Manchester United would perhaps be thankful that their next game is in just three days because this one can’t get out of their memory soon enough.
A 0-3 defeat, a red card for the captain, and a performance where even that scoreline feels unfair for the winning team sum up a terrible day at the office.
Coming off of two encouraging performances, if not results, this was marked as the game where the team needed to put it all together.
Only the ruthless edge was missing, as everyone stressed, but the whole machine was blunt was Tottenham as they succumbed to bad habits of last season.
There’s plenty of blame to go around, as is the case with every defeat, especially one as heavy as this, but not all is doom and gloom.
The one who never gives up
So bad was the performance from United that nobody really needed to have a blinder of a day to be recognised as the “best of the rest”.
At its core, football fans demand just one thing from their team- relentless determination to try and succeed.
Of course, the result will not always fall in their favour, but lack of effort antagonises more than lack of results which is why Christian Eriksen’s claim after the draw vs FC Twente that the opponents wanted it more was so remarkable.
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One player epitomised this relentless drive to succeed vs Tottenham, and in turn, fans repaid his effort, singing passionately for him and standing on their feet even when all was lost.
That player was Alejandro Garnacho, as the youngest member of the attack on the day was the only one outfield player who could come off the field knowing he tried his best.
It won’t show up in stats, and his name is obviously absent from the goals and assists column, but the intangible qualities like determination, drive, not giving up, and starting from scratch repeatedly were clear in his game.
He became United’s only outlet, especially in the second half when the game stretched in United’s favour.
Garnacho constantly tried to make things happen, running at the defence or prompting one-twos with teammates to get behind the opposition.
On another day, something might have come off and he would have dragged United back into the game but nothing was going to be positive for United on the day.
Old Trafford serenades Alejandro Garnacho
It happened around the 65th minute when United were actually in the ascendancy and looking semi-threatening as Spurs started dawdling on the ball.
United’s gameplan was simple- win the ball back, pass to Garnacho and see him try to take on his defender and create chances.
He won a corner through a dribble and then a few minutes later was on the receiving end of a crunching tackle from Cristian Romero as he tried to run past him.
The Old Trafford faithful like the “Viva Garnacho” song as one of their favourites anyway but that little passage of play had the fans belting it out at the top of their voice.
His fearlessness and relentless drive to attack had won over the fans on a day when Old Trafford was as restless as many had seen for a while.
Passes backwards were met with groans, a player being on the ball for too long was treated with jeers, and the team was roundly booed at half-time.
On such a harsh day, Garnacho won over the fans by doing the basics right. After all, that’s what the fans want at the end of the day. Results follow automatically.