In the build up to Manchester United’s 3-0 win at Southampton, Erik ten Hag opened up on his long-running admiration for Manuel Ugarte.
The £42 million deadline day signing first caught his eye not at Paris Saint-Germain. Nor during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Instead, Manuel Ugarte has had an admirer in Erik ten Hag since his Sporting Lisbon days. Specifically, since back in 2021, when the Portuguese giants took on the manager’s Ajax side in the Champions League group-stages.
Ugarte was part of a Sporting team ripped apart 4-2 by an Ajax team containing Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui and Antony at the Johan Cruyff Arena. But he clearly earned Ten Hag’s admiration with his boundless energy and uncompromising approach, even as those around him lost their heads.
On his long-awaited Manchester United debut on the banks of the Solent, meanwhile, Ugarte needed only a few moments and a few silky touches to show the travelling Red Devils supporters what all the fuss is about.
Manuel Ugarte makes Manchester United debut
There was nothing too flashy. But that’s not the point.
Ugarte was not brought in to do the spectacular but the simple. And the simple he does well. A couple of neat little passes, tidy touches in tight areas, and one confident trivela pass out to the left-hand side.
Albeit the sample size was small – only 17 minutes off the bench – Ugarte still completed 100 per cent of his 13 attempted passes.
What a difference it should make having a midfielder at the base of your team who does not treat the ball like a hot potato and feels the need to fling it aimlessly up the park when controlled possession is required.
“It is good that we could bring him,” Ten Hag tells TNT Sports (14th September, 2.45pm) when asked to sum up Ugarte’s debut. “And you saw straight away what he brings to the team. He brings some control in the midfield, good interceptions.
“He can be very aggressive but, also, on the ball very composed, keeping the game going, linking ( the defence and attack).
“So, yeah, I think the first impression was very good.”
Of course, no Man United game is every complete without the undercut of a worrying injury blow.
Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martinez Harry Maguire all appear to have picked up issues, though Matthijs de Ligt – while hailing Andre Onana’s penalty save when the score was still 0-0 – insists that he was merely dealing with cramp and nothing more.
Matthijs de Ligt plays down injury concerns
“I’m not surprised,” Ten Hag tells BBC Sport when De Ligt’s fitness was brought up. “At this moment, he is not fit. He’s not at 10 per cent speed. He needs the games to go up to (full fitness).
“We see glimpses now and, once he’s there, he will do much better. We are happy with him and especially today with his game.”
If this is De Ligt short of 100 per cent, then what a tantalising prospect indeed. Given the Man of the Match award by TNT Sports’ punditry panel and hailed to the hilt by his manager, the £38 million signing opened the scoring at one end and defended manfully at the other.
Centre-back partner Martinez, meanwhile, may be feeling the effects of an early kick-off so soon after returning from Argentina duty.
“We had internationals early in the season. Some (players) are short in the pre-season, some come from intercontinental flights. Then, when you have a 12:30 kick-off, you can struggle,” Ten Hag adds.
“Hopefully it’s nothing serious and we have to assess today and tomorrow.”
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