Alejandro Garnacho was ‘SULKING’ after being substituted in Man United’s draw with Real Sociedad, Paul Scholes claims
Alejandro Garnacho was ‘sulking’ after being substituted in Manchester United’s draw with Real Sociedad, according to Paul Scholes.
United’s poor form continued on Thursday night as they drew 1-1 with the LaLiga side in the Europa League, with Joshua Zirkzee’s opener cancelled out following a Bruno Fernandes handball.
The handball led to a penalty, which Spain Euro 2024 hero Mikel Oyarzabal put away to earn his side a draw, which they will take to Old Trafford next week in the return leg of the last-16 clash.
Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim blamed fatigue for the decline in performance as the game went on, with United leaving five squad spot unused due to injuries and players leaving the club.
He was largely unable to make changes, with a youthful bench mostly unused – just Toby Collyer, 21, was introduced from the list of youngsters, with Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen also brought on in the second half.
Zirkzee, Leny Yoro and Garnacho were the players withdrawn, and it was the latter, according to Scholes, who was sulking on the bench.
Alejandro Garnacho was ‘sulking’ on the substitutes bench on Thursday evening, according to Paul Scholes
Garnacho had started the game but United struggled in front of goal again, drawing 1-1
Garnacho clashed with Ruben Amorim earlier this season and raised eyebrows against Ipswich
Amorim’s side will back themselves to come out victorious in the return leg next week
Scholes (left) said the forward will need to get better, while Karen Carney (right) leapt to his defence on punditry
‘He looked like he was sulking a little bit to me,’ Scholes said on TNT Sports. ‘I am not having fatigue. I think they are alright. I dot think there are great legs in this Man United team.
‘Garnacho’s biggest strength is running through. Sometimes he makes the wrong decisions but he had a lack of energy and a little bit of sulkiness. He will need to get better as they don’t really have anything else to call on.’
Scholes added: ‘Coming to these places, European away games are difficult. It wasn’t the most hostile of atmospheres. United played well without looking like they would go onto win the game convincingly. There is a slight lack of where the goals will come from.’
Karen Carney, meanwhile, fought the forward’s corner.
‘It didn’t look like Garnacho had the burst and he had something taped round his knee,’ she said. ‘He didn’t look himself. Maybe he had a poor game.
‘Maybe he hadn’t won the game like they thought. I do think fatigue was a factor. They bring on subs and he has no one to bring on.’
Garnacho had a falling out with Amorim when he joined the club and raised eyebrows when he headed straight down the tunnel against Ipswich after being substituted last week.
United have been struggling for numbers of late, with the likes of Mason Mount, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez out injured. Antony and Marcus Rashford, menawhile, departed on loan in the winter.
Garnacho appeared to have some strapping on his leg during the game
Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte picked up knocks this week, adding to the club’s growing injury list.
‘Until the penalty we had control and it changed momentum,’ Amorim told TNT Sports after the game. ‘In the last 30 were really tired and at Old Trafford it will be different, pressure will be on us. We will be surviving physically for Sunday (against Arsenal).
‘The momentum changed but it was clearly fatigue. We were late on the balls and they were stronger in the last 30 minutes.’
‘Until the penalty we had good possession. We could put the ball behind, our decisions are sometimes not the best but we have good moments.
On Rasmus Hojlund losing his cool with Diogo Dalot, he added: ‘Dalot has the advantage and Rasmus did the sprint but that can happen, they cannot focus on that and have to move onto the next play.’
