Alejandro Garnacho demonstrated remarkable tenacity when he lost possession but promptly tracked back, displaying a tremendous desire to recover.
Garnacho shone as Manchester United commenced their Carabao Cup defense with a convincing 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
He initiated the scoring in the 21st minute, with Casemiro and Anthony Martial also finding the back of the net.
The Argentine winger received acclaim for “setting the standard” at Manchester United with his determined run, tracking back alongside Hannibal Mejbri.
Garnacho was also recognized for a splendid moment in the second half when he quickly recovered after a tackle and sprinted to regain possession.
In the 59th minute, it seemed like he had outmaneuvered Chris Richards but was intercepted and fell to the ground.
Yet, he swiftly got back on his feet, pursued the ball, and pressed Richards, while Sofyan Amrabat also closed down the Palace defender during his impressive full debut.
Manchester United fans in the stadium showed their appreciation for Garnacho’s relentless effort, applauding his work rate.
Garnacho immediately getting up and tracking back after losing possession, and Hannibal shaking hands with Amrabat and Garancho…
Our young players showing the right mentality. ❤️pic.twitter.com/dv83gitmru
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) September 27, 2023
Despite the 19-year-old’s impressive showing, Erik ten Hag fired a warning to the budding starlet after the game.
“You have seen, at the start of the season we played them. His contribution was not good enough,” he said.
“He had some good actions. You see he is always a threat in a game, even when he is not playing well.
“He has to learn when he does his job and he is defending, he will always have his moment and he will always be decisive, because he has great qualities.”
The Dutch boss added: “It is not only off the ball. I want to see him entering the box and finishing. I think it is quite normal for a player of this age to have lots of space for improvement, but I like him.
“But we have to demand him and push him. He can get to a very high level, but he needs to show it every day.”