Amorim has told Garnacho he can go
Amorim has told Garnacho he can go
It was seven years ago that three of us were beckoned to the doorframe of the Levi's Stadium press room in San Jose. Jose Mourinho stood in it.
Mourinho stressed to the three of us he was prepared to let Anthony Martial leave Manchester United. Martial's agent, Philippe Lamboley, had outlined his intention to move only a month earlier.
If a player wanted out, Mourinho was never going to stand in the way. But Ed Woodward did. He blocked Luke Shaw's sale that summer as well. Martial and Shaw would sign new contracts within the next six months.
Martial outstayed his welcome at United and was released after nine years last year. Shaw is 11 years and counting. This is what happens when you undermine the United manager and erode the role's authority.
So United supporters have to be sanguine with Ruben Amorim's decisive call on Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho was told on Saturday he can leave.
It was three strikes and you're out for the 20-year-old. Garnacho was dropped for the Manchester derby in December on account of his attitude and skulked down the tunnel following his first-half substitution against Ipswich Town in February. He paid for a team meal by way of an apology.
Garnacho is still so young but should not be as juvenile as he is on social media. Erik ten Hag had to give him a ticking off last season over a tweet he liked from an account criticising his substitution against Bournemouth.
When a 20-year-old sounds off about a "s**t season", criticises the manager's selection and casts doubt on his future, he should be ushered towards the door marked 'exit'. Garnacho was on raw form in the San Mames mixed zone and he was not the only United player who used the platform as an unburdening.
Yet this is not the first time he has erred. Garnacho has developed an inflated sense of entitlement through his escapades with the youth team and first team. Generations change but managers should never allow any player, junior or senior, to ride roughshod over them. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did and one could never get past the image of him as a substitute teacher.
On the night United won the FA Youth Cup in May 2022, the Old Trafford crowd sang "Viva Garnacho". Garnacho applauded nonchalantly, as though he expected it when he ought to have been almost overwhelmed.
Garnacho has been put in his place by Amorim
That is a measure of his self-belief and he will doubtless enhance whichever team he joins. Napoli, who bid for Garnacho unsuccessfully in January, are now Serie A champions. Their coach, Antonio Conte, deemed Garnacho worthy of replacing the classy Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Conte also oversaw one of Eden Hazard's greatest seasons at Chelsea.
So United must be braced for more online barracking if or when Garnacho scores another stunner. Scott McTominay was voted Serie A's MVP at the weekend after Napoli clinched their fourth Scudetto.
It is easy to say United were wrong to sell McTominay. They needed to redress the balance of their midfield and a defensive midfielder was essential. Someone had to make way and McTominay was a sellable asset.
United let McTominay go
It is not as though he was hugely in-demand. Fulham had bids rejected and Serie A has become a dumping ground for English clubs for six years. Yes, Inter Milan have reached the Champions League final again but they have Matteo Darmian and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in their squad. Romelu Lukaku, a cumbersome misfit at United and Chelsea, leads the line for Napoli.
The sale of McTominay looks worse now as United have got worse. His de facto replacement, Manuel Ugarte, was dropped for the Europa League final and has not looked remotely ready to anchor the United midfield. On his last start for United, McTominay was the glue between the midfield and attack in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Garnacho turns 21 in July and was tagged not-for-sale by United last year. Much has changed in less than 12 months. He has had his nose put out of joint by Ten Hag's sacking and the arrival of a coach who does not operate with specialist wingers was bound to jeopardise his future. Garnacho has scored more goals under Ten Hag than Amorim this term.
Garnacho sounded off in Bilbao
The pity is Amorim and Garnacho tried to make it work. Amorim enthused about the inroads made by Garnacho after his derby omission. Garnacho has been named in every United squad since. He went in one direction and Marcus Rashford headed off in the polar opposite.
Less than three weeks ago, Garnacho flanked Amorim at Carrington and said he was happy to remain at United next season. One disappointment in Bilbao changed all of that and he should have known from the derby that Amorim does not suffer fools gladly.
Like Mourinho. The difference is Amorim will get his way.