The Argentina forward's jaw-dropping goal against Everton demonstrated that he has the ability to make it to the very top
"Don't compare, I don't think it is right," pleaded Erik ten Hag when asked whether Alejandro Garnacho, having mimicked Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo with his wonder strike against Everton, could one day be considered in the same category as those two Manchester United greats.
As the manager of a teenager who has never had a problem with self confidence, to put it mildly, perhaps Ten Hag sees it as his job to temper expectations around a player who before Sunday had failed to score in the Premier League or Champions League this season. But after a moment like the one Garnacho produced against Everton, which Sean Dyche hailed as "an absolute worldie", why not jump aboard the hype train?
The Argentina international has been ripping it up ever since he was with Atletico Madrid's youth team and has embraced the big stage with United, first leading their Under-18s side to the FA Youth Cup and then making waves with a series of stunning moments last season in Ten Hag's side.
His goal at Goodison may have been extraordinary, but it also confirmed what anyone who has followed Garnacho's progress in the last two years already knew: he is an outstanding talent who can go right to the top…
GettyYounger than Ronaldo & Rooney
Garnacho's jaw-dropping goal was instantly compared to Rooney's bicycle kick against Manchester City and Ronaldo's acrobatic strike for Real Madrid against Juventus. There were also shades of Gareth Bale's scissor kick in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool. It is not bad company to keep and there is a strong argument to make that Garnacho's was the best of the lot.
He was furthest from goal of those mentioned, and had to deal with Diogo Dalot's cross heading in the opposite direction. He also sent the ball right into the top corner, beating Jordan Pickford even though the England No.1 had managed to dive across his goal.
Then there is the fact that Garnnacho is only in his second season in the United side and his first full campaign since signing a first-team contract. He only turned 19 in July and has been in and out of the team.
Rooney was 25 and United's highest-paid player when he scored his legendary goal against City. Ronaldo was 33 and a five-time Ballon d'Or winner when he struck against Juventus, prompting the home fans to give him a standing ovation. Three months later, he signed for the Serie A giants.
Bale and other bicycle kick merchants like Luis Suarez, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all household names when they conjured their respective moments of magic. That Garnacho has already scored a career-defining goal so early in his career shows the level of his talent, raising the ceiling of what he could go on to achieve even higher.
AdvertisementGettyGive him more opportunities
The teenager's moment of brilliance showed a different side to his game, which typically involved the forward coming off the bench and running in behind defences when games were already stretched and space had opened up for him to exploit.
Garnacho had not made the most of his two previous starts in the Premier League against Fulham and Luton, while in his first two appearances against Wolves and Tottenham in August, his lack of defensive awareness left United badly exposed. He may have not even started at Goodison had Antony not picked up a knock.
But the fact he scored less than three minutes into a game amid a scorching atmosphere, with Everton fans screaming about injustice following their 10-point deduction from the Premier League, strengthened his case for getting more starts.
With United facing another daunting away game on Wednesday at Galatasaray, they could sure do with another early moment of magic from their teenage star to suck the venom out of the home crowd. Garnacho is clearly a player capable of unbelievable feats, so why not give him as much time as possible on the pitch to see what he can do?
Getty ImagesCaution after Januzaj & Morrison cases
When a player of Garnacho's talent comes along, the biggest fear is that his potential will not be realised. United have had their fair share of academy players with the world at their feet and watched them squander their potential.
United insiders say that Ravel Morrison was one of the best players to come through at Carrington, but he did not match his talent with hard work. The midfielder, who is seeing out a disappointing career with D.C. United, hung out with local gangsters and would often not turn up for training. He played just three times for United, never starting.
Adnan Januzaj emerged as a decisive player for David Moyes at the age of 18 but was regarded as being too arrogant to the point he was rude to club staff. He couldn't build on his early momentum and, 10 years after scoring twice for United at Sunderland, is on the fringes of the Sevilla squad at the age of 28, having played just 42 minutes this season in La Liga.
And there was al lot of concern that Garnacho was getting too big for his boots even before he had established himself in the first team.
Getty ImagesFernandes' warning
Garnacho got on the wrong side of Ten Hag by turning up late during the pre-season tour of 2022 and did not make his first Premier League start until November.
"At the beginning of the season, he was not at his best. On the tour, he did not have the best attitude that he should have," Bruno Fernandes revealed after Garnacho scored his first senior goal at Real Sociedad last year. "That’s why he hasn’t got his chances until now. He's getting his chances now because he's training better, he's got a different attitude and he's deserving his chances."
There was also a fear that Garnacho was too keen to impress. When journalists covering United's training camp in Spain last year showed up to watch a training session, he immediately started showboating. Some thought there was a danger of him choosing style over substance.
