Liverpool icon and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has erupted in fury at Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, labelling the young star's FA Cup semi-final celebration an 'absolute disgrace'. The incident occurred during United's dramatic penalty shootout victory over Championship side Coventry City at Wembley.
The Red Devils squandered a commanding 3-0 lead in the final 20 minutes of normal time, with Coventry mounting an incredible comeback to force extra time and eventually penalties. The Sky Blues even had a potential winner in extra time ruled out by the narrowest of offside VAR decisions.
Despite the humbling collapse, United ultimately secured their place in the final against Manchester City. However, it was Garnacho's reaction after scoring United's third goal that drew the ire of Carragher.
Carragher's Furious On-Air Reaction
Speaking on air, Carragher did not hold back: 'Do you know what? I thought that was an absolute disgrace from Garnacho. The game is not over. You are 3-0 up, you are playing at Wembley, you have Manchester United fans there. I get the passion, but that is disgraceful. That is a message to the opposition, and I have always thought, whenever I have been in that situation, 2-0, 3-0, you never do a celebration like that. You just walk back. That is disrespectful.'
Carragher's co-pundit, former United defender Gary Neville, offered a more measured response, suggesting the celebration was simply a reflection of the player's youthful exuberance rather than malicious intent.
Ten Hag Defends His Young Star
United manager Erik ten Hag was quick to jump to the defence of his Argentine forward in the post-match press conference. When asked about the celebration and Carragher's criticism, the Dutchman dismissed it outright.
'You haven't seen the first half? The referee gave a penalty that was never a penalty, but then the penalty for Coventry was very dubious,' Ten Hag stated, deflecting the question. 'I am not going to talk about that. We should talk about the performance. How many times do I have to say? We are the ones who are never lucky with the referees. It is a penalty, then it is not a penalty. For us, it is a pattern for over one year.'
The debate is set to rage on amongst fans and pundits alike, highlighting the fine line between passionate celebration and perceived disrespect in the modern game.
