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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has strongly hinted that Alejandro Garnacho could find himself playing on the right wing more regularly after his heroics against Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Garnacho was the star of the show as United overcame a two-goal deficit to score three goals in the second half and claim victory against Unai Emery’s men.
The Argentine scored a brace before Rasmus Hojlund completed the comeback and scored his first Premier League goal in the process.
Beyond his goals, Garnacho was a constant threat to Villa’s defense and made the right wing a source of threat, something that has not normally been the case when Antony is on the pitch.
Ahead of United’s clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Ten Hag spoke to Sky Sports and discussed Garnacho’s impact on the right flank and whether his future could lie in that role in the future.
Ten Hag said: “You always try to find balance. The balance on Boxing Day was very good with Garna on the right, Rasmus in the middle and Marcus Rashford on the left. Hopefully we can continue with that.”
The Dutchman added that Hojlund can benefit greatly from sharing the field with a winger who can cross from the backline instead of cutting inside all the time.
“It’s not just about the extremes. You also want the full-backs to be there. But we have often had to make concessions during the first half of the season. Diogo Dalot is right-handed and left-handed. He can work very well, but it is not always beneficial for the forwards.”
“With Garnacho on the right you get a forehand, a different type of player who can enter but also exit. We want that dynamic with exchange of positions, combinations, getting behind, taking him out of the triangles and, from there, serving our forwards.”
The United boss also thanked fans for their unwavering support for the team during a campaign in which the Red Devils have greatly underperformed.
Ten Hag said he and his players are working to create a “great atmosphere” at Old Trafford by showing there is a plan and then executing it well enough to get the fans excited.
The 53-year-old told Sky: “Away from home and at Old Trafford, they always keep going even when we have setbacks, even when we can’t field the players we want, with all the setbacks and injuries, they are always behind we. They believe in us. So I thank you.”
When the team sheet against Nottingham Forest is published on Saturday, certainly one of the things to look out for is what position Garnacho is deployed in.
