Losing has become an unwanted habit for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim. So much so that the 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday may not have surprised anyone.
The Red Devils have accrued a measly 31 points in 31 matches under the Portuguese head coach, the lowest of any non-relegated side in that time.
It should go without saying, but, it is not good enough for a club of Manchester United’s size with the ambitions that they should have in the Premier League.
Players are to blame as well as the manager, though, and one player who may not have much of a future at Old Trafford, as a frontline player anyway, is Altay Bayindir.
The Turkish shot-stopper was given the nod between the sticks for the Manchester derby, but it seemed to be more of a case of keeping Senne Lammens out of the firing line for a debut in such a big clash.
United swooped to sign the Belgian goalkeeper from Royal Antwerp on deadline day and his arrival at Old Trafford could spell the end of Altay’s short time as the number one.
Why Altay Bayindir may already be finished at Man Utd
The Turkey international has started all four of the club’s Premier League matches this season, per Sofascore, but has not done enough to suggest that he has what it takes to be the next Edwin Van Der Sar, David De Gea, or Peter Schmeichel.
Altay played four times in the top-flight in the 2024/25 campaign and only saved 44% of the shots on his goal, per Sofascore, and made one error that led to a goal.
The Turkish flop has not improved much at the start of the current season, unfortunately, as he has saved 53% of the shots against him in the Premier League and made one error that led to a goal.
As you can see in the clip above, the United goalkeeper was far too weak from a corner on the opening day against Arsenal, which allowed Riccardo Calafiori to score the winning goal for the away side.
This means that Altay, who was easily beaten by Phil Foden and Erling Haaland for the first two Man City goals on Sunday, has made two errors that have led to goals in just eight league starts for the club.
Senne Lammens (Pro League)
+15.57
Jordan Pickford (Premier League)
+6.15
Matz Sels (Premier League)
+4.55
Mark Travers (Premier League)
+4.48
Ederson (Premier League)
+4.46
Dean Henderson (Premier League)
+3.14
As you can see in the table above, Lammens has the shot-stopping potential to be a standout in the Premier League for the Red Devils if he can adjust to the division.
This means that the Belgian goalkeeper’s arrival at the club could spell the end of Altay’s career as a first-choice option for Amorim, as he settles in as the number one in the weeks to come.
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The Turkey international may not be the only poor performer from the derby whose career at United under Amorim should be in danger, though, as Manuel Ugarte falls into the same bracket.
He was selected to start in the middle of the park over Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, yet once again failed to deliver an impressive performance for the team.
Why Manuel Ugarte should be finished at Man Utd
The Uruguay international has been at Old Trafford for more than a year and looks no closer to establishing himself as a key player for the manager than when he first walked through the door under Erik ten Hag.
Ugarte’s performances in the Premier League for the Red Devils during the 2024/25 campaign left far too much to be desired, as the central midfielder struggled badly in possession.
Non-penalty goals
0.05
Bottom 41%
xAG
0.06
Bottom 30%
Shot-creating actions
1.56
Bottom 16%
Progressive passes
3.08
Bottom 18%
Progressive carries
0.81
Bottom 23%
Passes into the final third
2.96
Bottom 36%
Passes into the penalty area
0.45
Bottom 20%
As you can see in the table above, the former Paris Saint-Germain flop was among the worst central midfielders in the division in a host of possession-based metrics, which shows that he disrupted the team’s build-up with his lack of quality on the ball.
Despite being in the side to provide defensive stability, in theory, only Bruno Fernandes (1.4) was dribbled past more per game than Ugarte (1.3) for Manchester United in the Premier League last season, per WhoScored.
Opposition players found it far too easy to get the better of the central midfielder in the middle of the park, which means that he was a liability to the side in and out of possession last term.
Unfortunately, Ugarte’s performance in his first start of the league season against Manchester City on Sunday did not suggest that he is ready to turn things around.
Earlier this month, former Chelsea ace Craig Burley said: “Manuel Ugarte is just absolutely nothing. He’s just like a wet blanket. Put him in with the kids and even the kids would be going, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ Seriously.”
Harsh comments from Burley but it is hard to disagree with him. Ugarte was caught out for the opening goal from Foden as he was too slow to get out to Doku and his weak block fell back for the winger to cross for the England international.
His lack of quality in possession also played a part in the third goal. The midfielder played a poor pass into Luke Shaw’s feet, which forced him to put Harry Maguire under pressure, resulting in the centre-back giving the ball away and Haaland being played through for his second.
He does not look up to the task of starting matches for Manchester United in the Premier League, as evidenced by his dismal showings last season and his poor performance on Sunday.
The Uruguay international looks totally finished under Amorim on the evidence available so far, which is why Casemiro, Mason Mount, Mainoo, and Bruno Fernandes should play the bulk of the minutes available when fit and available ahead of him.
