Ex-Man United assistant coach gives damning verdict on Devils star

Sir Alex Ferguson's former sidekick has called out a current Manchester United star for his 'personality and character'.

Rene Meulensteen, who won three Premier League titles and a Champions League on Fergie's bench, believes it was a mistake letting Anthony Elanga go and relying on the star.

Elanga ran 85 metres with the ball to score a sensational solo goal on Tuesday night as Nottingham Forest beat Man United 1-0.

Mail Sport's Chris Wheeler handed Alejandro Garnacho a 5.5 in his player ratings from the City Ground, and it is the Argentinian who comes under Meulensteen's microscope.

'I’ve never been sold on Alejandro Garnacho to be fairly honest,’ he told Poker Firma.

'I think there’s a personality and character issue at times.

‘Anthony Elanga on the other hand, his performance last night is exactly what you want to expect from a Manchester United winger – strong, direct, powerful, full of confidence and taking players on.

‘I always thought Elanga showed those glimpses when he was playing for Man United, but the club closed the door on him and his career has restarted at a different club.

‘You really have to question the decision-making process to let players like him go, because there’s been a few who have slipped through the fingers.’

Garnacho's performances have come under increasing scrutiny, with United at 13th in the Premier League and on course for their worst ever finish.

He has found the net just four times and made one assist in the league, though it is worth remembering that he is still only 20.

The Argentinian arrived at Old Trafford in October 2020 as a 16-year-old, and there were high hopes that the winger could follow in Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps to become a club legend.

They played together when Ronaldo returned to United in 2021, but Garnacho's career has stalled in the past 12 months amid disagreements with multiple managers.

Garnacho liked a social media post criticising former United boss Erik ten Hag for taking him off against Bournemouth last year before subsequently apologising.

He then failed to hide his frustration at being substituted by Ruben Amorim last month after Patrick Dorgu was sent off in the first half of United's 3-2 win over Ipswich.

Ex-United right back Paul Parker, who played for the club between 1991 and 1996 and won 19 caps for England, is concerned by Garnacho's attitude.

In a savage attack, he claimed Garnacho is consistently letting people down as he laughed off suggestions that he could ever reach Ronaldo's level.

'I liked him (Garnacho) when he came through and he had that Argentinian fire in his belly, which he has lost completely,' Parker told SpilXperten. 'He has let himself and his family down. He has let his club down, because he is not taking advantage of the talent he was supposed to have.

'I am not seeing anything from him. The most important thing for him now is to understand what he is good at and what he is bad at. He can´t take on people, he is not quick enough and he doesn't want to work hard. So, what is he actually good at?

'He needs to figure that out and show it, rather than just wanting to be the next Ronaldo.

'Because at the moment, to me, he just seems like a Ronaldo fanboy, who would rather make a few highlights to post them on Social Media rather than winning football matches and make this club great again.

'We can't keep using the excuse that Garnacho is young,' Parker said. 'He is not young anymore, at least not in football. He turns 21 in the summer and before he knows he will be 30. He needs to understand that and start performing.

'The best players, like Ryan Giggs, were not considered young when he was 21.

'Garnacho might be immature but he is not young anymore, and it is a massive disappointment that he is not performing at all.

'He is not playing like an adult and he is certainly not acting like an adult, and he has to have a good look in the mirror, to tell himself that he needs to stop thinking about being the next Ronaldo.

'He will never be that, so he has to accept the fact that he needs to work hard to get a decent career.'