Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho has been spoken to by manager Erik ten Hag after liking social media posts that criticised the coach's decision to substitute him at half-time during the recent 2-2 draw at Bournemouth. The 19-year-old quickly removed his likes, which the club views as a sign of contrition, and any further disciplinary action will be handled internally.
The posts, from United YouTuber Mark Goldbridge, accused Ten Hag of 'throwing a 19-year-old under the bus' in his post-match press conference. Garnacho was withdrawn at the interval with United trailing 2-1, having lost possession for Dominic Solanke's opener and been involved in Justin Kluivert's second, though he also provided the assist for Bruno Fernandes's first-half equaliser.
Ten Hag explained the substitution was tactical, citing the need to 'repair over the right side' and bring on Amad Diallo for 'energy and quality'. He also noted that Garnacho had been unwell during the week and only trained the day before the match. Garnacho had started the previous 30 matches but has been substituted in the last four.
This is not the first time Ten Hag has addressed social media issues within his squad. In September, he banished Jadon Sancho from the first team after the winger publicly disputed the manager's comments about his training performances. Garnacho has scored nine goals and provided four assists this season for United, who currently sit seventh in the Premier League.
