8 hours ago
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Ruben Amorim has laid down the gauntlet to 'struggling' Manuel Ugarte, insisting the Uruguayan midfielder must improve in training to turn his poor form around.
Ugarte, a £50.5million signing in August 2024, prior to Amorim's arrival, is in a bad moment and having been given just 27 total minutes of action across the last three games, Amorim openly admitted his midfielder is struggling.
'You are here longer than me and you can sense that a lot of very good players come here and sometimes they struggle,' he said.
'He is struggling in the moment, but it is our job to try to help our players and again, everything can change.
'You saw it five weeks ago, the environment was completely different, so I know that Ugarte is struggling in the moment, and my job is trying to help him to feel as a player, like I felt when he was a Sporting player, for example.
'But it is a different world and he needs to adapt and he needs to improve, especially in training.'
Manuel Ugarte is struggling and has won just 27 minutes of action across the last three games
Ruben Amorim pinpointed training as the key area where Ugarte must improve at Man United
Only five outfield players have been handed fewer minutes by Amorim this season: Tyler Fredricson (45), Joshua Zirkzee (90), Ayden Heaven (92), Noussair Mazraoui (203), and Kobbie Mainoo (228).
Casemiro's renaissance, coupled with Amorim's decision to keep Bruno Fernandes in a deeper role, means Ugarte's opportunities have largely dried up.
Adding to the struggles for Ugarte is that United are plotting a major overhaul of their midfield next summer with Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Joao Gomes all on the radar.
'It is hard to say that [we are looking at midfield signings now], but I think we can add in the future,' Amorim accepted.
'I don't know when… sometimes it is not the quality of the players, it is the characteristics of the players, and we can improve in some areas in our club.
'But I am happy with the guys that we have in the moment and I think they have so much more to give. So it is my job to think about them, not the other guys that are not here.'
