take a look at them, and think they’ve so rather more to present. So let’s see this week if we are able to improve that.’
Manchester United, twelfth within the table ahead of Sunday’s trip to Selhurst Park, have shipped 19 goals in 12 league games this season, keeping only one clean sheet.
Asked for his tackle United’s poor defensive record, Amorim said: ‘We’re being really soft near the box.
‘So we’d like to enhance that within the last games, especially against Nottingham [Forest, a 2-2 draw]. We allowed loads of crosses, we didn’t press well [in] moments.
‘Against Everton, they were with 10 men [after 13 minutes] and we suffered the goal [Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s winner] with the one shot heading in the right direction.
‘In fact, we’d like to enhance loads of things. I feel the problem is just not in regards to the defenders. It’s in regards to the team and the best way we feel the danger near our box.’
Manchester United’s next opponents Crystal Palace are sixth within the Premier League and will climb to 3rd with a win over Amorim’s side.
Palace had gone five games unbeaten before suffering a disappointing Conference League defeat to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg through the week.
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