Manchester United were the better side on Boxing Day as Newcastle were welcomed to Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim will have been the happiest man in Manchester on Friday night, watching his team expertly follow his game plan to secure a 1-0 victory over Newcastle.
It was the result Manchester United needed, with a severely depleted squad and a very makeshift starting line-up, to score such an easy win over the Magpies was very pleasing.
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It was a surprising performance, given how fatal Bruno Fernandes’ absence has been in recent years, but it saw everyone step up a level, including some who have been pretty bad this season.
Patrick Dorgu made his mark from the right wing, impressing in a new position that had seen eyebrows raised over his inclusion in the team from this position.
Manuel Ugarte praised by Bruno Fernandes
The position most impacted by injury this season is midfield, with Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo both absent, increasing the dependence on Manuel Ugarte, whom many have given up on.
This is because the Uruguayan has been poor for the entirety of his United career, showing little reason to be happy with his performances.
But Ugarte was great against Newcastle, earning praise in the process.
Manuel Ugarte has taken a lot of criticism lately – but he stepped up vs Newcastle!
What did you like/dislike about Ugarte's performance?
But Ugarte was great against Newcastle, being the best midfielder on the pitch, and afterwards, he earned praise from Fernandes, as the captain posted on his Instagram story.
Fernandes wrote, “Top performance @ugartemanu”, adding a clapping emoji and flexing emoji after.
Manuel Ugarte hailed by Manchester United teammates
Fernandes’ praise will mean a lot to the number 25, and so will the words from his other teammates.
Ugarte posted on his Instagram, and in the comments was more praise from teammates who had been impressed by his performance.
Lisandro Martinez wrote “Este es el que conozco yo”, with a fire emoji and applause. This translates to, “This is the one I know”, meaning Ugarte’s performance was back to his best.
Harry Maguire also commented, “Brilliant tonight mate”, he added.
Performances like this are why Ugarte was signed in the first place. Now, United will hope that the Uruguayan can finally step up and become a credible midfield option for the team.
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