Troy Deeney has ripped into Alejandro Garnacho following the United player’s goal celebration vs Leicester City.
The 20-year-old winger scored a late goal to seal a 3-0 victory over Leicester in what was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s final game as interim manager. Although Garnacho got his third goal of the season during the encounter, the youngster didn’t look happy to have scored.
It wasn’t the jubilant celebrations we have seen in the past from the Argentinian. Instead, he kept things slightly more low-key as he simply turned around and made his way back to United’s half for the kick-off.
The young forward has experienced some criticism from fans of late, as have some of his United teammates. This can be tough for a 20-year-old to handle, but Deeney believes he needs to have thicker skin.
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Speaking to talkSPORT he said: “I said it last night on Match of the Day, and I’ll repeat it. It goes twofold.
“One, it says what players are like nowadays, where their skin is so thin that one gentlemen can say what he wants to say and everyone sulks.
“And secondly, if he’s getting affected by that, I would say to him, just as an older pro: ‘[I] don’t think this football game is for you, big man’.”
But Deeney believes dealing with this is just part of the job.
He continued: “Because you play for the biggest club in world football. If you play poorly, you’re going to get people to get on your case.
“If you play really well, you’re still going to get people to get on your case. You play for Man United.
“It’s called jealousy and that’s part of the game. So, disappointed he didn’t celebrate. It’s an unbelievable goal.
“But this will be the making of breaking of him. because if he can’t handle that from one gentleman with an iPhone in his face, then I don’t think this is the game for him, unfortunately.”
Deeney himself has been involved with harsh words regarding his own players in the past when he was manager of Forest Green Rovers. He said there were “too many babies” in his team and continued to single our defender Fankaty Dabo by calling his performance “awful.”
He was also charged by the FA with using “improper and/or abusive and/or threatening behaviour and/or language” after being shown a red card in a loss against Swindon. He only lasted six games as manager.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes was seen in deep conversation with Garnacho following the Leicester game. In a post-match interview, Fernandes said that Garnacho felt he had ‘lost faith from some fans.’
“Garnacho scored a banger but didn’t celebrate like he should because he thinks he has lost faith from some fans,” Fernandes told BBC Sport. “I told him people will always moan but lots of people like you and enjoy what you do.
“I told him to celebrate, it was something special. He is a special player, we have difference-makers. They are the ones who win us games. We want them to score every game but that isn’t going to happen.”
