Rio Ferdinand believes Alejandro Garnacho could force Erik ten Hag's hand after another scintillating substitute appearance in the 2-1 win against Manchester City on Saturday.
The 18-year-old made his seventh league appearance of the season at Old Trafford, replacing Christian Eriksen in the 72nd minute and driving the Reds to an incredible comeback victory. Within three minutes the Argentine was racing past Kyle Walker and that danger down the left continued until his run and cross set up Marcus Rashford for the eventual winner.
Garnacho's presence undoubtedly changed the dynamic of the final 20 minutes, and another brilliant performance off the bench will inevitably put his name at the forefront of Ten Hag's mind. Competition down the left is rife, with an in-form Rashford currently the first name on the team sheet, but the teenager is knocking on the door for more regular minutes.
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"I looked at the bench and saw three-center halves, and I was thinking, 'Wow, the depth isn't really there'," Ferdinand told his Vibe with Five YouTube channel. "But Garnacho comes on and changes the game.
"He is saying to the manager, ‘Get me on that pitch ASAP because I’m producing moments every time I go on. How can you make me sub?’. That’s what his performances are saying and I love it. The manager is using him perfectly well at the minute because he is impacting games."
With Saturday's win taking United to within one point of their city rivals, talk of a title race makes next weekend's clash with Arsenal another huge game. The Gunners currently top the Premier League table but will be looking in the rear-view mirror with caution as the two Manchester sides aim to chase them down.
Ferdinand believes that United can set up to frustrate Mikel Arteta's side at the Emirates with their new-found mental fortitude.
"I just think the way Manchester United play, we’re a problem for Arsenal," the former Reds defender added. "Today we were a problem for Man City, too. I think Arsenal will have most of the ball but in the transitions, United are so dangerous. Even under Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] that was the case.
“But even more so now because we’re more structured and harder to break down. Man City didn’t have that many chances. There’s been a fragility with Manchester United in the last few seasons. Going 1-0 down against City, in past seasons you would have felt like walking out. But today they didn’t panic, they remained resilient and came back really well."
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