Two Manchester United stars have seen exactly why Rúben Amorim must start them both following horror performances against Man City.
Manchester United slipped to their third loss of the season as Manchester City cruised past Rúben Amorim’s men with a 3-0 win in the Premier League at the Etihad.
The derby opened with early chances for Benjamin Šeško and Erling Haaland, though both sides looked unsettled in the opening stages. It was Phil Foden who made the breakthrough, firing City ahead just before the 20-minute mark.
United struggled to find a response before half-time, and despite starting the second half with intent, they were quickly punished as Haaland doubled City’s advantage. The striker then added a third soon after, leaving United with little hope and more than 20 minutes still to play.
Opportunities did fall to Bryan Mbeumo and Casemiro, but both failed to take them, and City saw out a convincing derby triumph in the Manchester rain.
Ugarte and Bayındır are falling through the ice
Often, when a player is playing below par but has still started a prominent fixture, such as a Manchester derby, there is a saying that they are on “thin ice”. However, in the case of Manuel Ugarte and Altay Bayındır, they have fallen through.
André Onana’s loan to Trabzonspor has come as a result of the Cameroon international making too many errors, leaving United’s back line feeling too shaky and therefore lacking in confidence. But Bayındır’s display did not show much of an improvement.
A few moments had United’s fans, and no doubt their players, with their hearts in their mouths, with heavy touches and dodgy passing, leaving City with confidence in their pressing, and almost costing United goals.
Similarly, Ugarte put on a rather horrible display in the middle of the park. He was at fault for both of Haaland’s second-half strikes and failed to inspire with his on-the-ball performance.
Mainoo and Lammens are watching their chances arrive
On deadline day, United confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for an initial £18.2 million transfer fee, but Amorim confirmed on Friday that Bayındır would start.
However, after the Turk once again put in a very questionable performance, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the 23-year-old Belgian should be handed his chance against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, especially after watching Bayındır’s display first-hand.
Read More: Gary Neville explains exactly what he ‘thinks’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe will tell Rúben Amorim after 3-0 Man City defeat
Similarly, Kobbie Mainoo’s 28 minutes at the Etihad Stadium were far superior to any display that Ugarte has produced since the new season began. The midfielder completed all 17 of his 17 attempted passes, creating two chances in the process with just 25 touches.
He also completed his only dribble, making two tackles in that time – in contrast, Ugarte only made three in his 80 minutes.
When United line up against Chelsea next weekend, it is imperative that he plays Lammens and Mainoo over Bayındır and Ugarte, or he could face serious questions over his career.
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