Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo send messages to Erik ten Hag after his Manchester United sacking
Manchester United stars Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have sent heartfelt messages to Erik ten Hag after he was sacked. The Red Devils' young duo's development came under the Dutchman.
Ten Hag was dismissed on Monday (October 28) after his team's 2-1 loss to West Ham United on Sunday. It was their fourth loss in nine league games, leaving them 14th in the standings.
Garnacho, 20, and Mainoo, 19, thanked Ten Hag for helping them kickstart their careers. Ten Hag's work integrating the duo into Manchester United's senior team is viewed as one of the factors behind INEOS keeping him in charge for so long.
The Argentine winger wrote a statement on his Instagram account about the confidence Ten Hag gave him:
"Thank you for everything, boss. I will always be grateful to you for giving me the opportunity and the confidence to play for this club. It hasn’t gone as well as we wanted, but I will remember the good times we had together and I wish you all the best in the future. Thank you very much Erik."
Garnacho's English teammate similarly thanked Ten Hag for the belief shown in him amid a meteoric rise at United:
"Thank you for your trust and belief in me and for giving me the opportunity to play for my boyhood club. I wish you all the best for the future."
Garnacho's emergence into a Red Devils starter came under Ten Hag. He was a standout performer last season, posting 10 goals and five assists in 50 games across competitions.
Ten Hag handed Mainoo his senior debut in a 3-0 win against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals two years ago. He's since been a regular for the Reds and debuted for England before a prominent role at Euro 2024.
Ten Hag hailed the future of Manchester United amid Garnacho and Mainoo's ascent to the first-team
Ten Hag may have struggled in the last year and a half of his Manchester United reign, but he succeeded in developing youth. The Dutch coach spoke proudly of the potential of youngsters such as Mainoo and Garnacho in February of this year (via NBC):
"The future for Manchester United is very good because we have high potentials. They are together and want to play football with adventure and enjoyment. If we keep this process going I am sure we will achieve high levels."
Mainoo and Garnacho are two of many youngsters expected to shine at United in years to come. Harry Amass, 17, Sekou Kone, 18, Gabriele Biancheri, 18, and Chido Obi-Martin, 16, are Old Trafford gems.