Man Utd midfielder Manuel Ugarte was hooked at half-time against Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
Ugarte sprinted back when it was too late.(Image: Sky Sports)
After losing to Grimsby, Ruben Amorim appeared to question whether the players were onside with him.
Manchester United failed to match the intensity of the League Two side in the first half, and it was disappointing to see Grimsby win practically every second ball, 50/50 and individual duels.
Amorim hooked Tyler Fredricson, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte during the interval. Fredricson had a night to forget, Dorgu was poor and Ugarte's role in the first goal wouldn't have gone unnoticed.
When analysing how Grimsby opened the scoring at Blundell Park, there are multiple stages at which the goal could have been prevented. The move started when Ugarte and Amad collided on the halfway line, then Kobbie Mainoo could have stopped the pass through the middle.
Could Amad have done better? Could Ayden Heaven have gotten tighter? Could Fredricson have stopped the shot? Should Onana have done better? It was a goal that Amorim won't want to watch back.
However, it was slightly concerning to see Ugarte fail to react quickly to losing the ball at the beginning of the move. The 24-year-old did not get back up to his feet quickly enough to sprint back.
There were 11 seconds between Ugarte going to the ground and the goal. He reached the penalty area as the ball left Charles Vernam's foot, which suggests he could have got closer if he had reacted immediately.
Ugarte and Amad came together at the halfway line.
Ugarte reached the box as the shot was taken.
There is no guarantee that Ugarte would have been able to reach Vernam to stop his shot if he'd reacted quicker, but maximum effort is obviously the bare minimum expectation.
Although such an error might not seem like a big deal in isolation, Ugarte made a similar mistake in the defeat against West Ham in May, which is why his Grimsby contribution is so concerning.
Ugarte was dispossessed by Mohammed Kudus near the centre circle at Old Trafford, but Kudus had already sprinted to the penalty area by the time Ugarte had finally risen to his feet.
The Uruguay international had no reason to be hurt by Kudus' challenge, which made the time he took to stand back up even more baffling and gave the impression he couldn't be bothered.
Amorim was asked for his thoughts on Ugarte at his post-West Ham conference, but he declined to get stuck into his display and responded: "I don't want to talk about specific players."
Ugarte was given the benefit of the doubt after West Ham. The result did not matter, and maybe he'd taken a knock? However, there's no denying the optics weren't good and it was worrying to see a similar error against Grimsby.
Ugarte (far left) took all day to get back to his feet. against West Ham in May.
Amorim's decision to hook Ugarte at half-time at Blundell Park was not a surprise and it's been disappointing to see the midfielder look short on confidence under a manager who he once thrived under.
Ugarte was expected to be a big winner from Amorim's appointment, given they worked together at Sporting Lisbon, but his performances have continued to be hit and miss.
United need a confident Ugarte in their dressing room. They need Ugarte at his best. They need a midfielder who will bust a lung to get back after being dispossessed high up the pitch.
Last summer, United were reluctant to match PSG's asking price of a €60m (£50.6m) fixed fee for Ugarte, and they believed the deal they eventually agreed vindicated their patient approach to negotiations.
United thought they secured a value transfer fee, but they have considered another midfield signing of Ugarte's ilk in this summer transfer window, which does not reflect well on him.
Ugarte will be working hard to rediscover his form, but he must get the basics right first.