Michael Carrick under fire, critics say Patrick Dorgu should never play
Manchester United caretaker Michael Carrick has been told that teenage left‑back Patrick Dorgu should ‘never’ feature for the club again after the side’s 1‑0 defeat to ten‑man Manchester City on Sunday, the first Manchester derby of the 2026/27 season, a loss highlighted by Erling Haaland’s controversial winner.
Dorgu thrust into the derby
Luke Shaw’s injury ruled him out, prompting Dorgu to start at left‑back for United on Sunday.
Man Utd turned to Dorgu to fill the gap left by Shaw.
It marked the opening clash of the campaign’s Manchester derby.
The split image of Manchester United manager Michael Carrick and a shadow, with the club badge in between – copyright F365 – was circulated alongside the news.
Criticism of the performance and the manager
That day, United fell 1‑0 to Manchester City, who finished the match with ten men.
Haaland’s late goal, which many argued should have been disallowed, proved decisive.
Dorgu was caught out positionally in the build‑up to the goal and his overall play was described as poor.
Whether Dorgu will remain at left‑back remains uncertain, as he has shown greater impact when deployed further forward.
Coach Carrick may need to reassess his role ahead of the next fixture.
reporter Alex Crook labelled Dorgu the ‘main villain’ of the Premier League weekend and awarded him a 2/10 rating. “My main villain of the weekend is our good friend Patrick Dorgu,” he told. Crook added that the youngster should ‘never’ play for United again.
Former striker Troy Deeney turned his fire at Carrick, calling him the weekend’s ‘villain’ for the loss. “I’m going to go for Michael Carrick, the blueprint’s there, you’ve shown us that you can make it work,” Deeney said, suggesting Matheus Cunha on the left and Benjamin Sesko through the middle would have been better options. He also criticised Carrick’s reluctance to drop Marcus Rashford in a derby.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville also dug out Carrick for the tactical mis‑step, echoing the criticism from pundits and supporters alike.