Rob Dawson, Correspondent
MANCHESTER, England — Alejandro Garnacho was given high billing by Erik ten Hag towards Brentford and the Manchester United winger repaid his under-fire supervisor with a efficiency to match.
Each Garnacho and Marcus Rashford need to play on the left and, as a rule, Ten Hag has given choice to Rashford. However United have not been scoring or successful and so the Dutchman made a change to place the England worldwide on the appropriate as an alternative. It labored and Garnacho scored an important equaliser from the left to assist United to a much-needed 2-1 win.
The Argentina worldwide tormented makeshift right-back Sepp van den Berg and was simply the house facet’s finest participant. He would have had no less than two assists so as to add to his objective had his teammates been extra alert to a few crosses fizzed throughout the penalty space throughout a superb second half.
Garnacho went off late within the sport to a standing ovation from the supporters inside Previous Trafford. Thanks largely to the 20-year-old they lastly had an excellent day in Manchester’s Autumn solar, and so did Ten Hag.
“I do know what he is able to,” Ten Hag stated afterwards. “He is a risk and has scoring skills, but additionally a risk in one-versus-one conditions. The tip product is unquestionably what we’d like and missed that within the first video games of the season.”
After 5 video games and not using a win, Ten Hag desperately wanted one. But it surely appeared for some time that Brentford would hammer one other nail into his coffin with a primary league win at Previous Trafford since 1937 as they went into half-time 1-0 up.
Matthijs de Ligt had already been ordered off the sector twice after struggling a head wound in a collision with Kevin Schade. With blood nonetheless colouring his hair and face purple, the centre-back was despatched to the touchline for a 3rd time in first-half stoppage time. Whereas he was off the pitch, Ethan Pinnock received away from Diogo Dalot from a nook and headed previous André Onana.
De Ligt spun spherical in a fury and booted a ball into the stands; Ruud van Nistelrooy’s protests earned the assistant coach a yellow card and he was fortunate to keep away from a second as he continued his argument with the fourth official within the tunnel on the break.
So usually United beneath Ten Hag have did not cope with setbacks. This time, although, the perceived injustice appeared to fireplace them up.
“We have been mad,” Ten Hag admitted. “Positively, we have been offended at half-time.”
Brentford have made headlines for beginning shortly within the final month, however it was United who began the second half with a bang. United’s tactic for many of the sport appeared to centre round getting the ball to Garnacho as shortly as doable and within the forty seventh minute it received Ten Hag’s group again within the sport.
Rashford picked up the ball on the appropriate and arrowed a pinpoint go in direction of the far facet of the penalty space; Garnacho has scored spectacular volleys earlier than and added one other to his assortment with a guided end into the online earlier than the ball had touched the bottom. It was the kind of scientific end Ten Hag has been begging for — and it was one in every of seven pictures Garnacho tried, three greater than every other United participant.
Typically criticised for his work price, he defended in addition to he attacked and topped the stats sheet with six ball recoveries earlier than being substituted.
With United 1-0 down and Southampton 2-0 up towards Leicester, there was a degree throughout the afternoon when Ten Hag’s group have been formally the Premier League’s lowest scorers. However Ten Hag has stated repeatedly that he’s assured his forwards will ultimately click on and for 45 minutes towards Brentford they did.
The second objective was one straight from Ten Hag’s drafting board. United’s press pinned Brentford into their very own nook, Lisandro Martínez collected a unfastened go excessive up the pitch, Christian Eriksen fired ahead a fast go, and Rasmus Højlund added a deft end after a intelligent flick from Bruno Fernandes.
Ten Hag’s beaming smile stated all of it and he embraced each Van Nistelrooy and fellow assistant Rene Hake. There was a certain quantity of aid within the celebrations after a bruising worldwide break that has seen extra hypothesis about his future.
“The stats present we play good soccer however do not rating sufficient,” Ten Hag stated. “At present, we scored two good targets. The 2 targets we rating are prime quality. This group has the capability to attain superb targets and whenever you rating and win you add some confidence.
“The beginning of the season, we had some good performances. We had possibilities however did not rating sufficient after which everyone seems to be damaging. At present might help us, however it is just one win and we should construct on this.”
And there lies the problem for Ten Hag. Victory over Brentford will cease the questions on his place for a few days, however Fenerbahce and Jose Mourinho are ready on Thursday within the UEFA Europa League. Solely a constant run of wins between now and the following worldwide break will quiet the discuss round whether or not he is the appropriate man for the job.
He can no less than level to the event of Garnacho as one of many issues he has received proper at Previous Trafford. Garnacho has wanted Ten Hag to point out sufficient religion to play him repeatedly since breaking into the primary group throughout the former Ajax coach’s first season in Manchester. Now it is Ten Hag who wants Garnacho to maintain performing like he did towards Brentford and maintain the strain off the supervisor’s shoulders.
