Man United's embarrassing loss to LiverpooI reveals the enormity of Manuel Ugarte's activity to reshape midfield

Manuel Ugarte was offered to the Manchester United supporters current at Previous Trafford on Sunday however the Uruguay worldwide was not in motion on the sector because the Pink Devils slumped to a 3-0 Premier League defeat to Liverpool. Ugarte received his first style of English soccer from the stands and though it was arguably an excellent factor for him to have been spared a run-out because the Reds ran riot on the Theatre of Goals, the 23-year-old South American’s watching transient was brutal.

The previous Paris Saint-Germain and Sporting CP man may solely watch on as Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo endured a wretched afternoon within the midfield as Luis Diaz scored twice and Mohamed Salah added one other when it may have been even worse as Trent Alexander-Arnold additionally had a objective dominated out. The Brazilian was at fault for each of Diaz’s targets with the ex-Actual Madrid enforcer taking part in like a nervous rookie and making fundamental errors in a exhibiting which Erik ten Hag mercifully ended after a single half within the newest illustration that the 32-year-old’s alarming drop-off in kind won’t be over.

As for Mainoo, the England worldwide’s error was maybe extra forgivable given his younger age in addition to the truth that he has already proven that he’s able to a lot better, but it surely was disappointing nonetheless and may have already proven Ugarte a lot about his new midfield companions. Maybe probably the most alarming distinction on the day was that between United boss Ten Hag and his Liverpool counterpart Arne Slot because the latter got here out on prime within the battle of the 2 Dutch tacticians in convincing style this weekend.

Slot is taking his time to get to know his new gamers and the way the squad that he has inherited from Jurgen Klopp features whereas resisting calls to instantly spend massive sums of cash whereas Ten Hag has been backed once more within the switch market but continues to be throwing stuff at a wall hoping that it sticks. United have produced no finish of sobering performances and outcomes underneath Ten Hag but that is maybe probably the most damaging of all of them up to now given the gamers introduced on this summer time in what was purported to be a contemporary begin at Previous Trafford just for it to really feel like a continuation of final yr.

Ugarte won’t be an answer to that on his personal however he can kind a part of the treatment and the Uruguayan will probably be requested so as to add mettle to this midfield and quick as a result of Casemiro’s fast deterioration has been so alarming over these previous 12 months. Nevertheless, midfield isn’t United’s solely weak space with protection additionally trying in disarray regardless of the additions of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui over the summer time and a handful of anticipated starters stay unavailable there together with the injured Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw.

The Frenchman’s absence is especially necessary as he regarded set to rapidly become an necessary piece for Ten Hag solely to be knocked out of service quickly after his arrival with an harm which is able to maintain him out for some appreciable time to come back. As soon as United get Ugarte going and Yoro returns to motion, to not point out Rasmus Hojlund in assault, then Ten Hag may have a unique beast on his palms however the query now could be whether or not or not the Dutchman is the fitting man to get that beast to rear its head.

On the proof of this chastening dwelling defeat to Liverpool, it will take greater than Ugarte and probably Yoro to repair this United mess and it is just a matter of time earlier than the finger of blame turns in direction of Ten Hag given the time and finance he has been backed with. Southampton, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa away in addition to Tottenham Hotspur at dwelling already really feel like essential fixtures for Ten Hag with out even contemplating home and continental cup video games like Barnsley, FC Twente and FC Porto.

Until there’s important enchancment by the October worldwide break, the time could properly arrive for the Pink Devils and their supervisor to go their separate methods and for United to take the same strategy to Liverpool in choosing somebody prepared to work with the squad they inherit first.