This season has been flipped on its head recently for Manchester United under the rule of Michael Carrick, but some things haven’t changed.
It was another day to remember for Michael Carrick as Manchester United secured a third straight win on Sunday to return to fourth in the league table.
United defeated Fulham 3-2 in a dramatic outing which didn’t need to be so complicated, but in typical fashion for the club a meal was made of things.
Leading 2-0, United conceded from a penalty and then a worldie, which was incredibly frustrating before Benjamin Sesko’s winner went in.
Now a statistic shows exactly what the problem is.
Imagine you are Jason Wilcox… what transfer business would you do before deadline day?
Go all out for a midfielder? Make a under the radar swoop? Let us know!
Director of football Jason Wilcox in action during a first-team training session at the Carrington training complex in 2025 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Damning Manuel Ugarte record for Manchester United this season
Manuel Ugarte was signed for £42m by Manchester United in 2024 and he hasn’t looked worth even half that amount ever since.
This might sound harsh, but Ugarte is just so out of his depth in the Premier League, and he proves it time and time again.
Manuel Ugarte running in Manchester United kit.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Ugarte is a problem for United, as he currently resides as the Casemiro substitute, but is quickly becoming unusable.
This is because Ugarte being substituted on always ends in disaster for United, goals conceded or complete loss of control, given his inability on the ball and erratic yet transparent pressing that just leaves gaps.
The true extent of Ugarte being a problem comes as United have conceded 24 goals when the Uruguayan has been on the pitch this season.
With Ugarte playing just 874 minutes, United have conceded every 36 minutes when he has been on the pitch, which is an appalling record that should seriously concern Ineos.
Ugarte is United’s worst player according to FBRef’s +/- indicator with a -7 score, which measures positive impact vs negative impact regarding goals scored and conceded.
But the good news, there is time to fix it.
Who is your Man Of The Match in Manchester United’s 3-2 win vs Fulham?
Casemiro celebrates with his teammates during the Premier League football match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, in 2026.
Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images
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Manchester United needs to make a temporary midfield addition in January
Make no mistake, the loan market for midfielders this winter is far from perfect, and it won’t see United sign a star, but to offer alternative backup to Casemiro, there are moves to be made.
Priority number one should be to let Ugarte go and find a temporary replacement ahead of big spending on the midfield in the summer.
The bar is set so low by Ugarte that United could upgrade by signing someone like Wilfried Ndidi on a loan from Besiktas, just to make sure that if Casemiro needs to come off, it doesn’t result in the game being thrown up in the air.
Ugarte has overseen countless collapses in his minutes for United, and unless Carrick has a 5-0 lead, it is a massive risk to give the Uruguayan substantial game time.
All of this makes it crazier that Ruben Amorim ignored Kobbie Mainoo for so long.
Ineos need to add someone more competent before the deadline, Champions League qualification might rest on it.
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