Manchester United squandered yet another opportunity to lift the Europa League, as they suffered a painful 0-1 loss in the final at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Ruben Amorim’s selection calls were largely to blame for the defeat, with the head coach preferring to start Rasmus Hojlund up top despite his dismal form all season.
And the Dane played true to form and yet was kept on the pitch for over 70 minutes. Mason Mount, who could have played as a false nine, was shunted out to the left instead of Alejandro Garnacho, the most direct attacker at the coach’s disposal.
The Argentine emerged in the 71st minute and was an immediate threat, making Vicario work with a rasping drive but was ultimately unsuccessful in the attempts at finding an equaliser.
Not picking Alejandro Garnacho was the wrong choice
Amorim also seemed to throw the Argentina international under the bus during the post-match press conference when asked about his decision to start with the ex-Chelsea ace instead of the Carrington graduate.
“How many times have we had this conversation and it was the opposite? Some players come in, like Mason Mount, against Bilbao and changed the game. So now it is easy to say. Who missed the big opportunity in the first half against Bilbao? Yeah [Garnacho].
“Of course, now it is easy for us to talk about a lot of views. I just look at the game and try to manage things and improve the team and try to win games. I can see it both ways. I remember everything about the past so it is easy for me to respond to that question.”
His brother had some harsh words to share on social media after the game, claiming not only did the United boss not rely on Garnacho, he also went in hard on the attacker after the game.
And in the mixed zone, the 20-year-old also expressed his discontent with the head coach’s decision to drop him to the bench for the biggest game of the season.
Alejandro Garnacho was not too happy
“Obviously it’s hard for everyone. Our season was s–t. We didn’t beat anyone in the league. We lacked a lot of things. When you don’t score goals, you always need more.
“Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today – I don’t know. I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next.”
These comments will lead to further doubts regarding his future at the club. There have been reports that INEOS want to sell him for pure profit and judging from Amorim’s words and selection call, he might not oppose it like he had done in January.
Garnacho’s finishing has not helped his case in recent weeks but the United No 17 is only 20 and has plenty of room for growth. Hopefully, the club can sort things out and ensure he stays at Old Trafford for the immediate future at least.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
