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Manchester United had their best game under manager Ruben Amorim on Sunday as they battled back to a 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
The desire and hunger shown by the players on this night was in stark contrast to what the team showed against Newcastle a week ago.
And that was largely due to the return of Manuel Ugarte to midfield, where he made big shifts without the ball and impressed with his composure in possession.
Although well known for his dirty work, the 23-year-old is starting to show what he can produce on the ball, something that pleases the 39-year-old tactician.
Impressive on and off the ball
The defensive midfielder, signed in the summer, was not former manager Erik ten Hag’s intended choice and as a result did not receive as many game appearances as he had hoped.
However, the arrival of the Portuguese coach has reinvigorated Ugarte. Ugarte worked with Amorim during his time at Sporting Lisbon and is therefore familiar with the new manager’s methods.
His performances under testing conditions impressed club legend Paul Scholes, who was initially skeptical of the Uruguayan international and admitted as much after the match.
“Ugarte is going to have to become something of a player. I think he will play that position well. He’s only 23 and has been at a few clubs, so that’s a bit of a concern,” Scholes said. was an early assessment of this player. But on Sunday, he was forced to take his word for it.
“He probably did better than I expected. He (Amorim) said earlier that he knew Ugarte well because he was a really young player who played for Sporting Lisbon.
“This player has really grown in confidence. I thought he got into great positions, helped us defensively and offensively and had the composure to win the ball,” Scholes said in a live broadcast from the club.
Scholes praises Ugarte’s ability on the ball
On the ball, Ugarte made the only successful cross, found his teammates with all five of his long balls, and broke the press with a number of smart passes.
And Scholes insisted Amorim’s faith in Ugarte was bringing out the best in him after a disappointing spell at Paris Saint-Germain and the coach now needed to find him the right partner.
“It seems to me that it has to be him with another person. Ugarte and another person can play well enough in that team. And not only Ugarte’s legs… his ball. I think even his quality is great. I had seen him a little bit at PSG, so I was a little surprised.”
Like Ugarte, almost all of the players have shown time and time again that they are ready for big games, but the real challenge will be to bring the same level of intensity to the next game against Southampton. Consistency will be key if the Red Devils are to regain their place in the standings.
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