[acnumber9]

I have an idea for a new kids book, bit of a riff on Where’s Wally? Where’s Ugarte? The answer will disappointingly be, nowhere.

 

[Swedish_Plumber]

I have an idea for a new kids book, but of a riff on Where’s Wally? Where’s Ugarte? The answer will disappointingly be, nowhere.

Sounds shite

 

[Ali Dia]

He's a beast off the ball and one of my favioute players this season but he does need help in the engine room moving it about. I think he'd be a lot lot better on the ball if he only had to force the issue the odd time. Being creative or intelligent on the ball is not his game but he can do it in bursts

 

[JJ12]

I have an idea for a new kids book, bit of a riff on Where’s Wally? Where’s Ugarte? The answer will disappointingly be, nowhere.

Strange one

 

[acnumber9]

Strange one

I thought he was all over the place and offered no passing option. I feel that little bit with Delap is what is sticking in people’s memory.

 

[arthurka]

Best buy this summer.

 

[Red00012]

I have an idea for a new kids book, bit of a riff on Where’s Wally? Where’s Ugarte? The answer will disappointingly be, nowhere.

I’ve a idea , stop posting rubbish

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

I have an idea for a new kids book, bit of a riff on Where’s Wally? Where’s Ugarte? The answer will disappointingly be, nowhere.

Terrible take on a defensive midfielder who is solid in his job.

 

[acnumber9]

I just checked, he played 16 passes. I’m sorry but that’s abysmal for a midfielder. Casemiro played 23 minutes and had 12.

 

[Red & White]

Big fan. Keep going, lad!

 

[Bobski]

He's a beast off the ball and one of my favioute players this season but he does need help in the engine room moving it about. I think he'd be a lot lot better on the ball if he only had to force the issue the odd time. Being creative or intelligent on the ball is not his game but he can do it in bursts

I don't think he processes passing options as quick as you would like. Generally when he does opt to play the pass his execution is fine, but often there are excessive preparation touches that make him quite a pedestrian passer. If he can speed that part of his game up it eliminates many of the issues with his ball playing.

 

[Trex]

I just checked, he played 16 passes. I’m sorry but that’s abysmal for a midfielder.

Mctominay kind of numbers. He can do better though, the red card is also a factor.

 

[JJ12]

I just checked, he played 16 passes. I’m sorry but that’s abysmal for a midfielder.

Almost as if we played with 10 men for a full half

 

[Dan_F]

Almost as if we played with 10 men for a full half

How many passes did Bruno attempt?

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

How many passes did Bruno attempt?

You do understand they are completely different players right?

 

[JJ12]

How many passes did Bruno attempt?

If you think their roles are similar then I can't help you

 

[Idxomer]

I just checked, he played 16 passes. I’m sorry but that’s abysmal for a midfielder.

Yep.

Dorgu, Zirkzee and Garnacho attempted more passes.

 

[Dan_F]

You do understand they are completely different players right?

Yes. Yes they are. One is very good on the ball, the other wants no part of it. They’re both playing in central midfield. This team goes absolutely nowhere with a midfielder playing 16 passes a game.

If you think their roles are similar then I can't help you

Casemiro played 12 passes despite coming on in the 67th minute. We can’t have a midfielder making 16 passes a game, it puts far too much pressure on his team mates.

Edit. The correct answer lads, 64 passes. Go and have a look at any top midfields and see if they’re a disparity that big between their central midfielders.

 

[The Hilton]

He's an excellent destroyer, and is tidy on the ball in tight spaces, and carries it well too.

It falls down when he's asked to be a creator or progressive passer, that isn't his game, we need someone next to him to handle that.

 

[bond19821982]

Give him a partner and you will see his best. Bruno isn't a midfielder .

 

[Ekeke]

I just checked, he played 16 passes. I’m sorry but that’s abysmal for a midfielder.

