Ten Hag sends warning to Garnacho as stats show why he should be on bench

ALEJANDRO GARNACHO has been warned to start producing a better end product if he wants to stop being hooked.

The 18-year-old winger was clearly unhappy at being subbed off in both the win over Crystal Palace and draw against Leeds.

He even took to social media on Wednesday night with a picture of him beating the floor captioned "When you don't understand what is happening remember that God is in control".

But tough taskmaster Erik Ten Hag says he needs to start upping his goals and assists if he wants to be a Manchester United player.

Ten Hag said: “For a Manchester United player, we expect you to have an impact, to influence the score, to influence the result, to positively influence the game by scoring goals and having an assist.

“I think he is doing well, he has an impact on our game, I think he is a threat.

“Against Leeds, he had good actions, he was lively, created chances, but had to score.

“And finally, it's about that, that you have an effect. As a striker, you have to at least be on the scoring list, the assist list, key action list to have the right impact.

“Of course, we expect him also to do the other stuff but the base stuff is also important and if you can't do the others then you have to do that, so that is your base function.”

Garnacho has two goals and four assists from his 22 appearances this season, with eight of them starts.

Against Palace last Saturday he was actually subbed after being brought on. That followed a red card for Casemiro as Ten Hag tried to shore the game up.

He looked a disconsolate figure as he did when replaced in the 59th minute against Leeds along with Wout Weghorst with his team 2-0 down.

It was a move that worked as their replacements brought the teams level with Facundo Pellistri helping set up the Red Devils' first goal and Jadon Sancho scored the equaliser.

Ten Hag says he does not mind Garnacho showing his disappointment, believing that such emotions are his strength.

He said: “When he is coming off, that emotion, that frustration is not that he's not accepting it.

“I don't think that he doesn't understand the decision.

“He's quite emotional, that is his strength, he brings that to his game.

“He wants to win, he wants to play football, he doesn't want to miss any minute and I think that is a good thing.

“He's totally convinced about himself, that is a good thing.”

And Ten Hag does not want to stop the Spanish-born Argentine under-20 international to lose that confidence which makes him fearless in taking people on.

He said: “I think all the players have to be brave, to try something if it's in the interests of the team.

“That is what he is doing quite well because he is taking players on and he is outplaying them, he is creating chances. Against Leeds, he should have scored.”

The Argentine has impressed with his ability to take players on since breaking into the United team, and has completed on average three dribbles per game.

He has also been heavily involved with 54 touches per game, ten of which have come in the opposition box.

But his ineffectiveness in the final third is highlighted by Garnacho failing to create a single big chance in the eight Prem games he has started.

Garnacho will probably find himself starting from the bench in the return Premier League fixture against Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday, and he has shown he is more effective when it comes to creating chances when coming on.

With Antony still injured, Jadon Sancho's scoring return should see him enjoy his first start since the 1-1 draw away at Chelsea on October 22nd.

Ten Hag has eased him back into the first team after citing physical and mental problems for the £73million signing being sidelined.

The Red Devils boss was beaming with a smile in his technical area when the 22-year-old Sancho got his goal on Wednesday.

He said that such moments and when Marcus Rashford scored yet again makes his job so special.

He said: “That makes the job so exciting, it's wonderful to work with young people, to get the best out of them, but finally, they have to do it by themselves.

“But sometimes they need motivation, sometimes they need a push, sometimes they need interaction, sometimes they also need the inspiration of a plan.”

The plan at Elland Road will be simply to get a win after earning just one from their last four league games, shipping seven points in the process.