Manchester United dropped more points in the Premier League after scampering to a 1-1 draw against Fulham.
The Red Devils took the lead at Craven Cottage after Bruno Fernandes’ penalty miss as Leny Yoro’s header deflected off Rodrigo Muniz for an own goal.
However, the lead did not last long as Emile Smith Rowe emerged from the bench to score the equaliser in the 73rd minute and salvage a point for the hosts.
Manchester United had started lively, creating numerous chances throughout a controversial first half, wherein Gary Neville slammed the Premier League for rules that dictated Calvin Bassey had to wait 30 seconds before returning to the pitch after a head collision.
Calvin Bassey duels with Bryan Mbeumo during Fulham vs Manchester United in the Premier League.
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
And although Ruben Amorim admitted he is not thinking long-term at Old Trafford this season as he aims to improve on last year’s disastrous league finish, the United boss will soon be forced into a difficult decision regarding one of his players after a torrid showing at Craven Cottage.
Patrick Dorgu was shocking for Manchester United vs Fulham
Patrick Dorgu only arrived at Man United in a £25 million deal from Lecce in February and already, it appears the jury is out on his Premier League career.
Nigel Reo-Coker criticised Dorgu’s signing last season, believing the full-back is not the type of progressive signing needed to take the Red Devils to the next level.
Furthermore, Carlton Palmer dubbed Dorgu “not good enough,” echoing the public consensus that Man United made a mistake in bringing the Denmark international to the club.
And those sentiments are ringing true after Dorgu was arguably the worst player on the pitch for his side at Craven Cottage.
Patrick Dorgu vs Fulham Total
Touches 55
Pass Accuracy 73%
Cross Accuracy 0/2
Ground Duels won 25%
Possession Lost (times) 18
Dribbled Past (times) 2
Fouls 2
Statistics provided by Sofascore.
Indeed, the 20-year-old lost possession of the ball 18 times across 90 minutes and lost 75% of his ground duels contested on the day.
Fernandes once called Dorgu “a beast”, and considering the full-back is only 20, he has plenty of time to develop into a top-level player for Man United, but for now, it appears his time is best served on the bench.
Matheus Cunha’s display is a silver lining for Manchester United
Although Man United will be reeling from collecting one point from an available six at the start of the season, there are some positives for Amorim to cling to.
According to the Old Trafford faithful, Matheus Cunha was “world class” against Fulham, showcasing the quality that earned him his big-money move from Wolves this summer.
The 26-year-old is still awaiting his first goal for the club, but his overall performance levels have captured the attention of the fans.
It is still early days into Amorim’s new-look Man United side, it will take time for the summer arrivals to integrate with the current crop; but the early signs are undoubtedly positive.