Last year, shortly after Ruben Amorim took over at Manchester United, he was asked if Manuel Ugarte was setting the standard in the dressing room and replied: “Being from Uruguayan, his style will help. He is a good example and a lot of players are doing their best.”
Amorim had worked with Ugarte at Sporting CP and naturally favored the midfielder during his first months at Old Trafford, but Ugarte has transformed from a ‘model’ to a player facing an uncertain future. The harsh reality is that Ugarte has not been able to justify the presence of a player who guarantees him a 15-month transfer fee of £42.3m and an additional £8.5m in Manchester.
Ugarte was expected to be a major beneficiary of Amorim’s arrival.
He had performed at his best under Amorim at Sporting and the renewal of that partnership was expected to have a positive impact on him.
However, Amorim will likely be disappointed with the current iteration of Ugarte. This is because there is a high possibility that he is not recognized as a player who played well in the Portuguese Premier League.
Ugarte has only started two games in the Premier League this season.
The 24-year-old played just 346 minutes in 10 appearances in all competitions (seven came on as a substitute). Amorim’s decision to bench Ugarte speaks volumes about his performance.
Casemiro’s strong form is a factor, but Ugarte’s lackluster performances when given the opportunity haven’t helped his cause. Before the international break, he allowed Tottenham’s Wilson Odbert to rush into the penalty area, resulting in Matthijs de Ligt being outmaneuvered by Matthijs Tell.
De Ligt bore the brunt of the criticism, but Ugarte was noticeably weaker, allowing Odbert to easily bypass de Ligt, despite being ahead of the Spurs players at the time of receiving the ball.
Ugarte’s role in Grimsby Town’s opening goal in the Carabao Cup upset left much to be desired. There were some moments when the goal could have been prevented, but Ugarte’s slow reaction to losing the ball at the start of play was particularly concerning.
The midfielder collided with Amad in midfield. Eleven seconds passed from the moment Ugarte hit the ground to Grimsby’s first goal.
He arrived in the penalty area just as Charles Burnham’s shot was taken, suggesting he might have been closer had he reacted sooner.
Despite the setback, Ugarte managed to bounce back with commendable performances against Manchester City and Chelsea in September. But the bulk of his contributions were overwhelming.
It would be fair to give a new signing some leeway before making a final decision, but there will be few excuses for a player entering his second year at United.
Ugarte was given time to adapt and adapt to his new surroundings. He is expected to perform at an even higher level in the future.
He is aware that his performances have not lived up to expectations and may even fear a move at the end of the season if things do not improve.
Manager Marcelo Bielsa missed Ugarte in October, but reinstated him into the Uruguay squad during the November break. However, if Ugarte does not get more playing time, he may be left out of his country’s squad again.
The only way for Ugarte to get game time for United is to seize the opportunity when it comes. He was named as Casemiro’s successor, but ironically the player brought in to replace him has outperformed him.
At 33 years old, Casemiro is still showing his strength, but Ugarte should be able to do even more.
Unless things change, Ugarte risks joining United’s list of disappointing signings.
