Erik Ten Hag’s reign at Manchester United has always been under massive scrutiny as the Red Devils have been becoming more of a hit-and-miss team under him than ever before. Now, finally, with a very successful transfer window on paper which saw the likes of Leny Yoro, De Ligt, Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkee joining United, fans have been getting excited about the new season. Amongst Man United’s new signings is the Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte who might have to spend more time on the bench than on the pitch.
The Central defensive midfielder lit up the Copa America with strong performances for his National side who defeated Brazil before being knocked out by an in-form Colombian side.
The 23-year-old has been heavily linked to Manchester United in the past few weeks and now, Fabrizio Romano has given his Here We Go. While this will be a great addition to the Mancunian side, this transfer might not sit well with the boss Erik Ten Hag. According to various sources on the internet, Erik Ten Hag was and is against this signing and rather wanted to keep hold of the Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay.
One thing is for sure, Erik Ten Hag has a massive no-tolerance policy when it comes to upholding his thought process. A prime example is the way that the Sanchi situation has been handled by the Dutch manager. Manuel Ugarte in a sane environment should easily start ahead of the aging Casemiro and should be the Brazilian CDM’s long-term investment. But knowing Ten Hag’s ego, the Uruguayan may well expect to start a lot on the bench.
Such is the class of the Uruguayan that he has won the most number of tackles and interceptions (403) since the start of the 2022-23 season across Europe. In a team that cannot hold its own in the middle of the mark, Manuel Ugarte becomes a very important addition. United will next play Liverpool, a team who will look to dominate them in the midfield with numerical superiority.
For United, Manuel Ugarte’s presence in the midfield could prove to be the difference owing to the sheer amount of ground Ugarte willingly covers in a match. But will Ten Hag still prefer a declining Casemiro over the Uruguayan? Will the United boss’ indecision and bias come into play on Sunday? Only time will tell.
