Patrick Dorgu was relocated to the wing halfway through Man Utd’s season, and it was a decision that has paid off.
“I need to ask the coach. I don’t know,” said Patrick Dorgu on the final day of the season when asked what his strongest position is.
“I still have a lot to learn on the wing. I lost the ball a few times in the first half today, so I still need to improve. But obviously I’m further forward to the goal, and I can get into positions for the opportunity.
“I still need to work on my finishing. I could have scored a couple more today, but yes, I enjoy playing there, and I can use my speed and my physique a lot in those areas as well.”
If Michael Carrick was undecided about Dorgu’s best position at Manchester United, he may have made up his mind after seeing his stunning goal from outside the box for Denmark against Ukraine on Sunday night.
The game was abandoned after Christian Eriksen collapsed – he walked off the field after regaining consciousness in the second half – so Dorgu’s goal won’t be logged in FIFA’s records, but it was a strike so good that it may influence where his long-term future lies with his club employer.
Dorgu fashioned a pocket of space by accelerating away from his marker before letting rip from distance with his left foot. The shot was at a saveable height, but the power was the reason it beat Ukraine’s goalkeeper.
The 21-year-old would have faced accusations of the goal being a one off if he had scored it last year, but he demonstrated when he was moved to the wing this season that he is capable of scoring superb goals.
Dorgu’s goal against Arsenal at the Emirates was the best strike of his career so far, although that game was bittersweet, as it was in that clash that he picked up a hamstring injury which forced him to miss nine weeks.
The timing of the injury was unfortunate. Dorgu was enjoying his hottest run of form at United since he signed for Lecce, but more importantly, he was performing on the left wing following a position change.
He had the opportunity to audition for a permanent role taken away from him but picked up where he left off on the final day of the campaign against Brighton following his return.
The Dane opened the scoring with an excellent header, moving intelligently in the box from a corner, and he provided an assist for Bruno Fernandes, returning the favour after United’s captain created his goal.
When Dorgu spoke to Manchester-based reporters after the Brighton win, it was typical of him that he played down his performance and humbly said he had more to learn on the wing when discussing his position.
Having that sort of attitude is why Dorgu got better as the season progressed. He is desperate to improve, keen to learn and regularly does extras after training sessions at Carrington to get better.
In January, a source credited Dorgu for working “really hard” and revealed there had been a focus on improving his crosses, with an emphasis on him perfecting his technique during training at Carrington.
United believe Dorgu’s hard work has paid off, but he is aware there is more to do and soak up, particularly if he continues to play on the wing next season, where he will be judged on goals and assists.
In an era when there are fewer goals scored from outside of the box, with teams biding their time to wait for the right moment to pass into the penalty area instead, it’s refreshing to see Dorgu take attempts from distance.
Dorgu’s goal against Ukraine was another example of his quality in the final third, and Carrick should recognise the value of having a player with that tool in his armoury.
In January, when Carrick was asked whether he saw Dorgu as a left-back or a winger in his system, he said: “I think he can do both, to be honest. I think he was immense last week [versus City], his work rate and the way he played the position, but the threat, constant threat. And the goal was the obvious one.
“I think his general play was something we were really pleased about. I wouldn’t want to pin him down [to a position], to be honest. But certainly attacking-wise in that threat, he was pretty impressive last week.”
It will be interesting to see whether Carrick decides to pin Dorgu down to a position next season, because as it stands, he looks like a dangerous winger.




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