James Garner produced a mixed performance for Nottingham Forest as Bournemouth earned their place in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium.
The 21-year-old is currently on loan from Manchester United and has been impressive throughout the majority of the 2021/22 season. However, Garner wasn't at his usual standards as the Cherries edged a crunch game at the top of the Championship table.
Bournemouth knew a win would secure their spot in the top-flight and they came away with what they needed thanks to Kieffer Moore's second-half strike. Scott Parker's side join Fulham in the Premier League, while Forest will go into the play-offs alongside Huddersfield Town and two of Luton Town, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough or Millwall.
The game was watched by many around the world but some United fans would've tuned in to see how Garner gets on as they prepare to welcome him back to Old Trafford in pre-season. With incoming United boss Erik ten Hag set to make changes to his squad, Garner could be a name introduced into the fold with Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba both leaving in the summer.
Frenkie de Jong has been backed to join the Red Devils, while Declan Rice continues to be linked with a switch to United. Garner may be afforded an opportunity to shine under Ten Hag and here are three things the Dutchman would've learned from his performance against Bournemouth.
Energy
The most notable aspect of watching Garner's performance is his energy and work-rate in midfield. The youngster has formed a dynamic partnership with Ryan Yates at the heart of the Forest side and both work incredibly hard to win the ball back for their team.
Garner, in particular, sets the press and hunts the ball down high up, while Yates often drops just in front of the back four and picks up the bits and pieces. The former is also willing to run the other way and he set the tempo in the early stages, closing down Dominic Solanke near the corner flag after a Bournemouth throw-in.
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Defensive responsibility
Since Steve Cooper took charge of Forest, no team has conceded fewer goals in the Championship (27). For the vast majority of the game, you could see why.
The Reds were disciplined out of possession and Garner played his part in denying Bournemouth until the 82nd minute. He made a crucial tackle to stop Jordan Zemura in his tracks during the first-half and also made a vital interception to stop the same player's cross from reaching Solanke at the back post.
Garner made four recoveries and two ground duels, emphasising his impact to defend and keep the Cherries as quiet as possible. Playing in a midfield two forces Garner to stay disciplined and ensure the spaces are as tight as possible between him and Yates. Bournemouth operated with Jefferson Lerma, Phillip Billing and Lewis Cook in midfield, meaning Garner had to be focused on his defending and keeping the opposition quiet.
Below-par passing
Despite looking good out of possession, Garner struggled on the ball. In the first-half, he made just nine passes with a succession rate of 67%. It got slightly better in the second 45 minutes, with Garner looking more composed and better with the ball at his feet.
In the 78th minute, Garner whipped in an inviting in swinging cross which was met by Ryan Yates, but he couldn't keep his effort on target. He also took all of Forest's set pieces, including corners. However, Garner couldn't create a chance for his team-mates, failing to hit a Reds player from his two takes.
A frustrating performance in possession was summed up in injury-time when he had the chance to play through Sam Surridge but his pass was easily intercepted by Lloyd Kelly. The last opportunity of the game fell to Garner to curl in a corner from the right but his cross couldn't beat the first man.
This is a part of his game he must improve if he wants to break into the United starting XI in the future. Scott McTominay and Fred share similar qualities to Garner, but arguably have more quality to thread a pass through the lines and break the press.
