Alejandro Garnacho Risks Erik ten Hag's Wrath by Liking Post Criticizing Man Utd Boss

Alejandro Garnacho may have risked drawing Erik ten Hag's ire by liking a social media post critical of the Manchester United manager.

Garnacho, 20, has been a key player for Ten Hag over the past year, with the manager relying heavily on him despite his youth. However, the Argentina international's recent social media activity could have strained his relationship with Ten Hag. The post in question featured remarks from former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who criticized Ten Hag for suggesting that Manchester United might not be able to compete for major titles.

Ten Hag’s turbulent tenure saw the end of Ronaldo’s second spell at the club, with the forward's contract being terminated just five months into the manager’s reign in November 2022. During an appearance on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel, Ronaldo commented, “Manchester United needs to rebuild everything. The coach says they cannot compete to win the Premier League and Champions League.”

Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has faced criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo, who suggested that the team should not publicly concede they’re unable to compete for major titles. Ronaldo emphasized the importance of maintaining a winning mentality, saying, “You cannot say you're not going to fight to win the League or Champions League. Even if you think you might not have the potential, you have to try.”

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Ronaldo also advised Ten Hag to heed the advice of new assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy, whom Ronaldo briefly played alongside during his first stint at Old Trafford. “If Ten Hag listens to Ruud, maybe he can help the club,” Ronaldo said. He further noted that the club should value the input of former players like Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, and Gary Neville, as well as Sir Alex Ferguson, emphasizing that rebuilding a club requires deep understanding and experience.

These comments were widely shared by Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano, and Alejandro Garnacho was among the 230,000 users who liked Romano's Instagram post featuring Ronaldo's remarks. This has led to speculation among United fans about Garnacho’s future with the team, with some supporters fearing he might face repercussions for his online activity. One fan commented, “Garnacho definitely on the bench at the weekend then for liking that Ronaldo post,” while another suggested, “Now Garnacho is gonna be out of the squad until he apologizes.”

United will face newly-promoted Southampton on Saturday in an early kick-off, hoping to recover from consecutive Premier League defeats and improve their standing, having earned just three points from their first three games this season.

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