- Garnacho was roasted on social media by Manchester United squad
- Squad was happy with Argentine’s exit
- Morale has dramatically improved in recent months
Following Manchester United‘s 1-0 victory over Chelsea last weekend, several squad members took to social media to subtly roast their former teammate Alejandro Garnacho.
The Argentine international was ostracised from the first-team squad toward the end of the season by Ruben Amorim. Following a disappointing defeat in the Europa League final, the head coach reportedly told Garnacho to find a new club in front of his teammates.
Amorim formed a ‘bomb squad’ last summer, which was a group of high-profile players frozen out of the first-team picture. This circle included Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia, and Garnacho himself. With the exception of Malacia, all of the members moved on. However, none departed with such a bitter taste as Garnacho did, when he made the switch to Stamford Bridge.
United Squad Pleased with Garnacho Exit
According to Samuel Luckhurst from The Sun, United squad members were happy at Garnacho’s exit after “growing tired” of his antics at the end of his time as a Red Devils player.
Amorim dropped the 21-year-old for the Europa League final against Spurs last May. Not for the first time, Roberto Garnacho, the brother of Alejandro, took to social media to criticise Amorim’s decision to bench the star.
It was the last straw in a series of antics either commited or endorsed by the player, which ultimately led to his departure.
Luckhurst wrote: “The players were pleased that Garnacho and other ‘bomb squad’ members were omitted from the pre-season tour squad of the United States to protect squad harmony.”
The Chelsea winger was at fault for letting Bruno Fernandes glide past him in the run-up to Matheus Cunha’s goal, which effectively ended their pursuit of Champions League football. The 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion means that the Blues slipped to seventh place, boosting United’s mathematical chances of securing UCL football sooner rather than later.
To add salt to the wounds, Luke Shaw posted a shot of him throwing Garnacho off the ball last Sunday. Several United players surprisingly engaged with the post, such as Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, Joshua Zirkzee, Lisandro Martinez and more.
Morale Has Improved Since Last Season
Amorim can be criticised for alot of his decisions in his time as Manchester United manager. However, getting rid of the ‘bad apples’ helped to cleanse the football club moving forward. There may be room for Rashford to return to the squad, but the rest of the ‘bomb squad’ will have cut all ties with M16 by this summer. Malacia, who is still within the first team picture, is not expected to sign a contract beyond his expiry in June.
Recently, Old Trafford legend Ryan Giggs highlighted the positive groundwork laid by the Portuguese coach prior to his dismissal. He said: “Even though his legacy probably isn’t great with results and performances, actually for a long time now, he’s probably left the club in a pretty good place.”
Since Michael Carrick took the helm, squad morale has shifted significantly to a much-needed positive environment. However, the foundation was arguably laid by Amorim’s ruthless take on certain individuals. Ultimately, cutting ties with Garnacho will be remembered as one of his boldest and necessary decisions during his 14-month reign in Manchester.
