Manchester United are embarking on a new start after Erik ten Hag was fired as manager.
The interim Ruud van Nistelrooy era is off to a positive beginning. But this moment is a mirage. A harder test awaits against Chelsea this coming weekend.
If we were looking for a bigger longer term takeaway from the 5-2 win over Leicester, then the performance of Manuel Ugarte could have a bigger bearing.
Ugarte previously played under incoming boss Ruben Amorim at Sporting, and he could be finding his feet at just the right time after a slow start at Old Trafford.
Manuel Ugarte ‘superb’
Manuel Ugarte was making just his fifth start as a Manchester United player. He has only one Premier League start to date.
And this may just have been his best performance so far, a glimpse of what the Uruguay international is all about.
Ugarte’s performance was highly praised on MUTV, with former academy winger Ben Thornley speaking out to praise him.
He said: “I thought he was superb tonight. I really did. I think the way that, even in the very, very early stages, the way he went to press in that in that far corner. He just seems to have a really good feeling in the game.
“And you always tell a good player when they have time on the ball and okay, we will come across, come up against better sides, you know, we’ll see a better Leicester team in 10 days time. But I just thought the way he was in control, he just started to look like a player that we’ve been looking for [that] sets things going, and he can calm it down as well.
“Plus his range of passing, and the way he’s got the ability to win the ball back, he’s something invaluable when you’re playing in midfield.”
Ugarte praised
Manuel Ugarte’s performance was also praised by former striker Fraizer Campbell, who said he liked his energy off the ball and commitment to closing down the Leicester City players.
Campbell said: “He was just a rash. He was just giving the opposition no time on the ball. He was covering a lot of grass, and he looked like he’s up for it, like, I think a lot of the players looked like they’re up for it.
“But he, you know, he’s new to the team, he’s new to the club, and he’s trying to find his way.
“It’s been difficult for the team in general. So it’s not been an easy start for him, but performances like that, he can keep it open. He can play in, get more minutes, get more of it. I’m sure he’s a quality player, and we’ll get to see that in the coming months.”
What Ugarte needs now is consistency, and a big decision awaits in midfield at the weekend when Manchester United taken on Chelsea. The Uruguayan has made his case.
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