19-year-old Alejandro Garnacho has appeared in six matches this season and notably scored the first goal in Manchester United’s 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Crystal Palace.

Despite his promising start, Garnacho’s playing time has been limited, with his recent outing against The Eagles marking only his third start of the season. He began the campaign in the starting lineup for the first two Premier League matches but had since been relegated to the bench.

However, coach Ten Hag has issued a stern warning to the young striker, expressing his dissatisfaction with Garnacho’s performances earlier in the season and suggesting that he currently falls short of the required standard.

This development occurs amidst ongoing controversy involving Jadon Sancho and Ten Hag. The Dutch coach publicly excluded the English international from the squad, leading to Sancho’s assertion that he was being unfairly targeted as a “scapegoat.”

Ten Hag commented after the victory against Palace, stating, “You could see at the start of the season we gave him a chance, but his contribution wasn’t at the level we expected. Nevertheless, Garnacho has displayed some positive performances. Even when he wasn’t at his best, he remained a threat during matches.”

“Garnacho needs to understand that when he contributes defensively, he creates opportunities for counter-attacks due to his exceptional qualities. Everyone, including the team and myself, appreciates Garnacho. However, the entire team must continue to demand and support him because he possesses the potential to perform at a very high level, but he needs to demonstrate it consistently.”

Coach Ten Hag’s comments reflect his belief in Garnacho’s potential while emphasizing the need for consistent high-level performance.