Michael Carrick might have provided the first hint of his tactical plans for Patrick Dorgu ahead of the pre-season beginning.
The success of Patrick Dorgu as an attacking player caught many off guard last summer, and the noise only grew when he played well for Denmark as well.
It led to a transfer dilemma for Man Utd. Should they convert Dorgu to an attacker permanently and buy a left-back, or buy a left-winger to play ahead of the Dane?
It looks like Michael Carrick has arrived at a decision that clarifies this transfer priority.
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Michael Carrick makes Patrick Dorgu plan
It must be said that not much should be gleaned from the first pre-season game, especially when more than half the team is still on holiday due to the World Cup.
Having said that, it was still interesting to note Dorgu’s presence in the traveling squad for the Wrexham game and how he was assigned his role.
The squad was divided between goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards, and the Dane’s position was clear.
Dorgu was named alongside defenders, despite United having a lack of attackers due to Benjamin Sesko’s injury and Matheus Cunha’s holiday.
The club likely still sees him as a left-back more than a left-winger, which also explains their interest in West Ham’s attacker, Crysencio Summerville, who had a brilliant World Cup.
It also lines up with the rumour mill going cold for a potential left-back, as Lewis Hall was among the targets who look unattainable now.
Dorgu at left-back is the right decision
Dorgu’s versatility is a boon for any manager, but tactical clarity is also necessary for a player to feel comfortable in his role.
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Carrick mainly played Dorgu as a winger last season, but that was borne out of necessity, as he was compromising on his style of play.
In an ideal world, Dorgu is the perfect overlapping wing-back in Carrick’s style of play, holding the width when Matheus Cunha cuts inside to form a front five (Dorgu-Cunha-Fernandes-Sesko-Mbeumo, for example).
Playing him at left wing can be a makeshift tactical option against teams who will dominate possession, leaving Carrick to run back his tactics from the 2025/26 season.
That is the sort of tactical flexibility elite teams are built upon, and Carrick has shown that he is adaptable enough to make full use of it.
Dorgu at left-back is the ideal starting position for that flexibility.
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