1
Manchester United will start a new era under Michael Carrick from Saturday, with the Manchester derby being the first match to navigate.
Fans are curious to see the kind of lineup the head coach puts in place, especially in midfield.
It appears that Casemiro is on his way out as the new head coach is unlikely to start him in every game for fear it will lead to a contract extension.
Manuel Ugarte was brought in to eventually replace the aging Brazilian, but it’s fair to say the Uruguayan was a major disappointment.
Manuel Ugarte was a huge disappointment
The ex-PSG ace has struggled to cope with the pace and physical nature of the Premier League, with even his former Sporting CP mentor Ruben Amorim failing to help him adapt to the rigors of the competition.
Whether Carrick chooses the 24-year-old against Pep Guardiola’s side remains to be seen, but his former teammate and club legend Rio Ferdinand has made his thoughts clear on the South American.
“I have to be honest, I’m disappointed with Ugarte. He’s a player who, when he came in, everyone said has legs, can tackle and can move.”
“The description I got was that he was the right type of player we needed,” the legendary centre-back explained YouTube channel.
“It just hasn’t materialized, it hasn’t come to the fore. I haven’t seen the player that everyone was talking about before in terms of being able to get up against people and tackle them quickly.”
Carrick’s biggest challenge
“That’s got to be a big part of his game, being aggressive. He didn’t put a marker down in a game that made me think, ‘This guy could be one of our midfield dogs or controllers who’s really going to get things going in midfield.’ He hasn’t even come close to that yet.”
Manuel Ugarte is showing signs of a mini-resurgence, which explains why the new head coach has shot down the January exit rumors.
With reinforcements unlikely this month, Carrick has a significant challenge in getting the midfield destroyer back to its best. As a former midfielder, Ugarte couldn’t have asked for a better teacher to get his career back on track.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of Man United’s most important news sites for over ten years. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
#Manuel #Ugarte #Rio #Ferdinand #reveals #Carricks #biggest #challenge #Man #United #News #Transfer #News #Peoples #Person