Man United boss Erik ten Hag says Alejandro Garnacho must show his ‘great qualities every day’ as his early season form was ‘not good enough’ after teenage winger marked his return with goal against Crystal Palace

Erik ten Hag has challenged Alejandro Garnacho to keep ‘learning’ and get even better, describing his early season form as ‘not good enough’.

Young winger Garnacho, 19, started the opening two league games against Wolves and Tottenham but was handed just 12 minutes of action since coming off in north London, ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Palace.

While United’s travelling fans chanted Garnacho’s name in the hope he would come on in the win at Burnley, Ten Hag ignored the calls and left him benched.

Garnacho took his opportunity with the opening goal at Old Trafford, bursting into the area to meet Diogo Dalot’s cutback from the right for his first of the season. It is something that Ten Hag wants to see over and over again from the youngster.

‘You have seen at the start of the season [that] we played him… his contribution was not good enough,’ the Man United boss said.

Garnacho burst into the area to meet Diogo Dalot’s cutback for his first goal of the season

Man United boss Erik ten Hag has challenged teeanger Garnacho to improve

Your browser does not support iframes.

‘But he also had some good actions. You see always he is a threat in the game even when he is not playing that well.

‘He has to learn when he does his job in defending he will always have his moment and he will always be decisive because he has great qualities.’

Pressed on whether he is searching for more reliability from the 19-year-old off the ball, rather than on it, Ten Hag qualified what he is demanding of Garnacho moving forward.

‘As well, it’s not only off the ball,’ he said. ‘But I want to see like today, he is entering the box in the right spot to finish.

‘But I think it is quite normal for a player of his age that there is space for a lot of improvement.

‘Everyone likes him, the fans like him, the team likes him, I like him but we also have to demand from him and push him because he can act on a very high level but he has to show it every day.’

Garnacho’s goal set Manchester United on their way to a 3-0 victory, with Casemiro and Anthony Martial also on the scoresheet on a comfortable night.