Chelsea booked their place in the fifth round of The FA Cup with a comfortable 4-0 win over Hull City, but Micah Richards was damning in his verdict of Alejandro Garnacho.
A hat-trick from Pedro Neto and an Estevao finish secured an easy win for Liam Rosenior, who will have enjoyed his return to the club he played for five years before managing during the 2023-24 season.
Rosenior made seven changes to the side that drew with Leeds. Only Robert Sanchez, Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Estevao survived in the starting XI, with Garnacho one player to come into the side.
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But before the game, Argentina international Garnacho was discussed with the winger struggling for form under Rosenior after being hooked at half-time during the 3-2 comeback win over West Ham at home.
Micah Richards doesn’t hold back on Alejandro Garnacho
Speaking on BBC Sport’s coverage of the game, Richards was asked about getting the best out of the £40m summer signing from Man United. He responded by claiming he’s noticed Garnacho’s work rate.
“He and Hato against West Ham, on that left-hand side, got hooked. But he has got something. With Garnacho, you’d want him to be a bit more consistent. Fans have been on his back,” Richards claimed.
Alejandro Garnacho in action for Chelsea against Hull City at the MKM Stadium; the Argentine forward was relentlessly booed by the home crowd during the FA Cup fourth-round tie and Alan Shearer didn't like his diving.
Photo by Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
“He needs to show more conviction. He’s not tracking runs. You need to be doing the basics, especially with the competition. As a full-back, I’d push him high because he’s not going to track the runner.”
Garnacho would remain on the field of play for the entire 90 minutes, perhaps a sign that Rosenior does not feel the need to rest him ahead of next weekend’s clash against relegation strugglers Burnley.
Garnacho gets just 5/10 in the Chelsea Chronicle’s ratings
A typical Garnacho display, little fireworks here and there but overall, pretty frustrating. None will be more frustrated than Garnacho, with the clash against Hull and Chelsea’s dominance the perfect platform.
Even the Hull City fans were booing Alejandro Garnacho 🤣
What did you make of these two?
Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap disappoint for Chelsea vs Hull City
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Instead, the former Man United man will be ruing a missed opportunity. The Chelsea Chronicle gave him a rating of 5/10, when the remainder of the Chelsea squad were earning scores of around seven or eight.
“Frustrating at times, exciting at times. The enigma of Alejandro Garnacho continues. Overall, he probably didn’t do enough to bolster his minutes in the coming weeks,” The Chelsea Chronicle’s Jack Drury writes.
With the Premier League entering the final third and Chelsea remaining competitive on three fronts, there will be more chances for Garnacho. But he will be annoyed that he’s been unable to make an impact.
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