Manchester United is failed to win back-to-back Premier League games under either manager this season. Their 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night highlighted their most glaring weakness: the delicate art of goal scoring.
The Old Trafford team had a staggering 24 shots, six of which were on goal, compared to the Garibaldi’s eight. However, players like Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, and Joshua Zirkzee were unable to tie the score at the host’s City Ground.
Did Garnacho learn how to do it from former Red Devil Anthony Elanga? He scored the game’s lone goal in five minutes by running straight through the visitors at full power and exploiting Amorim’s men’s vulnerability.
The Old Trafford supporters are wagging their tongues at the thought of losing the 20-year-old wide player after his 90-minute performance. Garnacho, the latter, didn’t have the same happiness in the East Midlands.
Using Data to Examine Garnacho’s Challenges Against Forest
The youthful winger was unable to dribble or finish a cross.
Given the recent return of Mason Mount and the injuries to Amad and Kobbie Mainoo, Amorim—who is considered to be among the greatest young managers in world football—and his team are undervalued in the role of Garnacho, who was born in Madrid.
According to the statistics, he made four crucial passes in the ninety minutes at the City Ground while playing alongside Bruno Fernandes and behind the previously mentioned Zirkzee against Nuno Espirito Santo’s team.
It is impossible to say that Garnacho did not take enough shots during his performance. However, the quality of those shots was the problem: 0% (0/6) of his attempts were on target because many of them might be classified as either a) “potshots” or b) went over the crossbar.
He crossed with the same degree of success. This is not to suggest that Garnacho, who had 82 touches of the ball, wasn’t eager to score; rather, it shows how ineffective he is from those areas, since he finished with 0/7 (0%).
Even Garnacho’s dribbling, which is usually his strongest suit, was a weakness against the Champions League contenders. He only won five of his 14 duels and only completed 2/6 of his dribbling attempts.
He gained four ball recoveries by pressing from the front from a defensive standpoint. His downfall, however, occurred while he was in possession because, despite being regarded as one of the top young players in the world of football, virtually little went his way.
His hesitancy on the left was what the stats failed to detect. Patrick Dorgu made an overlapping run on innumerable occasions, but their understanding is obviously lacking as they showed very little sign of a collaborative partnership.
The highlight of Garnacho’s night under the City Ground lights was his reaction, which was to smash the ball against the advertising hoardings after being given offside. The eight-cap Argentina international has scored nine goals and provided eight assists across all competitions this season.
“He’s very conceited and self-centred on the pitch,” some Manchester United supporters beg Amorim to sell up.
The 20-year-old’s growth into one of England’s most lethal wingers was enthusiastically embraced by Manchester United fans not long ago, but it appears that sentiment has changed during a cold spell.
“He’s incredibly arrogant and selfish on the pitch, showing little regard for anyone else,” one fan commented, citing the former Atletico Madrid player’s brand of attitude. He consistently makes the same errors and shows no signs of growing or caring.
If there is a Premier League player that manages to consistently get in as many very good positions, often through their own physical quality and determination…
Only to consistently BLAZE it over the bar…
Than Alejandro Garnacho, then I’m struggling to think of them.
— Dougie Critchley (@DougieCritchley) April 1, 2025
In the summer of 2024, there were rumours that Napoli was considering paying about £60 million to recruit the Argentine. Seven months later, a supporter is pleading with the club’s executives to take advantage of the situation.
“As a football team, we have failed if we don’t sell Garnacho in the summer.
Another fan wrote: “The difference between Elanga’s ball carrying compared to Garnacho’s is outrageous,” emphasising the disparity between his and Elanga’s abilities to dribble with a combination of pace and power and beat a guy.
Garnacho’s Premier League 24/25 Stats against the Manchester United team
Metric
Results
Rank of the Squad
Looks
18 (11).
Fourth
Minutes
1730
7th
Objectives
4.
= Third
Helps
One
= 4th
Each game’s shots
2.3
Second
Each game’s key passes
0.9
Sixth
Each game’s Dribbles
0.7
7th
Total score
6.48
17th
“Alejandro Garnacho is unable to hold his own in ground duels, take a good first touch, or control the most basic of passes and dribble past fullbacks.” “He had a lousy night,” one person said, while another added. Shooting without thinking.
Garnacho’s harshest critic in the past has been Amorim, but this time the Portuguese tactician even sprang to his rescue of his youthful and eager winger. “He is creating everything.” According to The Mirror, the 40-year-old stated, “He’s trying.”
“You may have a day when you are doing the right things, but in the last third of the game, you may not be that good. What matters most is that he is running back when he needs to run. Naturally, we want a player with one-on-one skills.
Amorim, who was born in Lisbon, went on: “You can point to any player today, but sometimes he is trying too much, he has Dorgu to make a move, but he wants to help the team to do his best.”
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