Manchester United fans are losing patience with £51m midfielder Manuel Ugarte, while Casemiro’s stock continues to rise.
Ugarte came off the bench in United’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Saturday afternoon, when his team led 1-0.
Thomas Frank’s side equalized 12 minutes after the Uruguayan came on, and seven minutes later the Red Devils were 2-1 down.
United brought the game to a draw in the 96th minute thanks to Matthijs de Ligt, but Ugarte’s performance was also poor. Ugarte’s equalizer for Spurs was easily beaten by Wilson Odbert, and his 91st-minute header was deflected onside by Richarlison.
Ugarte is a super sub for Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes’ next role requires a defensive-minded midfielder, and there is no doubt that Casemiro is a far better option than Ugarte in Ruben Amorim’s midfield.
But Ugarte earns £120,000-a-week, the club are paid £51m by Paris Saint-Germain, and Amorim will likely continue to be off the bench as they insist on making changes, whether they are needed or not.
At the moment, his involvement is hurting Manchester United, not helping them.
Ugarte is meant to bring stability to the center of the park and keep an eye on the game. In fact, he has literally done the opposite, acting more like a super sub for the opposing team than for the Red Devils.
Odbert passed him as if he wasn’t there for Spurs’ equalizing goal, and Ugarte, who stepped up for Richarlison’s winning goal, was incredibly lazy and showed a lack of concentration and awareness.
Ugarte is obviously injured, but he’s not helping Manchester United
Don’t just take our word for it. The proof is in the pudding.
In the Premier League, Manchester United are winless during Ugarte’s time on the pitch, with +/- goals of -6 and +/- points per 90 minutes of 1.89.
Furthermore, United have conceded nine goals in just 285 minutes with Ugarte on the pitch, while Casemiro has conceded just five of his 18 goals in 543 minutes this season.
In terms of goals, United have scored 12 goals with Casemiro on the pitch, while Ugarte has scored just three.
Let’s look at a concrete example.
No mention of Ugarte’s start in the Carabao Cup at Grimsby Town, where he was captivated at half-time as they beat Amorim’s side 2-0.
Amorim’s substitution cost Manchester United
Casemiro vs Spurs match in numbers:
100% long pass accuracy
100% cross accuracy
83% pass accuracy
56% wins in ground duels
44 touches
5 passes into the final third
Ball collection 5 times
4 tackles
4 clearancesWe are having a great season. 👏 pic.twitter.com/TjWuEIGqsl
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 8, 2025
There is still time for Ugarte to make an impact. After all, Casemiro is world class and, although he was a terrible player back then, he is now one of United’s most important players and arguably Amorim’s biggest success story within the team.
Ugarte is more of a hindrance than a defensive help, and clearly has limitations going forward, so if Amorim doesn’t want Casemiro to play the full 90 minutes, it’s definitely time to properly test out the partnership between Koby Mainu and Fernandes.
Turning Casemiro off seems to be a habit for Amorim. Unnecessary substitutions are becoming one of his most powerful “attributes.”
The Portuguese coach constantly changes his centre-backs mid-match, for example against Spurs he sent off Harry Maguire despite playing well.
