After starting Manchester United’s match against Liverpool, Alejandro Garnacho was in contention for another starting role in the next match against Southampton at St Mary’s.
However, he was dropped to the bench in a shock move by Erik ten Hag with Amad Diallo replacing him in the lineup.
For the media, Ten Hag’s overhauled squad must have been a sublime response to the 3-0 bashing in the hands of Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Nevertheless, Garnacho, who has earned his place as the club’s top prospect, wouldn’t have failed to make the Dutchman’s rooster for the game. What then went wrong?
Why was Alejandro Garnacho benched against Southampton?
There were speculations that Erik ten Hag’s decision to drop the youngster to the bench was related to what transpired between the 54-year-old and his former player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Recall the pair locked horns in a seething media row following Ronaldo’s criticism of the Dutchman’s comment on United’s chances this season.
Speaking on his YouTube channel with former United teammate Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo said Erik ten Hag would not have said the club would not be able to compete for the Premier League or European silverware.
The comment seemed not to have sat well with Ten Hag, who took a snap back at the Portuguese for staying in Saudi Arabia and having an opinion on Manchester United.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho, who is known to be one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s biggest fans, had reacted to the Al-Nassr forward’s critics of Ten Hag.
The 20-year-old was among millions of fans, who liked Ronaldo’s comment on Fabrizio Romano’s page. So, it was widely thought his reaction to the post led to his axing from the club’s starting IX at St Mary’s.
Erik ten Hag and Manchester United’s position on Garnacho’s liking of Ronaldo’s post confirmed
While speculations have been rife on why Ten Hag dropped the 2024 Copa America winner to the bench, sources close to the Old Trafford outfit have confirmed the youngster was not dropped due to social media activity.
According to Samuel Luckhurst of Manchester Evening News, Garnacho was dropped basically on tactical not on disciplinary grounds.
The Argentine winger was later subbed on in the game in the 73rd minute, coming for Marcus Rashford. In the 90+6th minutes, he volleyed home Diogo Dalot’s cross into the roof of the net to make it 3-0 for the Red Devils.
Alejandro Garnacho reacts to his goal vs Southampton
Garnacho seemed to make a case for his relevance in the United by sharing footage of him celebrating the goal with a ‘shrug emoji’ to show his curiosity and indifference.
Notably, the 20-year-old also reposted incredible stats from StatMuse FC, showcasing him as one of the best U-20 players in the Premier League League in the past two seasons.
From the start, the footballer boasts 13 goal contributions in the past two seasons as a young player, having as many as the next two players Jhon Duran (7) and Facundo Buonanotte (6).
Meanwhile, it is not the first time Alejandro Garnacho has got tongues wagging with his social media activity.
Last season, he was furious after being subbed off in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League and went on to like a social media post criticizing Ten Hag’s decision to sub him off.
Ten Hag admitted after the match that he subbed off the player for tactical reasons and in-game lapses not otherwise. Garnacho later reportedly unliked the post after caution by the Dutchman.
Alejandro Garnacho is a key player for Manchester United and is being held in high esteem by Erik ten Hag. However, he is likely to come under the sledgehammer of the Dutchman for his social media activities.
Ten Hag is known for his hardline approach to player management and doesn’t spare the axe when hit at the wrong place. An example is the infamous fallout with the club’s loanee to Chelsea Jadon Sancho.
