Amorim about Dorgu: 'You can feel the anxiety every time he touches the ball'

Ruben Amorim admits Patrick Dorgu is suffering a crisis of confidence at Manchester United, and says he can feel the anxiety every time the young Denmark international touches the ball.

Dorgu, who was Amorim’s first signing in a £25.3million move from Lecce in January, has started eight of United’s 12 games in the left wing-back position this season.

Diogo Dalot has played on the other four occasions, switching from his preferred position on the right flank, and Amorim claims both players have been ‘far from the best’.

Amorim believes Dorgu is struggling under the pressure of playing for United and has detected an anxiety in the 21-year-old’s game that wasn’t evident in Italy or when he represents his national team.

Having scored in Denmark’s World Cup qualifying defeat to Scotland earlier this month, the 21-year-old fluffed a clear chance in United’s 1-0 loss to Everton at Old Trafford on Monday night.

‘You can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touches the ball. I can feel the anxiety,’ said Amorim.

‘When I see Patrick playing for the national team, he scored a great goal against Scotland and the decision that he made under pressure was completely different than the decision he's making in our team. I think it's the decision, he needs to be calmer playing the game.

‘I remember the shot against Everton. That was easier than the decision he had to make when a guy from Scotland was there. I saw it when he played in Italy.

‘But again, here is different and sometimes the pressure is hard for them in the beginning. He has time to improve.’

Dalot hasn’t been any better on the left and Dorgu was restored to the starting line-up for the last two matches against Tottenham and Everton after four games on the bench.

Amorim has the option to move to Luke Shaw to wing-back after Lisandro Martinez returned on the bench on Monday night after almost 10 months out of action, and could also consider a move into the transfer market in January or next summer.

‘We have time to think about that,’ he added. ‘I don't know what’s going to happen in January. What I feel when I see them (Dorgu and Dalot) training, they are doing so much better than in games.

‘So I just need to understand the context in trying to help them. I think they are far from the best, and they know it – like a lot of players in our team and like myself.’

After a run of three straight wins, United drew the next two to Nottingham Forest and Spurs, and then lost to Everton’s 10 men.

As they head to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace at noon on Sunday, Amorim wants to make sure the blip doesn’t develop into something altogether more serious.

‘We need to win now,’ said the United boss. ‘If not, something is going to change and we know that.

‘So that is my feeling. For me, it's the urgency of winning. It’s not good to be Manchester United not winning. There is no time here. That's why I'm so frustrated all the time.

‘I don't want to have that feeling. My life is so much harder when I have that feeling.

‘We need to understand that this club is different from any other club. So let's do everything to avoid this.

‘Could we have won the last game? Yes. We should have won the last game. We had everything to win the last game.

‘We had the same thing with Nottingham Forest. They were suffering, and we were on three wins. We have the game there and we didn't win. Tottenham the same thing.

‘Imagine if we won the game against Everton. All this conversation would be completely different, and you will be here asking me about the top four.

‘Everton were with 10 men. We cannot suffer a goal. We suffer the goal with the only shot on target. One game, one shot on goal, that's why I get so frustrated.

‘We didn't win the last one, and in a big club it’s a problem. Let's win the next one. It's going to be really tough, but let's go.’