Manchester United seemingly need something dramatic to pull them from their miserable run at the moment, but the answer could be much simpler than first thought…
Why are Manchester United struggling so much?
Whilst their biggest issues could be chalked down to the poisonous atmosphere within the dressing room, a lack of technical and tactical quality, or even the Glazers, there are admittedly small tweaks that Erik ten Hag could make that would ease their outstanding failures.
After all, persisting with Bruno Fernandes from the flank is a decision that even the most casual of fan could debate, given both how influential the Portuguese superstar has been through the centre in the past, but also how the wingers he is keeping out of the team could affect the play.
Whilst the former Sporting CP ace is one of the most creative players in the entire Premier League, he is seriously lacking the pace and dynamism needed to thrive from the wing. Especially when considering his first full year in England was spent in attacking midfield, which allowed him to score 28 and assist 17 across all competitions.
Pundit Gary Neville would note: "I was worried the club wasn't going to support him in the transfer market but Bruno Fernandes has made an impact beyond what anyone could have expected. Not just in possession but out of possession – the way he sprints and gets at people. He's hungry and it looks like it's rubbing off on everybody." His former teammate at Old Trafford, Roy Keane would echo such a sentiment: "He's lifted everybody at the club. It's as if he's been there 20 years. He's got pure quality."
Perhaps returning him to that role could allow him to thrive once again, lifting the side in the manner that the Irishman suggested, whilst allowing someone like Alejandro Garnacho to inject some much-needed dynamism to the right flank.
How good is Alejandro Garnacho?
Whilst Antony might mark the obvious choice to return to the starting side, given the £86m invested to bring him from Ajax during the 2022 summer, his performances have been less than inspiring, and his presence is hardly much different from Fernandes given his lack of speed and ability to beat a man.
Last season saw him score just four and assist a further two in the Premier League alone, with pundit Gabby Agbonlahor lambasting his output to talkSPORT: "But when I look at Antony, there’s been a few big transfers in the Premier League, £86million for him… I think he’s a bluffer. I think when he gets the ball, he doesn’t take a player on. He doesn’t have the speed to take players on."
Meanwhile, Paul Scholes praised the Argentinian "animal", as branded by broadcaster Christian Martin, for the physical qualities that could now prove so vital: "This crowd loves entertainment and this lad was really entertaining, almost like a young Cristiano. I was impressed because some wingers can only go one way but he could do both which makes him so unpredictable."
Not only that, but at four years the Brazilian's junior and with far less senior experience, the 19-year-old would still finish last season with 12 goal contributions across all competitions, just one short of Antony's tally.
Garnacho's movement into the starting side would not only add that raw pace and trickery to terrorise defenders, but also allow Fernandes to thrive in his favoured role to get things back on track at Old Trafford.
