Manchester United lost 2-0 against West Ham on Sunday afternoon and there were several terrible performances in the defeat.
Despite a strong start to the game, Manchester United could not generate any clear-cut chances and fell a goal behind after West Ham’s first meaningful attack.
United huffed and puffed but Rasmus Hojlund failed to convert two clear chances in the second half while the Hammers capitalised on more poor defending from the Reds.
While it seemed like Ruben Amorim’s men were on the break, Manuel Ugarte slowed the play down and tried to protect the ball by pushing his backside into the opponent.
Instead, the Uruguayan fell on the floor and gave away possession in a dangerous area, and Graham Potter’s side scored the second goal. United fans described the mistake from the ex-PSG midfielder as “terrible” on social media.
Amorim refuses to comment on Ugarte mistake
Amorim was asked about the mistake from Ugarte after the game, and more specifically the fact that Ugarte did not run back after making the error.
The United boss opted to try and protect his player and refused to comment on individual mistakes.
“I don’t want to talk about specific players, it’s a team thing and when it’s a team thing, it’s a manager’s thing. We will try to address that.”
The United boss also admitted that he feels “embarrassed” as United drop to 16th in the Premier League table, with just two games remaining.
Ugarte’s Europa League final spot should be in danger
Ugarte’s recent form has looked better than it is because of some key contributions in the final third. He has six goal contributions in his last nine games.
The two legs against Athletic Club showcased his form perfectly, with two extremely poor midfield performances but leaving with two assists.
As one of the deeper midfielders, he has to offer more in the general game. Casemiro has been outshining him for months now and he was supposed to replace the Brazilian.
Instead, Ugarte should be concerned about his place in the Europa League final team. As mentioned, Casemiro is a must-starter, and Amorim’s experiment of starting the two of them together hasn’t worked well.
Ugarte has been described as an amazing ball-winner but there are far too many mistakes in his game at this moment in time, whether it be on the ball or being bypassed too easily out of possession.
Bruno Fernandes should drop deeper alongside Casemiro for the final, while Ugarte starts the game on the bench.
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