Manchester United failed to top their Europa League group despite a 1-0 win on Thursday night, but the main takeaway from the match was youngster Alejandro Garnacho’s first goal for the club.
However, while fans and his teammates are no doubt elated for the teen finally getting minutes and a first goal to show for it, captain Bruno Fernandes had more to say on why he hasn’t been used more thus far.
While youngster Rico Lewis broke his own record over on the other side of Manchester the day prior and was praised for his hard work by Pep Guardiola, it would seem that Garnacho’s breakthrough into the first team has perhaps been more of a struggle.
Speaking to BT Sport after full-time, the ‘Portuguese Magnifico’ told reporter Becky Ives that the Spanish-born Argentinian youth “didn’t have the best attitude” at the beginning of the season and, as a result, has had to wait for game time.
"At the beginning he didn't have the best attitude"
"Now he's changed that, he's starting to get his chances!"
Bruno Fernandes claims we're only beginning to see more of Alejandro Garnacho now due to his poor attitude at the start of the season! 👀
As Fernandes goes on to explain, he and others at the club felt the 18-year-old didn’t apply himself in the right way on the pre-season tour but has since changed that, adding that “he’s getting his chances now because he trains better… has a different attitude and is now he’s deserving his chances”.
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Conversely, former player turned pundit Chris Sutton slammed the comments on BT, labelling them “totally unnecessary” and insisting that he “could’ve used different language” given manager Erik ten Hag is trying to create the impression that the club is “harmonious.”
He wasn’t the only one either as former Liverpool and Villa striker Dean Saunders said the midfielder’s comments were “bang out of order” and he should focus on his own attitude.
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😡 “It’s bang out of order!”
🤨 “Sort your own attitude out! Fernandes has a habit of saying things like that.”
❌ “He’s an 18 year old lad, he’s just scored…you don’t say that on the TV!”
Many fans have also agreed, with several commenting along the lines of, “Who does this guy think he is?” and “talk about throwing a young kid under a bus.”
On the other hand, doesn’t know what’s going on behind the scenes and the Dutch coach himself has already revealed that he wasn’t happy with fast forward earlier in the season, citing one incident involving untied shoelaces, specifically.
Regardless, it seems like Garnacho is now breaking into the team and bagging his first goal by breaking the record for the club’s youngest non-English scorer in European football certainly won’t have hurt.
Garnacho beat the one and only George Best by netting against Real Sociedad, aged just 18 years and 125 days. One of the legendary United trinity, Best’s record had stood since 1964.
Once again, United failed to top the group as intended – requiring two goals on the night to do so – and will now have to face one of seven teams eliminated from the Champions League in a playoff round to progress in the competition.
The teams they could face following the draw on Monday, 7 November are Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus; RB Salzburg, Sevilla, Shakhtar Donetsk; Sporting Lisbon and none other than the ten Hag’s former club Ajax.
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You can just see the narrative playing out already.
Police issue update after Sterling flies home from World Cup following home invasion
Danny Jones
Surrey Police have issued an update following Raheem Sterling’s home invasion that has forced the England international to fly home from the 2022 World Cup.
The former Manchester City star was left out of the Three Lions squad against Senegal due to a “family matter” on Sunday before the exact circumstances were confirmed shortly after.
Authorities have now verified that hundreds of thousands of pounds of goods had been stolen from the property but that, fortunately, “no threat of violence was involved”.
Sterling flew just hours after hearing of the break-in at his home Leatherhead home where he lives with his fiancé and two children.
Manager Gareth Southgate could not confirm whether the Chelsea player will be returning to the squad, insisting that, obviously, “the priority is for him to be with his family” and that they will “give him as much time as he needs”.
The police force said in a statement: “We are currently investigating a report of a burglary at an address in Oxshott, Leatherhead.
“Police were contacted just before 9pm on Saturday, December 3rd after the occupants of the property came home and discovered a number of items including jewellery and watches had been stolen.
“Inquiries to establish the circumstances are underway and the investigation is ongoing. No threat of violence was involved as the items were discovered stolen retrospectively. Inquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.”
Grealish holds his hands up over Almirón dig: ‘I do stupid stuff’
Danny Jones
Jack Grealish has finally held his hands up after mocking Miguel Almirón, assuring that while he has made mistakes in career, he has a “good heart”.
Speaking to the media at the national camp in Qatar, the footballer was asked about his now-infamous dig at the Newcastle player, quipping that teammate Riyad Mahrez “played like Almirón” in a sub-par performance during Manchester City‘s 2021/22 title-winning match back in May.
Ironically, Grealish‘s Almiron joke has preceded an incredible run of form from the winger this year, arguably being their player of the season with eight goals to his name already.
Despite the 28-year-old insisting he has “never really paid attention” to what people say about him, he will have inevitably seen the viral clip.
Jack Grealish saying that Mahrez should have been taken off the pitch v Aston Villa because he was playing like Newcastle United’s player Miguel Almirón.
Nevertheless, the England and City star took accountability for the unnecessary outburst, confessing, “I do stupid stuff, that was one”, whilst assuring: “Obviously I’ve done stupid stuff in my life but I think everything that I do good is from my heart.”
The 27-year-old went on to say that describe his Premier League peer as a “great player”, adding: “what a guy… if that was me and somebody had said that about me, I’d have probably been the other way and been like: ‘f*** it'”.
While he said he didn’t think the drunken video would go public, he knows it wasn’t the most professional of moments and that not only is he “buzzing” to see Almirón playing so well but that he will be sure to “show him the most respect” the next time they meet on the pitch.
All in all, we know Jack is a decent bloke: his special tribute to superfan Finlay following his goal at the World Cup alone tells us that and is just one of many instances.
Here he is surprising Finlay once again with a FaceTime after he dedicated his celebration to the 11-year-old as promised.
Danny Jones -
4th November 2022 
