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Garnacho can still improve his output in the final third.
Manchester United spent over £150m in the space of just one year in an attempt to find a long-term solution to their problem position on the right wing. Jadon Sancho cost £73m. Antony cost £86m. Yet neither were able to give United what they needed on the right side of their attack. The answer to this problem was under their nose the whole time.
Alejandro Garnacho has made Manchester United’s right position his own over the last month-and-a-half. While Erik ten Hag preserved with Antony for longer than he should have, the Dutch coach has now recognised the extra dimension his team has in attack with Garnacho in the lineup over the expensive Brazilian flop.
It’s no coincidence that United are enjoying their most fruitful period of the season in an attacking sense with Garnacho regularly starting. Indeed, they have found the back of the net 13 times in their last four matches in all competitions with Sunday’s away victory over Aston Villa a potentially season-changing result.
Garnacho can still improve his output in the final third. As well as he has played recently, the 19-year-old has only registered four goals and one assist in his last 12 appearances. Sometimes, Garnacho’s decision-making in and around the opposition penalty area lets him down. This is where he is still to develop.
But he is learning. Rasmus Hojlund is benefiting from having Garnacho on his right side over Antony. While the Brazilian likes to slow down the game, Garnacho favours a quicker, more incisive approach. This is an approach that is helping to get the best out of Hojlund, who has scored five goals in his last five games.
Marcus Rashford is still struggling for top form but is at least contributing again. Earlier this season, Manchester United’s attack was widely considered a weakness. Now, though, it is a strength with ten Hag’s team among the most dangerous in the Premier League on the rapid counterattack.
The 3-0 win over West Ham highlighted just how far United have come. Ten Hag is building around the young core of Garnacho, Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo with the trio posing for a picture after one goal which has the potential to become iconic. They represent the future of Manchester United.
“The future for Manchester United is very good because we have so many [young players] with high potential,” said after the victory against the Hammers. “I think that picture encompasses a lot and, when they are together, that is how we want to play football and with that adventure. They can achieve high levels.”
United’s 2023/24 campaign has been uneven. The lows have been so low that ten Hag’s entire project at Old Trafford has been called into question. It’s still not entirely certain he will keep his job over the summer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS expected to start a rebuild of the club at the end of the season.
More recently, though, the highs have demonstrated what Manchester United could be in the future. Garnacho is far from the finished article, but that’s what makes him so exciting. His talent is clear and ten Hag is now harnessing it in a way that has allowed the teenager to make improvements at a very quick rate.
Cristiano Ronaldo is Garnacho’s idol and comparisons have been made between the pair. While it would be unrealistic to expect Garnacho to truly emulate his hero in terms of his career achievements, there is a sense he will one day explode into a key performer for Manchester United. He is already delivering as a first team figure.