It is, but I feel like it might not be correct. If it turns out it is then its odd. Other than the low amount of passes he was okay

 

[Abhinav]

Give him a partner and you will see his best. Bruno isn't a midfielder .

Strange take based on today’s performance. Bruno carried him and not the other way around.

 

[bosnian_red]

Yes. Yes they are. One is very good on the ball, the other wants no part of it. They’re both playing in central midfield. This team goes absolutely nowhere with a midfielder playing 16 passes a game.

Casemiro played 12 passes despite coming on in the 67th minute. We can’t have a midfielder making 16 passes a game, it puts far too much pressure on his team mates.

Edit. The correct answer lads, 64 passes. Go and have a look at any top midfields and see if they’re a disparity that big between their central midfielders.

It's a flukey game and a flukey stat given he's been very fine with the ball outside of this 1st half red card game. Dumb argument

 

[acnumber9]

Almost as if we played with 10 men for a full half

Casemiro played 12 in 23 minutes. All of which were with 10 men.

 

[acnumber9]

Generally I think he’s done alright this season but I don’t see how anybody can think that was a good performance tonight.

 

[harms]

Yes. Yes they are. One is very good on the ball, the other wants no part of it. They’re both playing in central midfield. This team goes absolutely nowhere with a midfielder playing 16 passes a game.

Casemiro played 12 passes despite coming on in the 67th minute. We can’t have a midfielder making 16 passes a game, it puts far too much pressure on his team mates.

Edit. The correct answer lads, 64 passes. Go and have a look at any top midfields and see if they’re a disparity that big between their central midfielders.

I mean, over the past 365 days Ugarte averages 54 passes per 90 minutes. Not great, not terrible. One game can happen but it's not the McTominay at this moment.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Casemiro played 12 in 23 minutes. All of which were with 10 men.

If it’s really true that he only played 16 passes that’s an anomaly. He played 39 against Everton.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Yes. Yes they are. One is very good on the ball, the other wants no part of it. They’re both playing in central midfield. This team goes absolutely nowhere with a midfielder playing 16 passes a game.

Casemiro played 12 passes despite coming on in the 67th minute. We can’t have a midfielder making 16 passes a game, it puts far too much pressure on his team mates.

Edit. The correct answer lads, 64 passes. Go and have a look at any top midfields and see if they’re a disparity that big between their central midfielders.

What puts pressure on teammates are midfielders making continuous misplaced passes (Bruno in a lot of games), teammates who can’t sprint or even run (Casemiro/Eriksen/Mainoo), teammates who can’t score to save their lives or even get a shot of on target (Hojlund/Zirkzee) and a keeper who makes regular mistakes and makes the backline shite themselves.

Ugarte for me does his job, we didn’t sign him for expansive passing or being a metronome passer. We bought him to block, tackle and cover ground. Saying that I’ve seen enough of his passing wise to know he can be progressive if we were a decent team.

 

[Dan_F]

He's an excellent destroyer, and is tidy on the ball in tight spaces, and carries it well too.

It falls down when he's asked to be a creator or progressive passer, that isn't his game, we need someone next to him to handle that.

Give him a partner and you will see his best. Bruno isn't a midfielder .

Bruno is having to play that role because of Ugarte’s weaknesses. Every time we take Bruno out of there, we can’t get the ball out of our half.

 

[acnumber9]

If it’s really true that he only played 16 passes that’s an anomaly. He played 39 against Everton.

Stats from WhoScored, no idea how reliable they generally are. They have him for 43 passes against Everton. They also have Casemiro down for 44 against Everton and he came off after a hour. And can’t move.

Like I said, I think he’s generally done ok this season. Tonight was not an ok performance though.

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Bruno is having to play that role because of Ugarte’s weaknesses. Every time we take Bruno out of there, we can’t get the ball out of our half.

No he’s playing there cause we have no one else to play that role, that’s not Ugartes role.

