Manchester United suffered their ninth league defeat under manager Ruben Amorim on Tuesday evening, losing 1-0 at Nottingham Forest.
Forward Alejandro Garnacho was one of the poorest performers on the night. We rated him 3/10, the lowest rating of any United player who appeared in the contest.
Garnacho was one of the players culpable for Forest’s goal, failing to track Anthony Elanga’s run, who scored the winner.
The Argentine had a poor defensive contribution, winning four of the 13 ground duels he contested.
His decision-making was also disappointing. When given the chance, he often failed to set up his teammates and opted to shoot instead. He attempted six shots, all of which were either blocked or off-target.
Garnacho also struggled in one-on-one situations against Forest defenders, completing only two of the six dribbles he attempted.
With United facing a well-organised Forest defence, Amorim needed his players to be patient in the build-up, but Garnacho was often too hasty with his decisions.
Despite his heavy involvement in the encounter, the Argentine recorded an expected goal (xG) of 0.25 and an expected assist (xA) of 0.18.
Garnacho’s poor decision-making has been a source of frustration this season.
Unsurprisingly, he has recorded fewer expected assists in the league than midfielders Casemiro and Christian Eriksen despite playing more games than both.
He has struggled under Amorim, registering just six goal involvements since the Portuguese manager’s arrival.
The 20-year-old has been deployed as number 10 in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation but is often allowed to drift wide, as seen against Forest. His decision-making has remained an issue.
Amorim could sanction his exit this summer to make room for a more effective option.
Stats from transfermarkt.com & sofascore.com