Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright expressed his doubts about the decision to exclude Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United’s starting lineup in their 2-1 FA Cup final loss to Manchester City at Wembley.
Due to injuries to Anthony Martial and Antony, manager Erik ten Hag had to make adjustments to the front three, opting for Marcus Rashford as the central striker and positioning Bruno Fernandes on the right wing, with Jadon Sancho on the left.
Fernandes was the most impactful member of the trio despite not scoring, while Sancho struggled to make an impact.
The former Borussia Dortmund winger had a quiet performance and was substituted in the 78th minute, making way for Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst.
However, it wasn’t until Garnacho came off the bench just after the one-hour mark that the Red Devils started to create opportunities in the attacking third.
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The 18-year-old proved to be their most threatening player in the closing stages, with much of United’s positive play coming from the left wing.
Whenever Garnacho had possession, he actively tried to create scoring chances and posed a challenge for Man City’s defenders. This impactful and impressive cameo performance by the United starlet caught the attention of Ian Wright.
As per the pundit, Ten Hag should have placed Garnacho in the starting XI from the very first minute. As stated by the Manchester Evening News, he said:
“I thought we would see more from Manchester United. They improved after Garnacho came on and he definitely should have started the game, for me.
“He proved he had a little bit more thrust about him. Other than that, Manchester City were in total control really. It was quite tepid from United in the end.”
The Argentine attacker was the only bright spot for United down the flanks. Other than him, no other player was a direct threat to Pep Guardiola’s men.
United had created very few chances in the first half. Their performance did improve after Granahco was brought in. This shows that the young starlet’s presence has been crucial and the manager could have done better by using him from the very first minute.
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Also, the team’s lack of action and dependency on a young player like Garnacho shows that the team needs to invest in attackers who can produce goals for the team.
Ten Hag will need to address his team’s shortcomings and bring in quality players in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, the fans will be able to witness such amazing performances by their star player for many more seasons as he has signed a long-term contract with his dream club.
