The Athletic’s journalist Carl Anka has claimed he is concerned by Erik ten Hag’s potential use of new signing Manuel Ugarte.
The Uruguayan was linked to a move to Manchester United all summer, as the club haggled with Paris Saint-Germain over the fee.
The deal was finally sealed shortly before the deadline, and he was presented to the Old Trafford crowd before Sunday’s match against Liverpool.
After a shocking performance from Casemiro against Liverpool, when he was subbed off at half-time, many fans are desperate to see Ugarte in the defensive midfield role.
It is clear that the 23 year old will bring loads of energy and bite to the midfield according to his statistics in Ligue 1 but journalist Carl Anka is concerned by the intended use of the player by Erik ten Hag.
Speaking on The Athletic’s Talk of the Devils podcast, the journalist claimed, “I watched Ugarte be unveiled before the start of the game. I heard people at halftime going – yeah, he probably should have, probably should have signed him earlier.!”
Anka praised the midfielder’s strengths and stated, “Ugarte is one man, and he can run; oh boy, he can run and make loads of tackles.”
Nonetheless, the journalist feared that Ten Hag may have unrealistic expectations of the player and claimed, “But asking Ugarte to do the running of one man, one and a half men, and just redo what you did in 22/23? You’re still going to get done. And that’s super concerning.”
Speaking on the move, Ten Hag stated that he “is not Harry Potter” and that Ugarte will need weeks, if not months, to reach his potential in a United shirt.
Anka’s comments are worrying for United fans, who have been left perplexed by their coach’s midfield tactics. These tactics consistently leave gaps for opposition teams to waltz through at will.
Casemiro is certainly declining badly, but he has also been left exposed by the manager’s tactics, which highlight his weaknesses. Despite Ugarte being younger and fitter, he cannot do all the running alone in the midfield.
There is no doubt that someone of Ugarte’s profile is badly needed in the United midfield, but football is a team game, and the manager must apply tactics that benefit the whole team and do not place too much burden on one player alone.
Sunday’s 0-3 defeat to Liverpool has not filled fans with much confidence that Ten Hag has learned from last season’s errors, but they will hope he can carry out some serious reflection over the international break.
Perhaps he will realise he has more control than he thinks over a player’s ability to perform to their best.
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