43% duels & 7x possession lost: Ruben Amorim must axe 4/10 Man Utd star vs Newcastle on Boxing Day

Manchester United suffered their fifth defeat of the Premier League campaign after a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

The Red Devils produced a good performance at Villa Park, but they were let down by some poor defending.

Morgan Rogers opened the scoring with a stellar strike from outside the box. Matheus Cunha equalised before the break.

Rogers bagged his brace with another fine curling effort. Leny Yoro was partly at fault after allowing him to shoot on his preferred right foot.

Cunha missed a glorious opportunity to equalise soon after from a brilliant Patrick Dorgu cross.

Yoro should have done better against Rogers on both occasions, but we were particularly disappointed with Manuel Ugarte’s display.

The Uruguayan got the nod in defensive midfield in Casemiro’s absence due to suspension, but he had a mixed outing, struggling to exhibit control.

The 24-year-old lost 43 percent of his duels contested (6/14). He fouled the opposition on four occasions, while losing possession seven times.

Ugarte won a couple of tackles but was dribbled past twice. He should have done better in closing down on Rogers in the lead-up to both goals.

Had Casemiro started yesterday, he would have attempted to block Rogers’ shot for the second goal unlike Ugarte, who was caught ball-watching.

He was eventually replaced by Jack Fletcher for his debut in the 73rd minute.

In our view, manager Ruben Amorim must axe Ugarte from the starting XI when the Red Devils take on Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

Ugarte, who received a 4/10 rating from Manchester Evening News for his showing, will most likely be replaced by Casemiro after his one-game ban.

Amorim has a selection headache for the number eight role with Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo already ruled out of the game with injuries.

He could play Mason Mount in that position or once again opt for Lisandro Martinez, who would provide more defensive solidity alongside Casemiro.

Martinez came on as a substitute for the injured Fernandes yesterday and outperformed Ugarte despite not playing in midfield since his Ajax days.

Stats from Sofascore.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .