By now, we should be well aware that nothing is ever plain sailing at Manchester United. It’s been a turbulent decade at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson retired — to say the least — and while Erik ten Hag looks to have steadied the ship as far as on the pitch matters are concerned, the rumblings behind the scenes at the club just never seem to go away.
The latest issue away from the field is perhaps one of the biggest the club have ever had to deal with, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s damning interview with Piers Morgan is making waves across the footballing world for all the wrong reasons. The Portugal star hasn’t held back when talking about his new manager, former players and infrastructure at the club — and the fall out is far from over.
Luckily, there are plenty of reasons for Manchester United fans to remain positive despite all the noise created by Ronaldo. After their poor start to the season, which saw them beaten by Brighton and Brentford, Ten Hag’s methods and philosophies are starting to shine through and the Red Devils are often favoured in the football odds as game day approaches.
While they might have liked to be higher in the table at the break for the World Cup, sitting in fifth three points behind Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand over the north Londoners certainly isn’t a bad place to be in at this stage of the season. But the number one thing getting Man United fans excited at the minute has got to be the emergence of young talent Alejandro Garnacho.
The young Argentine has put in some admirable performances in his handful of appearances so far this season, most notably scoring the winning goal in injury time to ensure Manchester United came away from Craven Cottage with a 2-1 win over Fulham and with all three points in the bag before the international break.
At just 18 years of age, he isn’t quite at the stage where he’s going to walk into Ten Hag’s starting XI on a regular basis and single handily make Man United more favourable in the football betting tips just yet.
However, he is playing with a level of confidence that makes him a danger from the bench as he isn’t afraid to take on a defender and make a bursting run down the wing before whipping in a cross — which we saw him do in the 4-2 win over Aston Villa in the League Cup, cutting back on to his foot before whipping in a delightful ball to Scott McTominay.
In many ways, this period now feels like it’s a case of out with the old and in with the new — as Ronaldo’s second stint at the club is almost certainly over, while life in the famous red jersey of Man United is only just beginning for the exciting Garnacho. Of course, several players like the 18-year-old have come through and failed to live up to expectation at Old Trafford, so it’s important not to put too much weight on his shoulders.
Image credit: AtilaTheHun from Manchester, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
