It is not exactly uncommon for a new player to endure a sluggish start to life at a new club. It is far too early, then, to write off Manuel Ugarte at Manchester United.
While the former PSG star has been critical of his own performances under Erik ten Hag so far, while has has been dropped to the bench for the last two Premier League outings, Manuel Ugarte is far from the first English football newcomer to be eased in.
Armbands on and starting out in the shallow end.
And, while they have been few and far between certainly, there has still been the odd glimpse of quality. The odd hint as to why Manchester United installed the all-action Uruguayan as their number one midfield target over the summer.
He made the joint most tackles and interceptions – along with Noussair Mazraoui – of any Man United player against FC Twente in the Europa League.
And when Man United brought him on to see out the win against Brentford on Saturday, Ugarte helped to do exactly that with one charging, bludgeoning run upfield to turn defence into attack at the death.
Manchester United chose Manuel Ugarte over Fulham’s Sander Berge
While that cameo performance versus Thomas Frank’s Bees is obviously not enough to justify Ugarte’s hefty price-tag, it did provide a reminder as to the physicality and the broad-shouldered brawn he brings to Old Trafford.
As for the man Man United considered as an alternative to Manuel Ugarte, Sander Berge’s uninspiring performance during Fulham’s 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon provided more questions than it gave answers.
Man United held talks with Berge’s camp before making a breakthrough in those Ugarte discussions. Had PSG stood firm, there is a very real chance that the towering Norwegian would have ended up at Old Trafford rather than making that £25 million move to Fulham.
Now, those Sander Berge links certainly raised eyebrows amongst a suspicious Man United support. This, after all, was a player who had been relegated twice with Sheffield United and Burnley.
While a better player than most of his critics would give him credit for, the sight of Berge lining up in a role occupied by Alexis Mac Allister, Amadou Onana Rodri and Declan Rice at rival Premier League clubs certainly would not have captured the imagination.
Now, if patience is being urged amongst Ugarte’s doubters, then the same message should be issued to those lambasting Berge’s start to life at Craven Cottage.
But, handed only a second Premier League start for Fulham in the absence of Sasa Lukic, it is fair to say Berge failed to stake his claim for a more regular role in Marco Silva’s XI.
And if Sander Berge cannot establish himself as a reliable presence at Fulham – although the days are still young – then it’s hard to imagine him filling Casemiro’s shoes at Old Trafford.
“You’d have to say Berge failed his audition,” fan site Fulhamish write in their post-match analysis, rating the one-time Club Brugge star a 3.5 out of 10.
“Onana, in the holding role for Villa, showed everything you’d want in that position in terms of ball retention and recoveries, as well as a sense of authority in the midfield. Berge did the opposite, being run through at will, looking weak both on and off the ball.
“His three fouls were the most from a Fulham player.
“If he starts at Goodison [against Everton next time out], it can only be through circumstance and availability rather than merit.”
In short, not the sort of assessment that will make even Manuel Ugarte’s biggest doubters feel that Manchester United should have put all of their eggs in Sander Berge’s basket.
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