“He has to improve”: Erik ten Hag pinpoints weakness area Alejandro Garnacho must work on – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said that winger Alejandro Garnacho needs to work on the defensive part of his game if he is to fully realise his great potential.

Garnacho has been a shining light for United fans during what has been an underwhelming and dreary season.

He has massively stepped up this term and taken major responsibilities and is now undoubtedly one of the first names on the team sheet.

The Argentine made his 30th consecutive start for United in Thursday’s crushing 4-3 loss at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

Garnacho was one of the few United players who left the match with any credit. He scored a brace – his first goal gave the team an avenue back into the game while his second in the 67th minute of proceedings completed the comeback and gave the side a temporary lead which they went on to squander.

Courtesy of his mid-week double vs. the Blues, Garnacho matched a top-flight record and became the first teenager to score 2+ goals in three Premier League matches in a season since Michael Owen in the 1998/99 season.

Ten Hag spoke to club media and praised Garnacho but explained that the 19-year-old can still get even better. Ten Hag particularly pinpointed Garnacho’s defensive play as an area of weakness – a surprising claim considering just how hard he works and tracks back. In fact, it’s his teammate Marcus Rashford who has often drawn criticism from fans and the media for his perceived reluctance to execute his defensive responsibilities diligently.

The Dutchman said about Garnacho, “His progress is fantastic. No doubt that there are many challenges still for him where he has to improve. For instance, in defending he can do things a lot more better.”

“But nevertheless, the progress he’s made, the impact he has on our game is fantastic.”

One United winger who excels defensively despite his struggles going forward is Antony. The Brazilian registered his first goal contribution of the season in the Premier League against Chelsea. A stunning cross with his outer foot found Garnacho inside the box, who made no mistake as he easily headed it into the back of the net to give United the advantage.

A recent analysis covered by The Peoples Person revealed that Antony leads the league in possessions won in the final third.

Ten Hag opened up on Antony and remarked, “I know he is capable it [of playing like he did vs Chelsea]. I’ve seen it so often when I was manager at Ajax but we haven’t since this [at United].”

“Maybe in the start, we have seen glimpses in the first three games where he scored three goals. But after that, incidentally, like against Barcelona last season where he scored the winning goal. But he’s capable of it. On Thursday night, I saw the Antony I want to see.”

Up next for Ten Hag and his players is the daunting task of facing Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The United gaffer admitted that the mood within the club is deflated and morale is low after the last two trips to London to take on Brentford and Chelsea.

Ten Hag however acknowledged that the United stars are certainly able to lift themselves up and deliver a complete performance vs. the Merseysiders.

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