Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag (Picture: Getty)`
Manuel Ugarte may have made his first Manchester United start in midweek but Emmanuel Petit is not convinced that he alone will fix Erik ten Hag’s midfield issues.
Having joined United from Paris Saint-Germain for an initial fee of £42.2m, Ugarte made his first start for the club on Tuesday in a comprehensive 7-0 League Cup win against Barnsley.
The Uruguayan could well make his first Premier League start for the Red Devils against Crystal Palace on the weekend, with United hopeful that he will add some much-needed bite in the midfield area.
However, Petit has warned fans not be expect miracles from Ugarte and said plenty more had to be done to address United’s porous midfield.
‘I’m sorry to say this Manchester United fans, but Manuel Ugarte is not going to fix all of your midfield problems,’ the former Arsenal midfielder told topoffshoresportsbooks.com.
‘I watched him at PSG. He started the season in the starting eleven at the beginning of the season, but after the club were demolished by Newcastle United in the Champions League, losing 4-1 at St. James’ Park, Ugarte wasn’t seen again! He completely disappeared from Luis Enrique’s first team.
‘He will give 100% on the pitch. He will bring energy. He will bring aggression. He will bring sometimes the balance that’s needed in midfield, especially when Manchester United lose the ball.
Manuel Ugarte made his full debut on Tuesday evening (Picture: Getty)
‘But that Manchester United midfield is like Swiss f**king cheese! You can walk through the holes and get straight into the defenders.
‘Ugarte won’t solve anything on his own, but he can show some fight and personality. He’s a good character and hopefully that will rub off on some of the other players.’
Ten Hag, meanwhile, sought to take the positives from the midfielder’s first start against Barnsley and said the 23-year-old’s talent was clear to see.
‘I think he was good. Also for him, in the first minutes, you have to find your position and, as a team, you have to find the right shape,’ the Dutchman said.
‘Once we got it, then you see his level and he can really strengthen the squad and the team.’
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