One Manchester United star has responded after being labelled as 'anxious' by Ruben Amorim.
On Friday night, United were in Premier League action as they welcomed Newcastle United to Old Trafford for a Boxing Day clash.
Although they were hit with a long list of absentees due to injuries and AFCON, United produced a spirited display to secure a hard-fought victory against the Magpies.
Patrick Dorgu's stunning volley in the 24th minute was enough to seal a 1-0 win.
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As a result, the Red Devils moved up to fifth in the Premier League before their rivals play on Saturday and Sunday.
Last month, Amorim stated during a press conference that there is a feeling of 'anxiety' when Dorgu touches the ball.
He said: "You can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touches the ball. I can feel the anxiety. 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."
Patrick Dorgu reacts to criticism from Ruben Amorim
After netting the winner against Newcastle, Dorgu was asked about Amorim's comments.
The Dane replied: "Yeah, the manager spoke about my confidence a few weeks ago. So I just looked inside and tried to understand what he meant. And I just tried to build myself up.
"Of course it’s never nice to get criticism, but you will always get it as a player and you need to react well to it. And I think I’ve reacted well in the last couple of games."
Dorgu continued: "We’ve got players at Afcon and injured players, so this is my chance to show I belong in this team. And I feel like I’m doing it in the last couple of games.
"So I just need to keep going and try to keep the manager happy."
United will be back in Premier League action next Tuesday night when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford.
Topics: Manchester United, Ruben Amorim, Football
Marcus Chan