1,110.
That is the number of games Premier League giant Manchester Utd has included academy players featuring within the first-team squad in a competitive fixture.
The significance of Manchester Utd’s academy dates back to the Busby Babes in the 40s and 50s.
In more recent memory, the class of 92 included some of the best players produced in Britain, such as Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes.
The youth academy system has certainly served Utd well over the years, and this production of talent continues to be prominent within today’s football landscape within the red side of Manchester.
The likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba are established stars, all birthed from the training pitches of Carrington, and a new generation of emerging stars are working their way up the Utd ladder, creating a possibility to play alongside the players just mentioned.
Names such as Anthony Elanga, Hannibal Mejbri and Tahiti Chong (on loan in the EFL Championship), are all players known throughout the mainstream.
One player that may have slipped through the crack is Alejandro Garnacho, an Argentinian winger currently apart from Utd’s U23 set-up, who is playing a massive part in his team’s UEFA Youth League and Youth FA Cup success.
Garnacho has excited coaches in and around the football with the leap Garnacho was taking season since his arrival from Atletico Madrid, but no one expected him to receive his first call-up for Argentina’s senior team, featuring PSG’s Lionel Messi.
Garnacho possesses a substantial amount of talent and is on course to transition into the first team; only time will tell if the Argentina call-up came too early for the soon to be 18-year-old, but with his assertive personality on the pitch Garnacho will certainly give his all.
In this tactical analysis and scout report, I will look into flexibility and comfortability in various attacking positions.
In addition, I will discuss Alejandro’s shot profile and conclude with the winger’s weaknesses.
Alejandro Garnacho Position history
As mentioned previously, Alejandro Garnacho is a versatile player who is capable of playing on either flank.
Throughout the game, the Argentina international may drift positions and position slightly centrally and receive within the half-spaces.
Garnacho is capable of using both feet to his advantage, which allows him to comfortably play on both sides with good effect.
From his heat map, we can see he predominately plays down the left-hand side for Man United but picks up the ball in a variety of areas down the side.
Alejandro Garnacho Adaptability in the final third
Alejandro Garnacho can drop deeper and can function within these spaces, but the winger truly comes alive when operating within the final third.
What gives him an edge over his opposing defenders is his unpredictability, in reference to the variation within his game, together with his determination and forcefulness on the ball.
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