Garnacho 'not good at all' admits Amorim as Man Utd lacked cutting edge against Forest

Ruben Amorim didn’t hold back as he admitted that Alejandro Garnacho was "not good at all" in Manchester United's defeat against Nottingham Forest.

The loss, sealed by Anthony Elanga’s fifth-minute strike against his old club, exposed United’s attacking frailties, with Garnacho struggling to make an impact.

Amorim pointed to a key moment early on when Elanga, after collecting a clearance from a United corner, sprinted from his own half to score. Garnacho slipped while trying to challenge him, and neither Patrick Dorgu nor Noussair Mazraoui could halt the breakaway.

“We could have fouled him,” Amorim rued, suggesting a tactical foul might have stopped Forest’s decisive counter. He went on to talk about Garnacho's threat going forward on a night where once again United lacked a cutting edge.

The Portuguese coach offered a balanced take on Garnacho’s night: “He’s making everything, he’s trying sometimes. You have one day [where] you are doing the right things, but in the final third, you are not that good. That can happen.”

Despite recent praise for Garnacho’s work rate—calling his performance against Arsenal his “best” under him—Amorim’s comments reflect frustration with the 20-year-old’s inconsistency.

Garnacho’s meek showing stood out on a night when United failed to breach Forest’s defence, which leads the Premier League in clean sheets.

The defeat handed Forest a historic domestic double over United, their first since 1991-92, piling pressure on Amorim as his side slipped further in the standings.

Garnacho’s struggles were emblematic of a broader attacking slump, with the winger unable to replicate his pre-international break form, when he scored in a 3-0 win over Leicester.

Amorim’s candid critique, paired with his tactical lament, underscores the challenges he faces in molding United’s young talents into a cohesive unit ahead of the Manchester Derby on April 6. Garnacho though was far from being the only player at fault as United failed to score against Forest.