Manuel Ugarte will ‘fight’ to get Man Utd season back on track after Liverpool horror show

Ugarte hopes to bring famed Uruguayan spirit of ‘garra charrúa’ to midfield that was overrun by Liverpool on Sunday

Manuel Ugarte has vowed to bring a fighting spirit to Manchester United as he bids to help Erik ten Hag’s side get back on track after a disappointing start to the season.
United’s new £42 million midfield signing from Paris St-Germain was paraded before kick-off against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, only to watch his new team-mates capitulate in a 3-0 defeat by their bitter rivals.
Ten Hag’s side have too often looked a soft touch out of possession and easily exposed, but Ugarte has promised to channel the Uruguayan spirit of “Garra charrúa” in his efforts to make them more robust.
“So ‘garra charrúa’ is exactly that – it’s about fighting for every ball like it was your very last,” he said. “It’s something totally natural that you find in Uruguayan players and it’s down to lots of things: the background and context we’ve played in and because there are so few of us.
“Uruguay is a tiny country, but it’s won and achieved a lot. It produces good players and this is also down to that ‘garra charrúa’, which means basically giving everything you’ve got, no matter what the situation.”
Ball recovery is Ugarte’s biggest strength. He has averaged the second-highest number of tackles per 90 minutes in Europe’s major leagues since the start of the 2022-23 season. The Uruguay midfielder once described football as a “game when we have the ball and a fight when we don’t”, and is looking forward to showcasing those attributes for United.
“That was a totally genuine comment because I was describing my style of play and that phrase just came out naturally,” Ugarte, 23, said. “But it does kind of sum me up, because it’s something I feel very comfortable doing when it comes to winning the ball back, and now I’m looking forward to doing it right here.”
Ten Hag substituted Casemiro at half-time against Liverpool and the Brazil midfielder is the player most at risk of losing his place to Ugarte, unless the manager opts to play them together at times.
Ugarte made 98 tackles last season, more than any other player in Ligue 1, despite starting only 21 of PSG’s 34 league games and playing in a team who average 66 per cent possession. He says United fans can expect to see much of the same, although he has insisted he is more than just a destroyer.
“Yes they can because it’s something I do as a rule and it’s part and parcel of my game,” he said. “It’s something I do quite naturally and so let’s hope that it continues to work well at Old Trafford and in the Premier League too of course, but I just can’t wait.
“I like to think that I’m pretty much an all-round player in that sense. I feel that I’m decent at winning the ball back, but that I can also be very good in possession too. Of course, there are things I can improve upon, but what better place is there to be doing that than here?”
Ugarte revealed that he spoke to compatriot Facundo Pellistri, who left United for Panathinaikos last month, captain Bruno Fernandes and Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez before deciding to move to Old Trafford.
Asked what convinced him to make the move, Ugarte said: “First and foremost its history, because we all know what a massive club United is – one of the best teams in the world. And I also spoke a lot with Facu Pellistri and he told me all about everything: the atmosphere that’s generated, the match-day atmosphere that builds up at Old Trafford is incredible and so I’m really excited.
“I’ve watched a few games since the news started to come out. I’ve also spoken with one or two players – with Bruno and Licha – and I have chatted quite a lot.
“Without a doubt, being at a club like United comes with a certain responsibility and that is to win trophies. I’m still young and I’m really keen to learn. I have a huge desire to win and I think that this club is the ideal place for both those things.”