The international break has given Manchester United players time to step away from the club’s glare, but Patrick Dorgu did something which would please Ruben Amorim immensely.
Patrick Dorgu had an ideal international break from Man Utd’s perspective because he rested against Scotland before getting 26 minutes against Greece.
26 minutes is not a lot for a defender to make an impact, but when Dorgu came on against Greece, he played like a man on a mission.
That mission was to show Ruben Amorim his most ideal version of a wing-back, which he did successfully, and then some.
Patrick Dorgu was an attacking menace vs Greece
Before praising his attacking work, it must be noted that Dorgu played as the right midfielder against Greece, a role he has played before for Lecce.
It allowed him to come inside on his stronger left foot and create havoc between the lines through his shooting and athleticism.
However, wing-backs in Amorim’s system are also defensive in name only, as they are tasked with creating overloads out wide and stretching the pitch.
In that sense, Amorim would have loved what he saw from Dorgu against Greece.
Dorgu had three shots on goal in just 26 minutes for a team that was already leading by the time he came on.
One shot hit the post, and he finished with an xG of 0.81, effectively signalling that he should have scored at least one goal with the number of opportunities he had.
So attacking was he that his defensive contribution was limited to a single interception and two recoveries.
Freed from his defensive duties, this game allowed Dorgu to stretch his legs and get some attacking momentum on his side ahead of a crucial run of fixtures for United.
Dorgu’s ceiling is good news for Ruben Amorim
By showing his ever-improving attacking game for Denmark, Dorgu has forced a re-think of his ceiling as a player, because a two-way threat from out wide is worth its weight in gold.
At United, Dorgu has been more functional than flashy, providing a steady body on the left even though his raw output leaves a lot to be desired.
If he’s now adding attacking thrust to his game, the signs of which have been visible at club level as well this season, then Amorim will soon have a building block in place.
Amorim knows how to unleash wing-backs. He did it with Nuno Mendes at Sporting. Now, Dorgu is showing the signs that he could help the Man Utd manager repeat that trick at Old Trafford.
The game against Greece was a salivating look into the two-way threat Dorgu can eventually become for Man Utd. It fits Amorim’s vision for the team perfectly.
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