Alejandro Garnacho’s behavior following his substitution in Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad has drawn criticism from club legend Paul Scholes. The former midfielder accused the young Argentine of “sulking” after being replaced by Christian Eriksen in the Europa League Round of 16 first leg match.
United took the lead through Joshua Zirkzee before Mikel Oyarzabal equalized from the penalty spot. Manager Ruben Amorim then decided to withdraw Garnacho in the 77th minute, a decision that apparently didn’t sit well with the winger.
Scholes, speaking on TNT Sports, expressed his disapproval of Garnacho’s reaction: “He looked like he was sulking a little bit to me. I am not having fatigue. I think they are alright. I don’t think there are great legs in this Manchester United team.”
The pundit further added: “Garnacho’s biggest strength is running through. Sometimes he makes the wrong decisions but he had a lack of energy and a little bit of sulkiness. He will need to get better as they don’t really have anything else to call on.”
This incident follows a similar controversy from last week’s match against Ipswich Town, where Garnacho’s behavior was labeled “unacceptable” after he refused to return to the bench following his substitution5. Amorim had previously stated he would address the issue with the player.
Explaining his decision to substitute Garnacho against Real Sociedad, Amorim said: “I felt he was tired, and you see it because we did a lot of transitions in the second half because sometimes he was late to defend.”
Manchester United’s next challenge comes in the form of a Premier League clash with Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, March 9. Despite recent controversies, Garnacho is expected to feature in the starting lineup.
As United continue to struggle for consistency under Amorim’s leadership, the manager faces the challenge of nurturing young talents like Garnacho while maintaining discipline and team cohesion.