Sport
Erik ten Hag reveals instruction he gave to Alejandro Garnacho before late West Ham winner
He's still only 18.
Danny Jones -
2nd March 2023 
Manchester United advanced to the next round of the FA Cup on Wednesday night thanks to a late winner by Alejandro Garnacho and manager Erik ten Hag has now revealed the main message he told the youngster before the game.
The 3-1 win over West Ham not only saw ten Hag‘s team make it to the quarter-final of another cup competition but it also extended their run of unbeaten games at home to 20, maintaining their status as one of the most in-form teams in Europe.
United looked somewhat like they’d taken their foot off the gas following Sunday’s Carabao Cup win — their first trophy in six years — for the majority of the first half, but an own goal from a corner followed by Garnacho‘s impressively whipped finish was enough to secure the win before Fred finished things off.
Speaking to media after the game, the Dutch coach explained how he’d spoken to the 18-year-old prior to kick-off and set him a challenge: ‘super sub’ is all well and good but now you have to “impact as a starter”.
The 53-year-old said he believes the Spanish-born star took “another step” with this latest contribution and while he has made a difference when coming off the bench for some time, he has now proven he is “capable” of doing from the start of a game.
Despite the home team not playing their best football on the night, Garnacho was one of the better players over the 90 and was clearly a focal point for the midfielders to target with the likes of Rashford and Sancho on the bench.
Nevertheless, the Argentine international looks to have plenty of confidence and that fearless quality to spearhead attacks regardless of whose on the pitch.
He didn’t get too much joy for a good 89 minutes or so, but then he stepped up and did this:
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It looks like the promising winger and academy product has already come a long way from pre-season when both his manager and defacto captain Bruno Fernandes said his ‘attitude problems’ had kept him out of the side.
The question now is can he cement his place in the team and continue to make an impact throughout the course of a game?
You can watch Erik ten Hag’s press conference in the full HERE and the highlights of Man United vs West Ham down below:
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Featured Image — Beanyman Sports (via YouTube)/Manchester United (via Twitter)
