Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace potentially revealed Rúben Amorim’s long-term plans for certain players, with one seemingly finding himself frozen out of the squad.
Manchester United’s second-half comeback at Selhurst Park secured the Red Devils three vital points on the road and will fill the side with confidence going into their next two fixtures against sides in the bottom four.
The first half was nothing short of worrying, especially after Leny Yoro gave away a penalty, which Jean-Phillippe Mateta converted at the second time of asking and gave Crystal Palace a 1-0 lead going into the break. Oliver Glasner’s side looked hungrier, sharper and more fluid in their attacks, which would’ve worried every United fan that tuned into the game.
However, Rúben Amorim’s side came out of the blocks quickly for the second half, playing with more intensity and possessing a greater attacking threat. Credit has to be given to Amorim for his words at half-time, as they clearly affected the players, with Joshua Zirkzee grabbing the equaliser in the 54th minute.
The comeback was complete only nine minutes later, as Mason Mount scored a low-driven attempt following a clever set-piece from Bruno Fernandes, who assisted both goals from free-kicks.
Amorim made four changes, which settled the squad, and United were able to quite comfortably see out the rest of the match, which was the definition of a tale of two halves, which could be due potentially to Palace’s fatigue after playing on Thursday night.
Although Amorim made four changes, one player in particular did not feature at all during the match, which could indicate what the future holds for him and what the Portuguese coaches’ long-term plans are.
Manuel Ugarte continues to be ignored by Amorim
Manuel Ugarte has managed to play 29 minutes of Premier League football for Manchester United in their last four games. United’s 2-1 victory over Palace is the second game on the bounce where the Uruguayan has not featured at all for Amorim’s side.
The 24-year-old has not started a match for the Red Devils since the side’s 3-1 collapse against Brentford, all the way back in September. The partnership of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro has been Amorim’s go-to selection without the Uruguayan getting a proper look in the past few weeks.
Rúben Amorim opting to bring on Kobbie Mainoo seems like a statement to both Ugarte and United fans in general what direction the Portuguese coach is looking to go. Especially being 2-1 up and looking to secure the win, not choosing the more defensive-minded midfielder and going with Mainoo seems like a bold decision.
Since making the move to Manchester in August of last year, the defensive midfielder has never really found his stride or lived up to the lofty expectations that fans had for him. The switch from French football to England has been evident, as a lot of the time he has been out-muscled by opponents and been a shadow of the player he was at PSG.
What is the future for Manuel Ugarte
Ugarte was signed by Erik ten Hag and has never been a player that Amorim has been keen on ever since he arrived in Manchester. The Portuguese coach has favoured experience in the centre of the park in the form of Casemiro to play the holding midfield role.
Fans at Manchester United will still want the young midfielder to succeed and live up to his hefty £60 million price tag, as well as INEOS, for the same reasons. However, it seems that his Manchester United career is coming to an end before it even really started.
Read More: Player Ratings: Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United (Premier League)
Ugarte and Mainoo are two younger players that Amorim wants to see earn their place in the side. With an ageing Casemiro, it is more than likely that one will find themselves in the starting lineup sooner rather than later, and play a key role in Amorim’s long-term plans and vision for the side.
Currently, it appears that Mainoo has Amorim’s backing, and it remains to be seen whether Ugarte will stay at the club to serve as an understudy if that is the direction the manager wants to take. A move away from Old Trafford seems likely in the summer, although the club can expect to make a loss on the midfielder.
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