Evening Standard
·12 November 2024
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·12 November 2024
The new manager’s tactical preference requires a fearsome midfield presence
Ruben Amorim has been told that Manchester United already have their midfield general in Manuel Ugarte.
The new manager started work on Monday, tasked with taking United back to the top of the Premier League after more than a decade out of the limelight.
Amorim leaves Sporting Lisbon with five trophies in less than four seasons having enjoyed much success playing a 3-4-3 formation.
One player who will be familiar to him is midfielder Ugarte, who played for Amorim for two seasons for moving to Paris Saint-Germain and then, this summer, to Old Trafford.
A reunion is is order
Manchester United via Getty Imag
Speaking last week about Ugarte, Amorim said: "Ugarte is a very talented boy and has a lot of room to grow. I'm am very to know that I have him back at Manchester United."
Ugarte has been tipped for a big midfield role, having made a slow start to life at Old Trafford.
The Uruguayan will be deployed is one of the midfield two, like alongside captain Bruno Fernandes, and tasked with wrestling back control and giving United a platform on which to attack.
Former United player Owen Hargreaves said of Ugate on Rio Ferdinand's Vibe With Five podcast: "He’ll get you the ball eight times. So that’s eight times gonna get Bruno, another look. You get Bruno eight extra looks in a game.
"What’s gonna happen? Ball gonna end up in the back of the net.”
He added: “When you try and play a number 10 in that position, number 10s don’t tackle.
“Manchester City probably have a little bit of that [problem] right now. They got three ballers in there. But in crucial moments when you got to win a ball, like against Brighton, that’s not their speciality.
"Ugarte is a specialist defensively. He wins tackles, not the not the most beautiful, but he’s a bit a [Moises] Caicedo-like. And I like that, I like my defense midfield players to play like that."