Rio Ferdinand was not ready to let Manuel Ugarte and one of the Manchester United midfielder’s teammates off the hook for what he noticed in the Aston Villa match.
Manuel Ugarte was brought back into the Manchester United starting XI for Sunday’s Premier League clash after Ruben Amorim was left with a key midfield issue.
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Casemiro was suspended for the Red Devils and out-of-favour Kobbie Mainoo missed United’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park due to an injury.
United manager Ruben Amorim paired Ugarte in the Red Devils midfield alongside Bruno Fernandes for the two-man pivot and the 24-year-old struggled to impress.
Ugarte played 73 minutes for United in a forgettable performance before the Uruguayan defensive midfielder was subbed off for wantaway striker Joshua Zirkzee.
Rio Ferdinand reacts to Manuel Ugarte’s display against Aston Villa in Man Utd’s 2-1 defeat at Villa Park
Aston Villa took the lead over Manchester United in the first half at the weekend after the in-form Morgan Rogers curled a stunning strike past Senne Lammens.
Leny Yoro was left defensively exposed in the United box and the 20-year-old allowed Morgan Rogers to cut in before the Aston Villa star netted the opener.
Manuel Ugarte was inside the United box and the Uruguay international was unable to block Rogers’ effort before it landed in the back of Senne Lammens’ net.
Speaking on his podcast, Rio Ferdinand believes that Ugarte was standing by idly instead of coming to support Leny Yoro in the one-on-one encounter with Rogers.
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“The second part of that, yes, Leny’s got to get across quicker, identify and see the danger early and know what that situation means if he doesn’t get there,” he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“He doesn’t do that. Leny Yoro is only on the back foot. Rogers moves the ball and shifts it past him.
“But Ugarte’s position, he’s in a really good position, by the way, he’s got to get out. You [have] got to smell the danger. You got to know who you’re playing against.
“It’s Morgan Rogers, he’s in great form, he can shoot. He showed last week he shot from 25 [to] 30 yards.
“You’ve got, as that holding midfield player, it’s no good just being in the right position there. You’ve got to see the situation, smell the danger and get out to it. He’s got to become another obstacle.
“He wasn’t [being an obstacle] on both goals identically. He [Ugarte] was standing and just sitting there.”
Rio Ferdinand’s criticism of Manuel Ugarte extends to Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez
Lisandro Martinez was brought on in the second half after Bruno Fernandes was forced off with an injury, with the United defender stepping into the midfield.
United fans were impressed with Lisandro Martinez’s midfield display, but Ferdinand believes that the 27-year-old should have supported Leny Yoro better in the second half.
Just like Ugarte before half-time, United legend Ferdinand felt that Martinez could have done more from his role to deny Morgan Rogers’ second-half winner for Villa.
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“The second one, I think Martinez maybe could have come across, but I think also he’s probably waiting for a guy to step up as well,” he continued.
“But I think you’re [a] holding midfielder in that position there. If you’re getting beat on the halfway line, because you’re out of position, you can do that because there’s stuff behind you.
“But when someone’s in and around your box, that’s where you’ve got to get out to people.
“And that’s where I look at Roy Keane, and that’s where he was great.”
Following United’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday evening, the Red Devils will return to Premier League action against Newcastle on Boxing Day at Old Trafford.
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