Thomas Tuchel offered rare praise for Manuel Ugarte amid the storm of criticism at Man Utd.

England manager Thomas Tuchel recently expressed particular admiration for Manuel Ugarte following the tense match between England and Uruguay at Wembley. With the Uruguayan midfielder struggling to rediscover his form at Manchester United, these comments from the German strategist serve as confirmation of the true capabilities of the £42 million signing.

Acknowledgment of midfield excellence

Despite Ugarte's turbulent 18 months since arriving at Old Trafford, he has proven his worth upon returning to the national team. In the recent 1-1 draw, his presence alongside Federico Valverde caused considerable difficulties for England's midfield.

Speaking after the match, coach Tuchel shared: "I learned a lot from this tough opponent. When you face players like Ugarte or Valverde in midfield, you immediately realize their true level. Playing against high-class defenders is a necessary test that we were looking forward to."

VAR controversy and England's personnel dilemma.

Besides the highlights in terms of technical skill, the match also left many concerns for the German strategist. Phil Foden and Noni Madueke suffered injuries after strong collisions with Ronald Araujo and Joaquin Piquerez. The absence of these key players forces Tuchel to carefully consider his options for the upcoming matches.

Notably, the former Chelsea manager could not hide his frustration with the referee's performance, particularly the penalty decision following the collision between Ben White and Federico Vinas. He emphasized his bewilderment at VAR's intervention in this situation while ignoring previous blatant fouls against English players.

Overall, although the draw wasn't entirely convincing, this high-stakes match provided valuable data for the coaching staff. England are now awaiting the return of key players like Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka to finalize their squad for the upcoming match against Japan.