Can Manuel Ugarte & Kobbie Mainoo solve Manchester United's midfield issues?

Both stars dominated the middle of the pitch against Liverpool.

The youthful and lively pair played a crucial role in the Red Devils’ elegant display against Liverpool, and now there is no turning back.

For almost ten years, Manchester United have struggled to establish a strong presence in the middle of the park. However, this season, when facing Liverpool, who have made significant progress in that area, the Red Devils dominated the centre of the field, with Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte demonstrating their superiority.

In the 2-2 tie at Anfield, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte had a strong relationship. Bruno Fernandes dropped deep to assist them out of possession, and they were able to keep Liverpool from ever settling in while also launching persistent attacks. It was a dramatic change from United’s disastrous home loss to Newcastle six days prior, when Christian Eriksen and Casemiro manned the midfield, with Joshua Zirkzee in front of them before he was substituted for Mainoo in the 33rd minute.

It is now obvious that Mainoo and Ugarte ought to begin every game together whenever feasible after the suspension of Fernandes and Ugarte was lifted and Mainoo started from the beginning. They could serve as the cornerstone that allows Ruben Amorim to rebuild his team from the ashes and establish performances like Anfield as the rule rather than the exception.

Manuel Ugarte’s combined stats from Liverpool (A) & Man City (A): 100% aerial duels won100% success take-ons91% pass accuracy 10 tackles + interceptions8 blocks 6 progressive passes 5 ball recoveries 4 fouls won 2 shot-creating actions 0 x dispossessed Big game… pic.twitter.com/Vk5A7AmOcS

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 6, 2025

Additionally, it improved the two players’ comprehension of one another. Mainoo and Ugarte collaborated to break Liverpool’s momentum against them.

Rasmus Hojlund found himself one-on-one with Alisson after United had a prolonged stretch of possession after the Uruguayan assisted Mainoo in robbing Curtis Jones in the first half. More than any other player on the field, Ugarte won three of four tackles, and he frequently converted defence into attack in an instant. He pushed the ball in the direction of Matthijs de Ligt, who initiated the United counter, in the second half, for instance, by sticking out his foot to stop Trent Alexander-Arnold from finding Mohamed Salah.

Are Manuel Ugarte & Kobbie Mainoo solutions to Manchester United’s midfield problems?

There had been four earlier pairings of Mainoo and Ugarte, and it must be acknowledged that Anfield was the only one where it truly clicked. During the only such period during Erik ten Hag’s tenure, they started together in the awful 3-0 loss to Tottenham in September.

Mainoo later sustained an injury in the next league game against Aston Villa that would keep him out of action for two months. Since it was Ugarte’s first Premier League game and United played the entire second half with ten men because Fernandes was sent off, some leeway can also be given to him.

Manchester United's midfield trio of Manu Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo won a combined 25 ground duels in Sunday's draw vs. Liverpool 👏Deserved a win 👊 pic.twitter.com/Bg8pJompZq

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 5, 2025

Although Mainoo started on the bench but had to replace the injured Mason Mount in the 14th minute, the combination played well in the derby victory at Manchester City. However, it did not perform well in the losses to Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Wolves. However, it is obvious that it must be Amorim’s first option going forward.

Ugarte’s ability to win balls is essential to the system’s operation, and he has the benefit of having worked under the Portuguese for two years at Sporting CP in a similar 3-4-2-1 scheme. Ugarte was called “untouchable” by Paul Scholes.

Since Mainoo and Ugarte are unable to play every minute of every game, United’s biggest worry is that they will unavoidably need to rely on a minimum of one of their experienced players in the second half of the season. That is a surefire way to lose to a top-eight team.

Therefore, rather than merely taking heart from Sunday’s performance, United should use it as inspiration to bolster their midfield even further this transfer window.

With Fernandes’ help and Amad Diallo’s unwavering perseverance, Ugarte and Mainoo have demonstrated that Amorim’s football can not just survive but thrive at Old Trafford. There is no turning back now.

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