Man Utd 2-1 Rangers (Butland OG 52′, Fernandes 90+2 | Dessers 88;)
There is no doubting the talent of Alejandro Garnacho. Especially in comparison to the mediocrity all around him at modern-day Manchester United.
Even against a Rangers side down to their bare bones, United did their utmost to ensure their miserable Old Trafford form continued on Thursday night, with captain fantastic Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage-time winner saving them from further embarrassment on their own patch.
Garnacho was the best of a bad bunch, playing like he was either putting himself in the shop window or trying to convince his current employers of his worth. His potential sale has divided an already fractious fanbase.
However, if United can persuade Napoli or Chelsea to part with anything towards £60m for the Argentine’s services, given the PSR-related benefits on offer, there was evidence on show against Rangers that the 20-year-old is a player Amorim, hardly a Garnacho aficionado, can do without.
“I am focused on the games and this year he is a player for Man Utd,” Amorim said afterwards, hardly playing down speculation.
“He was really important for us today. We will see in the next days what will happen.
“He is improving in every aspect, he was better today playing inside. Until 90 minutes he was always there recovering. He has potential to be so much better. He understood what I was trying to do.”
Old Trafford was nervous, to put it mildly, ahead of kick-off on Thursday night and not just because Manchester’s most unwanted guests were in town.
The memory of Piccadilly Gardens being turned into a landfill site by Rangers fans after the 2008 Uefa Cup final has not been forgotten around these parts.
Local authorities moved visiting ticketless supporters – numbering in their thousands – into a local warehouse to watch the match on a big screen this time around, to keep them under lock and key.
Amorim admitted regret about labelling this United team the “worst in history” pre-match but there have been no arguments from season-ticket holders. United suffered their sixth home league defeat of the season on Sunday, their most from their opening 12 home matches of a league season since 1893-94.
After a slow start against Rangers, United did look more of a threat as the opening period wore on, with Garnacho wasting his side’s best chance to break the deadlock.
Another wayward finish in the second half proved to be a microcosm of Garnacho’s season. For all his endeavour and exuberance, the end product is often lacking. No United player has missed more big chances in the Premier League this season. While it is not unusual for a 20-year-old to be rough around the edges, it certainly makes taking the cash and run that bit more appealing.
It is no secret new co-owners Ineos need to sell before they can reinvest into an expensively assembled, substandard squad. Garnacho is one of the few who can actually raise such funds.
There are plenty of supporters who feel selling an academy product is deplorable. But herein lies one of the many problems holding United back – their inability to generate revenue in the transfer market.
Rivals Manchester City bring in hundreds of millions by selling players, often from their academy, while still dominating English football, whereas United hold on to their assets for far too long before letting them leave on a free.
It is not all that long ago Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard all departed for nothing in one summer.
There are plenty of reasons to keep Garnacho, but not if £60m is on offer. Cash in while you can and start a rebuild with the cash generated, bringing in players who actually fit into Amorim’s ideal system.
Trusting those in power to do just that is another issue. But drastic times call for drastic measures.
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