For too long have Manchester United have tainted their once imperious reputation with poor recruitment, thus putting a stopper in the dreams of progress after the illustrious Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Sir Alex stepped down from his legendary post 12 years ago, and still United have flattered to deceive, still seeking another Premier League or Champions League title, still struggling for consistency on the pitch.
Cautiously and not without hiccups, INEOS and technical director Jason Wilcox are steering the club away from their past inconsistencies, with hefty fees hurled at stars without consideration of consequences, without deeper thought at whether it would be a prudent move.
Take the £70m signing of Real Madrid’s Casemiro in 2022, for example. The 33-year-old Brazilian has had his ups and downs at Old Trafford and does currently ride the crest of one of his larger waves, but there’s little question United haven’t received bang for their buck.
An elite and effective midfielder is the nucleus of a successful team. Roy Keane was a fine example way back when, simply brilliant and all-consuming under Ferguson’s wing.
Where Roy Keane ranks among Man Utd midfielders
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is a controversial figure down the red streets of Manchester, but he revealed to Rio Ferdinand this week that he considers Keane as one of the best midfielders of all time.
Among the toughest and most combative players to ever play in the division, Keane was instrumental in raising the Ferguson era and cementing it as one of the greatest in European history.
Indeed one of the finest central midfielders to have played in the Premier League, there’s a compelling case to be made that Paul Scholes is the only United man across modern top-flight history to have left a greater legacy.
And even then, some might argue Keane is the cream of the crop.
One thing’s clear, the Glazer Family haven’t managed to sign a player to rival the Irishman in the years since they first purchased a stake in Old Trafford, and that needs to change if United are returning to the top.
There is a member of Amorim’s crop who was actually billed as the next version of Keane, but, as Sky Sports’ Gary Neville has intimated, this big-money addition hasn’t been good enough.
Man Utd thought they signed Keane 2.0
Keane may be known now for his gruff and candid punditry for Sky Sports, but he will forever be defined by his performances at Manchester United.
In Casemiro, United may have fancied they landed a midfielder who could have rivalled the one-time Republic of Ireland captain, in terms of ability, but that didn’t prove the case.
Though they felt they may have got second time lucky with Manuel Ugarte, who was considered by British publications to be the new version of the former skipper when leaving Paris Saint-Germain and joining Erik ten Hag’s project for about £50.5m.
A steely enforcer with exceptional tackling statistics across his professional career, Ugarte, 24, was once described as “a younger Kante” by reporter Zach Lowy, before completing a trip to England. However, questions were soon raised about his performances in the Premier League.
Ugarte may be among the most relentless recyclers of possession out there, but he leaves much to be desired on the ball. In fact, FBref record the Uruguayan to rank among the bottom 18% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes and the bottom 25% for progressive carries per 90.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Given that his progressiveness on the ball is so shallow, you would expect him to be among the crispest passers out there, but an 85% pass success rate in the league this season perhaps underlines why Amorim has only started the South American twice, especially as he is averaging three fouls every two matches, as per Sofascore.
Bruno Fernandes
36
9.70
Casemiro
24
5.06
Scott McTominay
2
5.00
Mason Mount
17
4.78
Christian Eriksen
23
4.66
Kobbie Mainoo
25
3.55
Manuel Ugarte
29
3.08
Toby Collyer
6
2.50
That’s somewhat grim reading, and Casemiro’s impressive forward distribution accentuates Ugarte’s deficiency.
Many of Man United’s problems have stemmed from the midfield this season, and discordance within Amorim’s tactical set-up is the root of that wider issue.
However, Ugarte certainly hasn’t helped himself when called upon, with Neville slamming him as a “massive problem” after United were thrashed in the Manchester derby last month, continuing to say that the Uruguay international is a “massive problem”.
Toward the start of the current campaign, writer Mohammed Butt even labelled him as “absolutely useless”, and though this is rather scathing, there’s little question that changes will be sought in the future if things do not improve.
But Ugarte’s lack of quality on the ball is an inherent problem; it’s simply not within his wheelhouse of key strengths. With this in mind, how far can he take his Man United career? This is especially pertinent if Amorim strengthens his grip on the reins and makes headway at the helm.
The £120k-per-week talent shouldn’t be quite written off just yet, but the initial excitement that the club had landed their next version of a legend like Keane looks a long way away now.
