Garnacho has shown true colours at Man Utd after ‘bad attitude’ claim

Alejandro Garnacho is quietly on his way to becoming a modern-day Old Trafford superstar for Manchester United and that is testament to the small changes and adjustments the young Argentine has made to his game since Erik ten Hag came into power last May. The highly-rated 18-year-old had already built a reputation for himself behind the scenes at Carrington prior to the Dutchman’s arrival but the former Ajax tactician has now elevated Garnacho’s game to the next level by thrusting him into the first-team picture.

While he now looks like part of the furniture, that wasn’t always the case – particularly in the early stages of Ten Hag’s tenure when the player’s attitude was surprisingly thrown into question by Bruno Fernandes.

Garnacho netted his first senior goal in the 1-0 Europa League victory at Real Sociedad in November as he thrived in attack alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and although the result was not enough to secure top spot, it was a statement performance that saw him come of age.

However, after the match, Fernandes was quick to note that Garnacho must keep his feet on the ground as he had previously shown signs of a poor attitude during pre-season, something that evidently stuck with Manchester United’s senior players.

“He was good, but he knows that we expect a lot from him,” the United attacking midfielder told BT Sport following the Red Devils’ gritty victory in the Basque Country.

“Obviously he’s still really young, he’s doing really well. He was not at his best at the beginning of the season. On the tour he didn’t have the best attitude that he should have had, and that’s why he didn’t get his chances until now. He’s getting his chances because he’s training better, having a different attitude and deserving his chances.”

READ MORE: Man Utd may have already found their next Alejandro Garnacho after stunning debut

Speaking to MUFC TV, Fernandes later doubled down on the comments, noting that Garnacho had failed to make an impression in the club’s training sessions.

The Portugal international continued: “He didn’t get his chances before because he was not good enough in training and not good enough mentality-wise. He’s changed that, that’s why he’s getting chances. Everyone is really happy for him and pleased with his goal.”

Jesus Adolfo Marcos, Garnacho’s former youth coach at Atletico Madrid has since described the teenager as a “rascal” – claiming he used to cause disruption by “creating war” inside hotels when his team-mates were supposed to be enjoying some downtime and rest.

It would suggest that despite his talent – Garnacho’s attitude was sometimes called into question and at times, he needed some guidance to keep him in line in his quest to make it as a top-level footballer.

“Alejandro was a ‘street boy’ from a suburb of Getafe, and straight away we decided to move him to the academy hotel, because he was not a good student,” Marcos told The Sun.

“He was smarter than the rest of the boys, but became problematic… he was a rascal and creating war inside the hotel.

“He’d sneak food into the room, sweets and stuff, and would hide his phone and be on it late at night. He was also top of his group at breaking the rules!”

Nonetheless, that kind of character is what separates Garnacho from the rest when it comes to players at his young age. He has arrogance – in a good way – self-belief and personality. It is arguably what makes him so special, alongside his outstanding undeniable footballing talent.

Although Garnacho isn’t getting the minutes he desires, he is now an important part of this excellent United side and is beginning to chip in with regular contributions – displaying the maturity that is required to make the grade at Old Trafford.

He netted a last-gasp winner at Fulham before the World Cup, assisted another winner for Marcus Rashford in the Manchester derby against City in January and also scored a vital goal in United’s late 3-1 FA Cup victory over West Ham last week.

Ten Hag demands professionalism and as shown on multiple occasions this season, he is not scared to make big decisions if he feels they are necessary. Rashford has been dropped for missing a team meeting, while Ronaldo’s contract was mutually terminated following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan on TALK TV.

It’s understood Garnacho also missed a team meeting in pre-season but since then, he has done everything that is expected of him and now he is getting his reward with precious Premier League minutes.

For all the murmurs about his attitude and application, Garnacho has now shown his true colours – it is clear he should be taken seriously at Manchester United and he is a generational talent that can be a major asset for the Red Devils moving forward in years to come.