Why Manuel Ugarte Might Not Be The Right Fit for Manchester United
The International break is over, and now Europe's top five leagues, including the Premier League, have resumed. Fans of certain clubs, like Manchester United and Chelsea, have now seen some of their new signings in action. One such signing is Manuel Ugarte, whom Manchester United signed from PSG and believe is the key to solving their midfield problems. But will he be? I don't think so, and here are three reasons why.
Pace Of The Premier League
Although this is not enough sample size to judge, in PSG's match against AC Milan, Ugarte was overrun in the midfield and had to be substituted after winning only 3 of his 15 attempted duels! That game had a faster pace that consumed Ugarte, and it was the match that sealed his fate at PSG, with PSG coach Enrique losing faith in the player. The Premier League is much more intense, and the pace of the league would be something Ugarte would have to get used to. Manchester United is trying to finish among the top four in the League this season. They may not have the time to wait for Ugarte to adjust. Would Ugarte be able to do that?
2. Positional Indiscipline
Statistically, Ugarte is one of the best tacklers in Europe's top five leagues. He played 21 times in the French League for PSG, managed around 4 or 5 tackles and won 59% of them. This is decent, but the problem is that Ugarte sometimes mistimes his tackles and rushes out of his position, which exposes the defenders to attacks from the opponents. Already, Manchester United are dealing with having too much space in their midfield, and this flaw in how Ugarte plays could expose them even further.
3. Doesn't Solve Ball Retention Issues For Manchester United
United have a ball retention issue in the midfield, and this is significantly affecting their ability to start play from the defence and progress it to the midfield. Ugarte is not as impressive in retaining and progressing the ball as he is at tackling. When he was with PSG, the midfielder rarely passed the ball forward and only made 4.1 progressive passes forward per game in the French League, which falls short of the 5.4 league average. How will Manchester United coach Erik Ten Hag cover the flaws in Ugarte's game? It would be interesting to see.
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