We need another CM who is a better passer for sure then Bruno moves back to his 10 role.

 

[The Hilton]

Bruno is having to play that role because of Ugarte’s weaknesses. Every time we take Bruno out of there, we can’t get the ball out of our half.

Bruno is having to play that role because of the squads weakness. If Eriksen's legs could last more than half an hour then they'd be an ideal pairing, but unfortunately that ship has long since sailed.

That doesn't detract from Ugarte being very good at what he's good at though. A good midfield partnership should complement each other, but in Ugarte we only have half the puzzle.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Stats from WhoScored, no idea how reliable they generally are. They have him for 43 passes against Everton. They also have Casemiro down for 44 against Everton and he came off after a hour. And can’t move.

Like I said, I think he’s generally done ok this season. Tonight was not an ok performance though.

I only watched the second half but thought he played ok. He broke up a hell of a lot of their attacks.

 

[acnumber9]

I only watched the second half but thought he played ok. He broke up a hell of a lot of their attacks.

He was much worse in the first half to be fair. The worry for me is he wouldn’t need to break up so many attacks if he could help us keep the ball. I’m not sure he has enough to play in a two man midfield.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Bruno is having to play that role because of Ugarte’s weaknesses. Every time we take Bruno out of there, we can’t get the ball out of our half.

Bruno dominates our passing stats no matter what position he plays. And no matter who plays with him.

 

[Ezkay]

I keep reading ‘get him a partner next season’ comments along those lines and I have to strongly disagree. Get a player who can destroy (it doesn’t have to be at the level of Ugarte) and someone who can progress the ball in some capacity. He’s at the bottom of the bottom percentiles for his progression numbers. No serious team in todays football has a sole destroyer and partners them with someone, they have midfielders who first and foremost know how to play football

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He was much worse in the first half to be fair. The worry for me is he wouldn’t need to break up so many attacks if he could help us keep the ball. I’m not sure he has enough to play in a two man midfield.

I think the two number 10s are supposed to share the load. That’s one of many reasons we’re struggling. Bruno’s the only 10 who’s fit and available and capable of getting on the ball and passing it around and he’s needed in midfield. Maybe Eriksen, at a stretch? Mainoo had a decent audition as well, a few weeks ago. But then who else plays in midfield?

 

[acnumber9]

I think the two number 10s are supposed to share the load. That’s one of many reasons we’re struggling. Bruno’s the only 10 who’s fit and available and capable of getting on the ball and passing it around and he’s needed in midfield. Maybe Eriksen, at a stretch? Mainoo had a decent audition as well, a few weeks ago. But then who else plays in midfield?

Mainoo is another that doesn’t look capable of playing in a midfield two. Eriksen has to be worth at least giving an hour here and there. Especially under current circumstances.

This is another of the problems I have with the formation. The 10’s are there to supplement the midfield but then they’re not getting in the box. They also can’t provide the width our ‘wing backs’ have been failing to provide.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Mainoo is another that doesn’t look capable of playing in a midfield two. Eriksen has to be worth at least giving an hour here and there. Especially under current circumstances.

This is another of the problems I have with the formation. The 10’s are there to supplement the midfield but then they’re not getting in the box. They also can’t provide the width our ‘wing backs’ have been failing to provide.

Eriksen has had some good cameos in midfield. But he’s a bit hit and miss. Showing his age (like Casemiro) On his good days we’ve looked decent. I agree it might be time to give him another go.

 

[antohan]

I'm baffled at how you can watch that game and zero in on Ugarte not making many passes being even remotely relevant.

We don't have a half decent striker.

We have a hapless goalkeeper.

We still have to play Dalot every game in a role he is not even remotely suited to.

We have half our squad either injured or out on loan and on their way out.

The former + red card sub = no pace upfront.

It's probably a good thing Ugarte didn't get on the ball that much and Bruno did, and carried it a fair bit too, as there was literally nothing "on" anywhere at any point.