How Ruben Amorim was guilty of making the same mistakes as Alejandro Garnacho as reunion looms

It’s a reunion Ruben Amorim could probably do without right now. But less than three weeks on from his acrimonious Old Trafford exit, Alejandro Garnacho is back in town this weekend as a Chelsea player to prove Manchester United will live to regret pushing him out the door.

Rewind 18 months and the young Argentine could do little wrong as goals from him and Kobbie Mainoo sealed an FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City. A few months earlier, a beaming shot of Garnacho, Mainoo and Ramus Hojlund sat on the Old Trafford hoardings appeared to be providing a wonderful glimpse into the future.

In the end, it was another false dawn. Back to the current day and United are living in another malaise where Mainoo can’t get a game while Hojlund and Garnacho are gone.

Chelsea signed the latter for £40million, a very tidy piece of business for the Blues after a summer where the going price for any wideman worth his salt was £50million minimum.

While he finished last season with a respectable haul of 10 goals and 10 assists, there was a sense United were losing patience with Garnacho. On the pitch, there was inconsistency and profligacy in front of goal while off it, his social media activity often left him looking entitled and petty.

Then there was the cardinal sin of openly criticising his manager following the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.

‘Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today – I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next.’

While clearly a precocious talent, Garnacho was and still is a work in progress but Chelsea will feel there is very little to lose in taking a chance on the 21-year-old.

There was no way back for Amorim and Garnacho as far as their relationship was concerned. But at a time where the manager’s stubborn streak is threatening his future, any sort of impact from United’s former starlet on Saturday evening would serve as another hammer blow to his reputation.

As a head coach, Amorim has demonstrated he will relentlessly stick to his principles – even if it costs him his job. It’s a trait he also carried as a player and like Garnacho, he had his own moments of impetuosity that had some huge consequences.

The time Amorim criticised his manager… just like Garnacho

In October 2011, Amorim, then a Benfica player, was on international duty with the Portugal squad when he took aim at his club head coach Jorge Jesus.

Amorim had struggled for game time in the Portuguese capital, starting just three games all season, but still found himself selected by national team boss Paulo Bento. During a media conference, a 25-year-old Amorim made a not-so-thinly-veiled dig at his club manager Jesus.

‘I expect to always play, but it’s up to him [Jesus] to decide. It has nothing to do with the quality of this player or that player,’ Amorim told a press conference. It’s his [Jesus’] choice that he thinks I shouldn’t play for Benfica… I’m happy that Paulo Bento doesn’t think that way.’

‘Amorim spoke in a very Garnacho-like fashion’

‘It is a very similar situation,’ Portuguese football expert Aaron Barton told Metro. ‘It was a very public fall out and at the time it was a big shock because these were two people who had worked together so closely throughout Amorim’s playing career. They had trodden the same path together.

‘In a very Garnacho fashion, Amorim spoke to the media while on international duty. So something must have been said behind the scenes – this is a manager he has already had good success with and all of a sudden he’s found himself out of the first-team picture.’

The tension died down – but only briefly.

Amorim suspended for ‘disrespecting his employer’

In December that year with Benfica cruising to victory over Rio Ave, Amorim was furious with not being brought off the subs bench after going through his warm-up. Record reported Amorim ‘argued with the coach in front of his teammates’ as things boiled over. The future United boss also refused to take part in warm-down drills with his teammates after the game. ‘He just flat out refused to do it,’ Barton recalled.

This time, there were severe repercussions for his actions. Amorim was suspended by Benfica and shipped out on loan to Braga the following month once the January transfer window reopened. He would spend the next 18 months at the club.

This story does have a happy ending. An apology of sorts did follow from Amorim – one more directed to the club and the supporters rather than Jesus himself.

After serving his time away from the club, Amorim would return to Benfica with Jesus still at the helm, winning two titles together.

Will Man Utd regret selling Garnacho?

Amorim and Garnacho may be more alike than either man would like to admit. Having crossed his manager and club in a similar fashion as a younger man, should the head coach perhaps have shown a little more understanding after Garnacho’s Europa League final outburst? The winger’s comments lacked maturity, but came when he and everyone else at the club was hurting.

On the other hand, previous indiscretions mean the Argentine was considered a repeat offender. It can be argued Garnacho was the most ill-fitting of all United’s players for Amorim’s system, perhaps making his decision a little easier.

Garnacho’s wild celebrations for Moises Caicedo’s equaliser against Brentford last weekend demonstrated how desperate he is to make a success of it in west London.

A goal back on Manchester would be particularly hard to swallow.