Patrick Dorg gave his opinion on Ruben Amorim’s comments (Image: Getty)
Patrick Dorg believes coach Ruben Amorim may have chosen the wrong term to describe his players’ nervousness on the ball before he was fired. The Portuguese head coach remained at the Reds for just over a year before being sacked in January after failing to rebuild at Old Trafford.
Despite being given a large transfer budget in the summer to bring in the likes of Brian Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesco and Matheus Cunha, and spending the entire pre-season honing his tactical approach, Amorim struggled to get the best performance from his team throughout his time as manager.
The manager stubbornly stuck to a formation and system that was simply unsuitable for the players at his disposal, and a string of underwhelming results and a deteriorating relationship at the club led United to a disappointing 15th place in his first season, before being shown the door in early 2026.
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Manager Michael Carrick has since taken over on an interim basis until the end of the season, and within a few months he has already proven to maximize the team’s potential, with United sitting comfortably third in the Premier League table with four games remaining and well within reach of Champions League qualification for the 2025/26 season.
Dorg truly developed under Carrick’s tutelage until he missed Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Arsenal in January with a hamstring injury. However, just a few months earlier, Amorim had said that the Belgian was anxious when the ball was at his feet.
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“You can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touches the ball,” the 41-year-old said after United’s 1-0 defeat to Everton in November.
Ruben Amorim was fired in January. (Image: Getty)
Nevertheless, this is a depiction that is hard to believe that former head coach Dorgu intended from the bottom of his heart.
In a recent interview with the Telegraph, he said: “When Amorim said that, I was a little shocked because when a coach criticizes you, it always affects you a little bit.”
“I just took it in the best way and tried to improve my game. Even before he (Amorim) got fired in the last few games, people (teammates) started going to AFCON, so I started to get into a rhythm.”
“I had some good moments. I just took that confidence into (Darren) Fletcher and the Carrick system. I just tried to play with a little more confidence and express myself.”
“I don’t think that was the word he was looking for. Anxiety? I don’t think it was. I just didn’t have confidence and I don’t think it was a good time for the team at the time.”
“I think he said it at the wrong time because I played well with the national team. I don’t know how you can play well on the one hand and play badly on the other. And suddenly I became anxious.”
This follows Dorg’s recovery from a hamstring injury and he featured as an unused substitute in United’s 2-1 win over Brentford on Monday night. He will no doubt be keen to play his part in the club’s long-awaited showdown with Liverpool on Sunday.
Both teams started the match at Old Trafford at 3.30pm, with just three points separating the teams in third and fourth place respectively before kick-off. Victory against Arne Slott’s side will go a long way towards securing United’s place in European football next season, having been completely absent from continental competition in 2025/26.
Carrick’s side will take on Sunderland AFC at the Stadium of Light on Saturday 9th May, before the Reds welcome Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford a week and a day later. The final game of the season will be played away at Brighton on Sunday 24th May.
