Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has a mixed record with substitutions in recent matches.
When you look back to Manchester United’s 4-3 win over Liverpool, one of the aspects Erik ten Hag got right was that he nailed his substitutions.
United are winless in the three games since, and it’s been a mixed bag. He certainly seemed to get it right against Brentford, when substitutes Casemiro and Mason Mount combined to put the team ahead.
The two subsequent games against Chelsea and Liverpool the manager has got it wrong. And you can pinpoint the same error.
Alejandro Garnacho should have stayed on
In the defeat at Chelsea, Erik ten Hag brought off Alejandro Garnacho, with Manchester United leading 3-2.
While Mason Mount put in a competent display in his place, the midfielder lacked the pace and threat Garnacho provides.
It was a similar situation when United were leading 2-1 against Liverpool, and Ten Hag decided to take Garnacho off and replace him with rarely seen midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
Manchester United ended up losing 4-3 to Chelsea and drawing 2-2 with Chelsea, taking one point when it could and should have been six.
The principle reason for those dropped points were defensive mistakes, but one of the reasons United made those errors was because of the lack of threat in attack, inviting opponents onto them.
Garnacho’s pace helps to pin full-backs back, offering an ‘out ball’ to his teammates when they recover possession. Neither Mount nor Amrabat provided the same threat.
What United needed was to bring on Amad in Garnacho’s place, or simply leave the young Argentine on the pitch to close out the game.
The options Ten Hag chose just didn’t work. Garnacho is an almost unique player in United’s system, and when he comes off, opponents can rest up a little easier.
Against Liverpool it was a strange choice with Marcus Rashford already withdrawn for Antony. Garnacho’s substitution doubled down on a reduction in attacking pace.
Alejandro Garnacho is enjoying a strong season
Alejandro Garnacho has been an ever present in Manchester United squads this season, the only player to do so this season.
Garnacho has nine goals and four assists, and recently made his first start at international level with Argentina.
He has gone from being an impact substitute to a regular starter, and that’s quite something for a player who was starring in the FA Youth Cup two years ago.
The club picked up Garnacho for a pittance from Atletico Madrid, and now he’s worth millions. The best is yet to come, we just wish he would have been allowed to play the entire games against Chelsea and Liverpool, it could have turned out so differently.