September 24th 2023.
Alejandro Garnacho was an unused substitute in Manchester United's 1-0 win over Burnley. Erik ten Hag admitted that it would have been a risk to use him as an impact substitution, and as a result opted for a safety first approach.
The Red Devils managed to grind out a narrow victory, ending a streak of four consecutive defeats in all competitions and subsequently easing the pressure on their under-fire manager. It was hardly the sort of fluid, coherent performance that would have quelled the criticism that has been aimed at the increasingly pragmatic Dutchman in recent weeks.
Burnley enjoyed the majority of possession, while Bruno Fernandes' spectacular goal came very much against the run of play on the stroke of half time. As full-time approached, Burnley began to take greater risks in search of an equaliser, which left space for United to exploit on the counter.
The travelling United fans began to chant for the precocious teenager Garnacho, as the situation looked an ideal one for his speed to exploit. However, Ten Hag decided not to make the substitution, instead bringing on summer signing Sofyan Amrabat in the closing stages for his debut.
Explaining his decision, Ten Hag said it was due to the team's good performance and fitness levels, and that he wanted to avoid any more moments that were not in their favour. He concluded that it was a decision he cannot say was right or wrong, but wanted to keep the team on as they had been doing well.
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