Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is facing mounting pressure amid a four-game losing streak, and he may turn to a forgotten talent, Alejandro Garnacho, as a solution when they face Burnley.

 

After a 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich marked the beginning of their Champions League campaign, scrutiny has intensified on Ten Hag’s team.

Garnacho, the highly-rated winger from Argentina, has found himself on the bench since he was substituted just after the one-hour mark during their 2-0 loss to Tottenham. Garnacho had shown promise that day, but he was replaced by Jadon Sancho in the 66th minute, with the £73 million winger struggling to make an impact.

 

Since that match, Garnacho has only played for 24 minutes across three substitute appearances, indicating the limited chances he has been given under Ten Hag. This is despite Sancho being dropped by the manager, and Antony’s situation requiring him to take a leave of absence, resulting in Facundo Pellistri being preferred in the starting lineup against Bayern Munich.

 

While some argue that Pellistri has performed well enough in recent substitute appearances to earn a starting spot, few would dispute that Garnacho possesses greater talent. The 19-year-old has been a game-changer for United on multiple occasions, contributing three goals and two assists in 19 appearances last season, with only five of those as a starter.

 

Ten Hag himself praised Garnacho’s development both in terms of his game and character towards the end of the previous season when the young winger was integrated more regularly into the first-team setup.

 

“He learned in the last months how to play in the team and how to live and do the right things in the week, and how to have the right attitude on the training ground,” he said in June. “You can see how he is acting as a team player, but his individual skills can make the difference.”