Manchester United succumbed to a 13th defeat of the Premier League season on Tuesday night against Nottingham Forest.
Despite 10 places separating the two clubs in the league table, it was a closely contested clash which Manchester United had the better of.
Despite United losing 1-0 to Forest, it will have been an encouraging night for Ruben Amorim. United had more possession and shots, but defeat came due to poor final third play.
Anthony Elanga made United pay. He ran 85 meters with the ball before scoring a magnificent goal, which Alejandro Garnacho seems incapable of with his woeful shooting.
The goal was special, but it could have been avoided.
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
David May on Alejandro Garnacho and Andre Onana
Elanga scored a pretty special goal and respectfully refused to celebrate it in front of the United fans.
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However, speaking about the goal on MUTV during coverage of the game, David May made his stance clear that Garnacho and Andre Onana should have done better to prevent the goal.
“They counter-attacked off a corner. Elanga can catch pigeons; you know that. I honestly thought Garnacho could have just brought him down and taken a yellow.
“But when he tried doing that, he’d got so far. I’m not sure whether Onana could have saved it. I still think Onana could have saved it. But it was a poor goal to give away.”
“95% of other teams would have done the same. You’ve got to do better to foul him. Maybe it was an experience thing because I guarantee Maguire would have brought him down.”
When watching it back, it is baffling that nobody brought Elanga down, with Garnacho’s attempt laughable as he barely even broke the Forest attacker’s stride.
Ruben Amorim praises Garnacho for his workrate
Tuesday night was a disappointing one for United and Garnacho, with the performance deserving more than the result.
However, there is a positive feeling after the game as United played pretty well, with some excellent football on display for the Red Devils.
Garnacho, however, was one player who struggled, but speaking after the game, Amorim has praised Garnacho for shining for the only reason that matters.
“He is he making everything. He’s trying. Sometimes, you have one day that you are doing the right things, but in the final third, you are not that good, which can happen. The most important thing for me is that when he needs to run back, he is running back.”
We saw this with Elanga’s goal; despite being weak in the tackle, he was the only one to get back and attempt a challenge.