Strong Relationship and Familiarity
Manuel Ugarte and Ruben Amorim have once again reunited at Manchester United. Ruben is the very manager who bought him from Famalicao for €6.5m when he was just 19 years old. His breakthrough happened when he was under 39 years old when he was given a consistent run of games. With good performances and quick adaption into the team, he threatened the position of Joao Palhinha, who was the first choice but was sidelined through injury. Manuel Ugarte got high praise from his coach and became integral to his plans and the first team. Now that they’ve been reunited at Manchester United, there’s a sense of familiarity and a connection that would benefit the two individuals and the entire team.
Tactical stability and defensive structure
Ruben Amorim’s system prioritizes high-pressing and solid defensive work. In short, he’s a coach who demands a lot from his players. Ugarte, known for his pressing attributes and defensive contribution, would be the perfect defensive midfielder in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system as he was in Sporting. In the system, one of the midfield pivots drops deep in defense to give extra cover to the center backs. Ugarte, already being familiar with this role, would be the quickest to adapt to it and help Manchester United’s defensive woes greatly.
Consistency and trust
Having previously played under the Portuguese’s guidance, Ugarte would certainly gain more trust and confidence from his manager, something which didn’t happen for him under Erik Ten Hag as the former Manchester United manager often preferred the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen over the Uruguayan and even on instances said he’s still is yet to gain match fitness to be able to compete in the Premier League. On the other side, the 23 year old would go onto the International break playing 90 minute games without any problem. Ugarte most likely would be the first pick in Amorim’s Manchester United starting eleven.
Ugarte could reach his full potential under Amorim
Under Ruben Amorim, Manuel Ugarte managed to become one of the very bright youngsters in the world and had significant interest from big clubs all over Europe. His consistency and the manager’s ability to nurture young players into stars earned Ugarte that big-money move to PSG for €60m. While it didn’t work out for him in France, the Uruguayan now has a chance again to work with his former coach in England to reach his full potential and possibly become one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
Renewed Defensive and Midfield cohesion
If you're a Manchester United fan and you tuned in to watch games regularly under Erik Ten Hag, you could see the need for more cohesion among the team. The midfield, the defensive structure, and everything else were visibly and statistically unaligned. The number of errors they made that led to goals conceded were uncountable and happened on almost every match day. Amorim’s disciplined approach and Ugarte’s skill at reading the game so well could blend into a perfect reply to Manchester United’s defensive fragility. They've desperately needed it this season and maybe help them not concede so many goals.