Ruben Amorim and Manchester United are eager for the Europa League final, as the Red Devils appear to be approaching their remaining Premier League games with little intention after losing at home on Sunday afternoon.
The Old Trafford team unavoidably lost their 17th league game of the season against West Ham United, who had begun the day lower in the standings. Amorim later said he was “embarrassed” by his faltering team’s domestic performances.
After a spectacular, Mason Mount-inspired climax on Thursday night, the Jekyll and Hyde hosts had stormed to a 4-1 victory over Athletic Club just days earlier. However, Amorim’s team currently seems to be unable to handle the demands of England’s top division.
Fortunately, Tottenham Hotspur, their next highlight opponents, are having an even worse season after losing in the league for the twentieth time this past weekend. Their matchup with Bilbao next week is expected to be an extremely intense battle for European championships.
As Amorim is fully aware, however, even success on the continent would not rectify what has been a grim 2024/25 for United, with far too many of his charges looking well below par – not least his former Sporting CP warrior, Manuel Ugarte.
Manuel Ugarte’s debut season in numbers
According to reports, the club decided to sell Scott McTominay last summer in order to find a new, more defensive midfield player. Ugarte eventually replaced the Scotland star after he moved from Paris Saint-Germain for £42 million.
Ugarte has had a wild first season in Manchester, scoring just one league goal so far, while McTominay has since gone on to score 11 goals as part of Napoli’s run for the Serie A title.
Although the Uruguayan has slowed down in recent weeks, particularly in the lead-up to Jarrod Bowen’s game-winning goal on Sunday, there have been some noteworthy high points, like when he left Paul Scholes “surprised” with his outstanding performance in January’s 2-2 draw at Anfield.
The 23-year-old “can cope in Europe but not in domestic competition,” as journalist Samuel Luckhurst observed after his 4/10 performance. However, even his Europa League performances have been poor lately, especially during the semi-final match.
The former PSG player did, in fact, lose the ball 27 times in those two games before being replaced in the second half. His poor play on the ball led to comparisons to a certain Sofyan Amrabat. But like the Moroccan, he is a good ball-winner, as evidenced by the fact that, over the past 365 days, he has made 2.2 tackles per 90, placing him in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.
| Ugarte PL stats – 24/25 | |
|---|---|
| Stat (*per game) | Record |
| Games (starts) | 28 (22) |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Big chances created | 3 |
| Key passes* | 0.4 |
| Pass accuracy* | 88% |
| Tackles* | 2.7 |
| Interceptions* | 1.0 |
| Ball recoveries* | 4.4 |
| Dribbled past* | 1.4 |
| Total duels won* | 53% |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
It is hoped that Ugarte, who is only 23 and a player Amorim knows well from their time together in Lisbon, will step up and disprove the skeptics the next season. Though the same cannot be said for Altay Bayindir, his struggling teammate, it is too soon to write him off.
The Man Utd star who Amorim needs to sell
Players who have failed at the Theatre of Dreams in previous years are easy to locate, and the pressure and attention that come with playing for Manchester United undoubtedly has a negative impact.
However, some people just don’t look up to the work from the beginning, and Bayindir is a prime example of this. This season, the Turkish international has been “horrendous” for the team, as journalist Liam Canning has observed.
Bayindir’s poor standing was made clear by his limited role under Erik ten Hag, even as first-choice teammate Andre Onana endured a Champions League run marred by mistakes. He was signed from Fenerbahce for a mere £4.3 million in the summer of 2023.
Due to his reluctance to use the 6′ 6″ goalie, Ten Hag only made one appearance across all competitions that season, giving up two goals in the FA Cup victory over Newport County, a League Two team, 3-2.
In January 2024, Onana left for AFCON service, but the goalkeepers remained the same. The Cameroonian really left late and returned early to ensure he didn’t miss any Premier League games.
This season, however, has been a similar tale for Bayindir, despite the fact that new manager Amorim has given them a lot more chances, such as in the 4-3 EFL Cup loss to Spurs.
After a feeble attempt to keep the ball out, the 27-year-old gave up straight from a Son Heung-min corner in that match, revealing why he hasn’t been able to unseat Onana in the last two years or so.
Although that was followed by his heroics in the FA Cup penalty shootout against Arsenal, Bayindir still appeared unsteady in the opening moments of the match, with his kicking being especially poor.
The 4-1 loss to Newcastle United at St James’ Park also served as a reminder of their problems with the ball. The tall asset failed to capitalize on Onana’s absence, giving the ball to the Magpies for the home team’s fourth goal of the day.
After looking particularly woeful against the Bees, Bayindir has since given up six goals in only two games against Brentford and West Ham. As a result, Luckhurst has said that he is actually United’s “third-best goalie,” behind the seasoned Tom Heaton.
In the midst of the hunt for a new goalkeeper, sources indicate that Bayindir might potentially be transferred this summer for a fee of just £6–£7 million, ending a just forgettable stint in Manchester.
Yes, he will always remember that night at the Emirates, but regrettably for the man who earns £35,000 a week, there hasn’t been much improvement in a United shirt since.
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