- Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were axed for December’s Manchester derby
- Only Garnacho has been able to fight his way back into Amorim’s plans
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Ruben Amorim has praised Alejandro Garnacho for ‘changing in everything’ after he was axed for the Manchester derby in December.
Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were dropped for United’s win at the Etihad after Amorim said he was unhappy with their attitude in training.
But while Rashford remains out in the cold 12 games later and Amorim said this week that he still needs to change to revive his United career, Garnacho has fought his way back into the coach’s good books.
The 20-year-old Argentina winger was one of United’s best players when he came on as a half-time substitute in the 2-0 Europa League win over Steaua Bucharest in Romania on Thursday night.
Garnacho has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford before Monday’s transfer deadline after Napoli and Chelsea tested United’s resolve to keep the youngster who would generate maximum profit under FFP rules as a homegrown player.
But Amorim says he wants to keep Garnacho who has adapted from playing as a conventional winger under Erik ten Hag to being one of the two No.10s in his 3-4-3 system.
‘He changed right away since that game from City,’ said Amorim, his choice of words immediately drawing comparisons with his comments about Rashford 24 hours earlier. ‘The way he understands things and understands that I just want to help him. I just want to win games.
‘The approach when we talked with him. He changed in everything. The way he recovers. He understands that sometimes I am a different coach, that I am demanding in my way and sometimes it is hard to make the first impact. Because he is a different kind of coach.
‘He understands that he is never in a bad way. It is always for him. But I am a different person. I think all the merit is for Garnacho. He is improving and we want to continue to improve with Garnacho. He understood the position, the moments of playing inside and outside. The connection with Mainoo. I think he is improving a lot.’
Kobbie Mainoo has also become a prime target because of his homegrown value, with a number of clubs monitoring his contract stalemate at Old Trafford.
But with Rashford’s future at United looking increasingly bleak, Amorim is keen to keep hold of his other two academy graduates.
‘I want players like Kobbie and Garnacho,’ he added. ‘The focus is that we have to improve our academy, and you have to bring more.
‘That is something that all the clubs in England have to take advantage of: the players that come from the academy. To play, to fill the shirt and also to sell. So our focus is to bring more. The rest, I just want to prepare with both of them for the next game.’
