Alejandro Garnacho and Erik ten Hag’s rocky relationship as Man Utd ace responds in style

Alejandro Garnacho has been in hot water for his social media behaviour this week but his relationship with Erik ten Hag has remained strong throughout his Manchester United career

Erik ten Hag and Alejandro Garnacho's relationship has been a rollercoaster ride since the Dutchman took over at Manchester United.

Garnacho, who joined United's youth academy from Atletico Madrid in 2020, made his senior debut under interim boss Ralf Rangnick. However, it was under Ten Hag that he started to make his mark in the first team.

Fast forward two years from his debut against Chelsea in 2022, and the 20-year-old Argentine is now one of United's key players and a crowd favourite at Old Trafford.

His 2024/25 season kicked off on the bench against Fulham, but he quickly made an impact by setting up Joshua Zirkzee's winning goal in the club's first league match of the season.

However, after starting in United's 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool, Garnacho found himself back on the bench for their game against Southampton last week.

Reports suggest his demotion was due to tactical reasons, not because of his social media activity. The young player had liked a post from Fabrizio Romano detailing Cristiano Ronaldo's criticism of Ten Hag during an interview with Rio Ferdinand.

Despite this, Garnacho bounced back from the controversy impressively, scoring a goal as a substitute against Southampton and netting twice while assisting two more in United's 7-0 demolition of Barnsley in the EFL Cup on Tuesday (September 17). But this wasn't the first time his online behaviour had caused a stir.

The young Argentine raised eyebrows back in April when he showed support for social media posts slamming Ten Hag for taking him off at half-time during a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. The fiery post stated: "Garnacho had a poor first half, but taking him off at half-time and holding him up as the problem is a joke". Ten Hag later revealed the winger had apologised to him as the club dealt with the matter internally.

The winger has had a whirlwind time since arriving in Manchester, with a mix of applause and flak sometimes affecting his stride in United's squad.

The Athletic revealed that Ten Hag was less than impressed by Garnacho's habit of leaving training with undone laces back in 2022, marking his detached attitude as 'too lax', a behaviour which has apparently been amended.

Moreover, during the Dutchman's inaugural pre-season, the manager was reportedly infuriated when the then-teenager failed to show up on time for two team gatherings during their tour in Thailand and Australia, which consequently saw Garnacho get only limited playtime at the beginning of the season.

Despite his penalties, Garnacho still spilled positive words about Ten Hag, both as a manager and individual, telling club media: "Erik Ten Hag is a very good manager and, above all, he's a great person. He always pays very close attention to us all, and helps us a great deal, especially the young players."

Ten Hag has revealed his high hopes for Man United's young sensation, challenging him to reach world-class levels. After an impressive tally of 10 goals and five assists last season, the boss is demanding consistency as a key to unlocking his full potential.

"Every club at the top needs players with the X-factor," commented Ten Hag last month. "Garnacho has it in him to become that player. We've already seen on occasions that he has shown the X-factor, so if you want to be that player that people are saying is world-class, then you have to do it consistently. He has that skill."

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Get the new Man Utd kit

Get the new Man United 2024/25 kit now!
Adult sizes from £80

United have unveiled their new adidas home kit with new front-of-shirt sponsors for the 2024/25 season - and you can get your hands on it right now.

Fanatics
Get it here

With echoes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in his early performances, including a stunning overhead kick against Everton last season, Garnacho's talent is clear. However, Ten Hag notes that consistent excellence is needed to reach the stature of these icons.

"They all have their own identity but for Garnacho to go that way he has a lot to come, he has to work very hard. You have to do it on a consistent basis and so far he has not.

"But he definitely has high potential to do some amazing things, it's not the first time we saw this, we have already often seen glimpses but if you want to be a player like Rooney or Ronaldo you have to score 20, 25 goals in the Premier League each season."

Despite a rocky start, the relationship between Garnacho and Ten Hag has blossomed into one of mutual respect, with both parties speaking highly of each other. The youngster has taken on board his manager's advice over the past two years, leading to significant improvements in his game.

Currently, he is Manchester United's top scorer across all competitions with four goals. This season, Garnacho has already contributed to seven goals in just six games - nearly half of his total tally from last season. As United prepare to face Crystal Palace this Saturday, Ten Hag will undoubtedly be hoping that his star player continues his impressive form.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.