Patrick Dorgu is the latest victim of Manchester United’s failed transfer policy
Pete Hall examines how the early signs point to Dorgu joining the long line of United’s recruitment failings including struggling forwards Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund
Upon the climax of last summer’s transfer window, Manchester United’s new regime were basking in the glory of a long-overdue successful few months in the market.
Some key underperforming areas of the team had been addressed. Young, hungry talent, rather than overpaid marquee names, had been brought through the doors. All to much excitement.
Soon enough, Joshua Zirkzee was being booed by his own supporters, Leny Yoro remained in the treatment room, due to a recurring injury that showed up on his medical when signing and Manuel Ugarte couldn’t even get in the team.
January came along, and with limited money to spend again with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability regulators watching their every move, United strengthened the one area Ruben Amorim felt needed looking at most – wing-back.
Patrick Dorgu’s start to life in England, however, does not indicate that he will be bucking any trends anytime soon.
Shooting from all angles, without a moment’s care has become epidemic around Old Trafford, with Dorgu the latest to keep pulling the trigger, without getting anywhere near the goal. Against a Manchester City side already setting the wheels in motion to erase 2024-25 from living memory, United created plenty of moments of promise in a wretched Manchester derby encounter in the blazing sunshine, but their decision-making at crucial moments once again meant they failed to score in a match for the eighth time since Ruben Amorim took charge – only Leicester have failed to score in more games during that time.
Dorgu just blended in with the malaise, seamlessly, lashing at balls when City were under pressure, slicing two efforts wide and failing to connect entirely with others.
Timing his runs at the back post was no problem. Connecting with a header, however, was.
“I understand that we are in the moment that we are doing the worst season in history,” Amorim said after the dour draw. “Manchester City won everything in the past, this season they are struggling. We are not in the best moments to give the best spectacle to every fan.
“When we are not fighting for the big things, of course it's different. But you have to look at the context of the game and I understand the critical aspect of the players that played in this game in a different way.”
That lack of actual goalscoring threat is nonetheless inescapable.
In this nadir season that will almost certainly remain as United’s lowest points haul until the end of time, the most remarkable stat is that they have created the lowest average chance quality in the entire league, lower than even the worst-ever bottom three in Premier League history.
Alejandro Garnacho is the chief protagonist, given all he seems to possess in his vision is wanting to cut inside and shoot, from any angle.
Rasmus Hojlund averages an xG of 0.17 per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season – the Dane ranks 49th for xG per 90 minutes out of 62 forward players, including attacking midfielders, to play 900 or more minutes this season. Zirkzee ranks 33rd with 0.31 xG per 90.
The list could go on. Everyone is culpable to this lack of real threat. It may seem unfair to single out Dorgu, as it is too early to throw him in the full-to-bursting list of transfer failures in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era. The early signs, nonetheless, are not good.
With money tight once again in the summer, even though Amorim is clearly planning something of a player overhaul in the coming months, new co-owners Ineos and the club’s transfer hierarchy need to start unearthing talent who can actually bring about real change, or face another year of further embarrassment on the pitch.
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