Ryan Giggs has passed on some words of wisdom to Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho after a difficult campaign.
The 2024/25 campaign has been turbulent for Manchester United, sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League and depending on Europa League success to qualify for a place in the Champions League.
After a disastrous start to the season, Erik ten Hag was sacked and later replaced by Ruben Amorim as head coach. Ineos did not get the new manager bounce they would have wanted as results worsened, but there is a focus on building for the future.
Ineos chiefs have emphasised the importance of young talent with their recruitment drive at Old Trafford, although that doesn’t change the fact that some of United’s best prospects have been linked with moves away from the club.
For instance, United academy graduate and FA Cup winner Kobbie Mainoo has been linked to Chelsea, with reports suggesting that the Red Devils value him at approximately £70m. There has also been speculation regarding the future of fellow starlet Alejandro Garnacho.
While Mainoo has had setbacks with injuries, Garnacho hasn’t met expectations, scoring just five goals and registering one assist in 32 Premier League appearances. It shows a drop off from his previous two seasons in United’s first team, where he reached double figures – 15 in 2022/23 and 10 in 2023/24.
Ryan Giggs advises Alejandro Garnacho on his development
At the age of 20, Garnacho can be excused for his inconsistency, but there is no denying that he has struggled to find the back of the net under Ruben Amorim.
The Argentina international has been asked to play a different role under the Portuguese coach, which means he gets fewer opportunities to cut in from the left flank.
Garnacho has not only been asked to play as one of United’s No.10s in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, he has also played on the right.
Amorim has praised Garnacho for working hard on improving his game, but Ryan Giggs is the latest to give him advice on how he can develop his game further.
United legend Giggs has encouraged Garnacho to stay at United and explains that young wingers tend to struggle with consistency.
“He’s [Garnacho] an exciting player,” Giggs said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. “He likes to take risks. He likes to take players on.
“As soon as he gets the ball, his first thought is, right, tap the full back, which I like. As wingers, young players, you have dips.
“But also, what targets does he have in front of him? You know, I used to have a 10 drop. I used to have a Teddy (Sheringham) and Eric (Cantona) dropping off, a (Dwight) Yorkie or a (Andy) Coley running behind, a Rudd (van Nistelrooy) running in behind. I always had options.
“So I had a pass in front and a pass in behind. He probably doesn’t have them options because there’s only one centre-forward. So then you have to build the relationship quickly. Because I see Hoijlund running near post, pulling up, back post sometimes.”
Host of the podcast and former United defender, Rio Ferdinand mentioned Garnacho’s inconsistent performances this season.
Giggs responded by stressing there is responsibility on the whole attacking line-up – not just one player.
“There’s no consistency from him and from the wide men,” the Welshman added. “So he might be running front post because last time Garnacho played it to the front post. So it’s about building relationships.
“He’s now playing a different position where it’s a lot back to goal. I feel his strength is facing the defenders up and taking them on. But he’s a young player and he’s still learning.
“And yeah, of course, like I did when I was younger, I had to improve on my goals, improve on my final ball. You have to do that as wingers and you’ll learn that from experience.”
Garnacho needs to work on mindset
These are crucial years in Garnacho’s development that will decide how far he goes in the game.
With Cristiano Ronaldo as an idol, one can only imagine that his dream is to reach the top. Something United fans will hope he can achieve at Old Trafford.
However, to boost his displays, Giggs has urged Garnacho to make quick decisions on the pitch and gain a better understanding of his teammates.
He added: “Well, when you’re in the crossing positions, what’s your mindset? So if you’re on the edge of the box, what’s your options? Is it a one-two? Is it a cut back, a little cross into the back post? I knew where everyone was running. So I knew Rudd was in the middle of the goal.
“He wouldn’t run near post. He wouldn’t pull it out. He was in the middle of the goal for a tap in. I knew that Scholesy would be arriving late. I knew that Eric Cantona liked back post the majority of the time. So I already knew where I was putting the ball.
“You know, you’re running up full speed, your head’s down, you’ve got a defender up, but you already know what you’re doing. You can’t go, right, what am I going to do now? Oh, right, the ball’s taken off you. So you’ve already got an idea where you are on the pitch, what you’re going to do with it.”
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