Manuel Ugarte gambled with his Man Utd career for Uruguay, but after two World Cup games, it has backfired.
As a key player for Marcelo Bielsa, Manuel Ugarte has started both group games for Uruguay.
Two disappointing draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde have them on the verge of elimination despite an easier group on paper.
Ugarte hasn’t covered himself in glory in either fixture, which brings us back to how he gambled with his Man Utd career to get to this stage.
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Manuel Ugarte switched off Man Utd for the World Cup
Ugarte’s career at Old Trafford was already on the ventilator before Michael Carrick came in and effectively pulled the plug.
Ruben Amorim at least valued his physicality and engine, but Carrick wanted more guile from his midfield players.
He rarely played, and when he did, struggled immensely, leading to him getting completely sidelined near the end of the season.
Ugarte later revealed that he already had one eye on the World Cup, effectively saving himself for the marquee tournament.
It was basically a remarkable admission that he had given up on his United career and went into self-preservation mode to ensure he wasn’t injured for his country.
United wouldn’t even have a problem with that, because his time at the club is done, and a good World Cup would have helped them land a bigger fee for him.
As it stands, it hasn’t happened, which leaves United and Ugarte in an even worse position than before.
Ugarte’s form creates a tricky situation
Before this World Cup, United could have pointed to Ugarte’s Sporting form to prove that he could thrive in a different league.
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A good World Cup would have hammered home that point further, strengthening United’s hand in negotiations.
His United spell could have been written off as a mismatch technically, but now that he’s taken his club form to international football, despite preserving himself, it creates a tricky situation.
The pool of suitors for him will decrease, and the money they would be willing to invest will be even less.
Not only is he struggling at the World Cup, but he’s also doing this while accepting he gave up on his United career, which is hardly a bastion of professionalism.
It’s become a mess, and doesn’t reflect well on the player.
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