Alejandro Garnacho Is Capable Of Greatness, Says Erik Ten Hag

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has challenged Alejandro Garnacho to go on and fulfil his vast potential after his incredible goal against Everton.

The Argentinian international scored with an overhead kick from near the edge of the penalty area to set United on course for a 3-0 victory at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Ten Hag now wants to see Garnacho produce more stunning performances and goals in the coming months.

“He has to work very hard and do it on a consistent basis,” Ten Hag said. “So far he has not, but he definitely has high potential to do some amazing things.”

In the aftermath of the game Garnacho was even compared to United legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, which Ten Hag was quick to dismiss.

“Don’t compare, I don’t think it’s right,” he said. “They all have their own identity. For Garnacho to go that way, he has a lot to come.”

“It is not the first time we see this, we see often glimpses, but if you want to be a player like Rooney, Ronaldo, you have to score 20, 25 goals in the Premier League.”

“It’s not easy to get, you have to work very hard and go in ways where it hurts. A lot to come but potential he has.”

“It was a fantastic goal. In the season, there are still many games to play but maybe already [it is] the goal of the season. Not only the finish, it was the back to the end. But the finish was incredible.”

Garnacho’s goal came after only three minutes to temporarily silence a raucous Everton crowd, who were protesting about the Premier League’s decision to dock them 10 points over the international break.

“This was another example of how this team can play, how you can quieten the crowd but also make an impact on an opponent,” Ten Hag said. “So be brave, be proactive, be dynamic. And that is what we showed in the first couple of minutes in the game.”

Despite eventually recording their fifth win from their last six Premier League games, and their first this season by a margin of more than one goal, United were not able to immediately capitalize on Garnacho’s goal and performed poorly for the rest of the first half.

“We were too easy going, too comfortable and I criticised the team at half-time because they were thinking we are already there. You can’t do it. The game is 95 minutes, longer even. I think there were two times of six minutes injury. So you have to bring it in 100 minutes on the pitch, show initiative in and out of possession, everyone. And in the second half, they did very well and then we had the highest score this season.”

Before this game, United’s strikers had only scored once in the Premier League this season, but at Goodison Park each of United’s front three scored, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial adding to Garnacho’s opener.

“Our three offensive players scored and that is very good,” Ten Hag said. “That is what we need, that they go and score because that will help us as a team. And I said we need that to get into the season, to be successful, absolutely. That will give them confidence and we have to take this into our next game.”

Rashford’s goal, his first since the start of September, came from the penalty spot after United’s regular penalty taker Bruno Fernandes gave it to him.

“You saw how great a captain Bruno is,” said Ten Hag. “He could see, feel, assess that his team-mate needed that goal. Also he had the confidence in Rashy to take the penalty because he knows he is a very good penalty taker. ‘Take that ball and take your confidence.’”

“As a team, you need that. You need such leadership and you back each other, you cover each other and you give each other the confidence because you know you need it to get a successful season.”