Seven of nine substitutes against Aston Villa were signed under Erik ten Hag, with their combined cost totaling nearly £330 million.
It is hard to take Erik ten Hag‘s “process” talk seriously when he has been handed the keys to the kingdom in a fashion that nobody before him at Old Trafford had the privilege of being handed.
The backing was expected to be more balanced after Ineos’ arrival but if anything, Manchester United became more aggressive in the market.
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Being able to sell well allowed them to go beyond their usual “four players, £100-£150 million” window they have had under the Glazers, that too only after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
However, vs Villa, the signs were damning as only one summer signing started in Noussair Mazraoui, and even he came off at halftime due to a potential injury.
At least he played a part from the start, something that can’t be said for every summer signing, one of whom is looking a “shadow” of his former self, as per Gary Lineker and Micah Richard.
Pundits on Man Utd summer signing
Of all the holes in the Man United squad coming into the summer, there were two gaping ones. Rasmus Hojlund was the only striker at the club after Anthony Martial’s departure, and Casemiro had a nightmare second season.
Therefore, a striker and a defensive midfielder were at the top of the agenda. True to form, Joshua Zirkzee arrived first and the striker was addressed.
Then, two centre-backs and a full-back arrived, with the defensive midfielder hole filled only late on with Manuel Ugarte on deadline day.
That period of coming late, not training with the team, and the squad also struggling for results has led to the Uruguayan struggling immensely. The worst fear fans had due to him coming in late has been realised.
The nadir was reached vs Aston Villa, as he remained on the bench while a free transfer in Christian Eriksen started and the man he was tasked to replace, Casemiro, came on instead of him.
That followed the game vs Porto where he didn’t get a look in either making it two consecutive games he’s been deemed unfit to play.
Micah Richards and Gary Lineker spoke on the Rest is Football podcast and said “It’s a mess” and Ugarte looks like a shadow of the player.
Richards said: “Ugate who they have brought in, I know he has only played a couple, but he looks a shadow of the player.”
Lineker agreed: “He has only just arrived at a place that is a bit of a pickle and a bit of a mess. It’s difficult.”
Manuel Ugarte’s thankless situation
From being anointed as the saviour of Man United’s midfield to becoming an outsider hoping to get a chance in the team, things have changed rapidly for Ugarte.
It points to the fact that the problem at United was never really personnel-based. Against Villa, when United set up in a secure fashion, even Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo looked equipped to handle the opposition’s threat.
The two, especially Eriksen, are hardly known for their running and industriousness, which is a more damning indictment of Ten Hag than it is of the players.
How is it that Ugarte can look overmatched and overrun in midfield which looks secure with Eriksen? Of course, it is not as simple but for a long time, it has been clear that Ten Hag can’t set up the team for both attack and defence.
Against Villa, the team was set up to shackle the game and they did so. It can be argued that it would have happened even if Ugarte had played, so important is the system in football.
Unfortunately, the Uruguayan has become a victim of it.
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