Manuel Ugarte was hoping to use this World Cup to turn things around. Under one of the finest man-managers in world football, Marcelo Bielsa, he believed Uruguay could be the platform where he could finally progress and unleash the midfield general that always seemed to lurk within him. Manuel Ugarte has failed to take a leaf out of Mazraoui’s book Yet, unlike Manchester United teammate Noussair Mazraoui, who has shown for Morocco exactly why he could be an asset next season, Ugarte has flopped on the world stage. He struggled against Saudi Arabia and was no better against Cape Verde. In a game where Uruguay desperately needed a monstrous performance from their number six, he instead produced his worst display in national team colours. Uruguayan media blasts Ugarte In a brutal reaction to his performance, Uruguayan outlet Montevideo Portal wrote of the United midfielder: “Manuel Ugarte: Very sloppy with the ball. Against an opponent with very physical and fast players, he struggled a lot. ‘When they dropped back, he wasn’t the right person to control the ball, which made him uncomfortable. “Nevertheless, the cross that led to the second goal came from his feet. “Once again, he was one of the team’s biggest weaknesses and should have been substituted much earlier. He’s not there, he just wasn’t there.” They added: “With the restart, the players showed some nervousness and the circuits that had appeared more fluid began to fail, mainly because Bentancur was unclear and Ugarte was not at all precise.” Easy Man United decision That reaction comes just after The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming United are keen on cashing in on Ugarte, and it justifies why that is the right call. INEOS have reportedly conceded he is simply not the player for them, and while they will not actively offer him around, they will quickly sanction a move if a £25 million offer arrives for his services. It is sad that Ugarte simply does not look like the player United paid £42 million for. His local media have rightfully singled out the major weakness that leaves him unable to cope with the intensity of the Premier League: his sloppiness in possession against physical, fast opponents, which describes virtually every top-flight midfielder he would face week in, week out with United. Hopefully, with a fresh start in a league that suits his pace, he can rediscover his brilliance. Featured image Molly Darlington via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Daniel Onguko Dan is a writer with The Peoples Person, an avid Manchester United fan whose passion for the Red Devils evolved into writing about them. He was introduced to United back in 2008, and his love for the club has continued to grow ever since. Like every other United fan, he believes the club will soon return to its rightful place and strives to reflect that belief in his writing. While he has also written about other Premier League sides, including Arsenal for Just Arsenal and The Arsenal Analysis Blogspot, Dan lives and breathes Manchester United.
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