Rio Ferdinand has blamed Patrick Dorgu for Manchester United’s Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, insisting Luke Shaw wasn’t at fault for the only goal of the game.
Brennan Johnson scored the winner at the San Mames to end Spurs’ 17-year wait for a trophy and secure a spot in the Champions League next season.
Johnson’s darting run into the six-yard box caught Shaw on his heels at the end of the first half as he attempted to divert Pape Matar Sarr’s cross in, with the ball rebounding off Shaw and past Andre Onana.
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Dorgu joined United in January in a £25m transfer from Lecce as Ruben Amorim’s first signing as Red Devils boss, and Ferdinand pinned the blame on him, claiming he should have been “screaming” at Shaw to let him know Johnson was there, despite Shaw clearly knowing he was having pointed at the forward seconds before.
Ferdinand told TNT Sports: “Dorgu, at no point in this, does he speak to Luke Shaw. I think you always need that help. Maybe it’s an experience thing. He doesn’t let him know. By the time he sees the white shirt flash across him, it’s too late and the ball ends up in the back of the net.
“I always say the defender the furthest away is your talker and your eyes and ears. He has to signal the other players. He has to shout, scream, push, whatever, and let them know players are running across them, and he didn’t do that and they got punished.”
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Ally McCoist, who was a commentator for TNT Sports, added: “Lovely little run into that right-back position, it opens it up a little bit. Pumped in with pace and Tottenham’s top scorer [Brenann Johnson] in all competitions does what he has done all season.
“It is scrappy. It comes off Luke Shaw, does he get a touch? It doesn’t matter.” Meanwhile, former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson highlighted Andre Onana’s role in the goal. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It was a wonderful ball in from the left and the United defence couldn’t deal with it. Johnson got there in front of his marker, Onana dived fumbled it with his left, fumbled it with his right and couldn’t keep it out.”