“I look at the game as a whole” - Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim highlights reason why he subbed off Alejandro Garnacho vs Real Sociedad
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has shared the reason for substituting Alejandro Garnacho against Real Sociedad on Thursday. He said that the Argentine was tired which was also leading to a lot of transitions.
The Red Devils faced Real Sociedad at the Anoeta Stadium in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday. Joshua Zirkzee opened the scoring in the 57th minute before Mikel Oyarzabal equalized in the 70th minute via a penalty.
Amorim chose to replace Garnacho in the 77th minute by Christian Eriksen. After the game, the Portuguese was asked about the decision and he answered (via Manchester Evening News):
"I felt he (Garnacho) was tired, and you see it because we did a lot of transitions in the second half because sometimes he was late to defend. And sometimes he’s in a good position to transition but I felt he was tired to recover and do the same things. I look at the game as a whole and not just in transitions."
Garnacho provided an assist and attempted five shots during his stay on the pitch. The Manchester United academy graduate completed 11/11 passes, won 1/5 duels, and made two key passes.
Ruben Amorim assesses Manchester United's performance in draw against Real Sociedad
The UEFA Europa League in the only opportunity left for Manchester United to win silverware this season. They came into the game against Real Sociedad on the back of an FA Cup Fifth-Round elimination at the hands of Fulham. However, they started well on Thursday at the Anoeta Stadium.
After a goalless first half, Joshua Zirkzee scored from the edge of the box in the 57th minute. Bruno Fernandes was then deemed to have handled the ball and Mikel Oyarzabal (70') converted the resulting penalty. After the game, Ruben Amorim assessed his side's performance, saying (via manutd.com):
“I think we played well until the penalty. But then the penalty, I think, changed a little bit the momentum of the game. I felt the team were a little bit tired in the last 20 minutes and that also helped them take control of the game in the final 20 minutes. Until the penalty, we were in control, had the opportunities. After our goal, we were really good because we were near the second goal.”
Manchester United had 45% possession and made 13 attempts with five being on target while Real Sociedad had 3/13 attempts on target. The second leg at Old Trafford will take place on March 13.