Porous Man United pay the price for not snapping up Manuel Ugarte sooner as Casemiro is hooked at half-time and Kobbie Mainoo given a brutal reality check, writes CHRIS WHEELER

Erik ten Hag put £100million-worth of new signings in his line-up, but by the end of another painful, punishing defeat to Liverpool it felt like the man who Manchester United really needed was the one sat in the stands at Old Trafford.

Manuel Ugarte was paraded on the pitch to rapturous applause before kick-off, and the new £50.5m midfielder from Paris Saint-Germain then had to sit and watch helplessly from the directors’ box as Liverpool ruthlessly rained on United’s parade.

Ugarte was signed too late on transfer deadline day to be eligible for the game. Given that he hasn’t played for PSG this season while the move to United was being negotiated, it’s unlikely Ten Hag would have started him anyway.

But the tough-tackling Uruguayan has been brought in to shore up United’s midfield, and that is exactly what Ten Hag’s side needed onSunday  as they were overrun by the Liverpool trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. 

Casemiro was hooked at half-time and Kobbie Mainoo was given a brutal reality check.

Manuel Ugarte was paraded on the pitch to rapturous applause and watched from the stands

Casemiro was hooked at half-time and Kobbie Mainoo was given a brutal reality check

United identified Ugarte as their No.1 midfield target early in the summer, so it begged the question why they waited so long to get their man. Ten Hag answered that one by warning the 23-year-old is no miracle worker.

‘We have to build him in the team and it will take time. It is not like Harry Potter, that is what you have to acknowledge,’ said the United boss.

‘If you see Manuel Ugarte, he didn’t play this season, not one match minute. We have to build his fitness and then I’m sure he will be an important player.’

Ten Hag was able to give full debuts to Joshua Zirkzee – the £36.5m striker from Bologna who came off the bench to score the winner against Fulham on the opening weekend – and £42.8m defender Matthijs de Ligt who replaced Harry Maguire in the line-up. Noussair Mazraoui, signed from Bayern Munich with De Ligt for £17m, made his third consecutive start at right-back.

Although Ten Hag said he was pleased with Zirkzee’s performance, the Dutchman never really got into the game and missed two late chances set up by Marcus Rashford.

De Ligt made a solid enough start but United’s defence crumbled as Liverpool poured through the midfield almost at will. 

Erik ten Hag warned the 23-year-old Ugarte is no miracle worker and will need time to settle

Joshua Zirkzee never got into the game and missed two late chances set up by Marcus Rashford

Mazraoui, meanwhile, was lucky that Trent Alexander-Arnold’s early goal was ruled out for offside after Luis Diaz got away from him down the right, and a defender renowned for his attacking capabilities was then caught miles upfield when Diaz popped up unmarked to head Liverpool in front.

It has become a dangerous pastime rushing to judgement on United’s new signings over the last decade. ‘It has been a graveyard for players that have come to the club with big reputations, and they’ve not done well,’ former United defender Gary Neville told yesterday.

But after United emerged from the summer very satisfied with their transfer business, this was a sobering reminder there will be no quick fixes.