Erik ten Hag has given his take on Manuel Ugarte after his full Man United debut against Barnsley i the Carabao Cup.
Manchester United secured their biggest ever win under Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford last night, beating Barnsley 7-0. Although it was just a Carabao Cup game, it’s the sort of result and performance that can boost dressing room confidence.
It felt like everything clicked, with the Reds in full control from minute one. It all started with winning the midfield battle, with United dominating possession thanks to their quality in that area. Among the starters was Manuel Ugarte, who made his full debut.
It always seemed like a nice match to ease Ugarte into action with, as the man from Uruguay put in an excellent display.
After the game the gaffer assessed the full debut from the United star, who he claims was ‘good’, with Ugarte having the ability to ‘really strengthen’ the team moving forward.
Check out what Erik ten Hag had to say on Manuel Ugarte here:
“I think he was good. Also for him, in the first minutes, you have to find your position and, as a team, you have to find the right shape. Once we got it, then you see his level and he can really strengthen the squad and the team.” Ten Hag told ManUtd.com.
Ugarte was steady. He was always in control, though he won plenty of tackles and added some bite and aggression to the midfield – which is exactly what he was signed for. The ex-PSG man is already bleeding for the badge, too, taking a real nasty tackle to his knee as the first half drew to a close. To his credit, he toughed it out and stayed on the field despite the potential problem.
I fully expect we’ll see Ugarte’s levels raise as he builds up the match fitness. We must not forget that the 23-year-old is nowhere near 100% after having no pre-season whatsoever. It’s probably why he was subbed off after about an hour, with Ten Hag not wanting to overwork the new signing.
I’d be surprised if we see Ugarte in the starting line-up for the Crystal Palace game this weekend as I don’t think he’s quite ready for that yet, but if the Reds are struggling in the middle of the park, we could perhaps see him come off the bench at some point…
Do you think Manuel Ugarte will keep his place in the side for the Crystal Palace game this weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
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