Troy Deeney has slammed Alejandro Garnacho for his muted goal celebration against Leicester.
The Argentinian youngster got on the scoresheet as Manchester United cruised to a 3-0 win over the Foxes in Ruud van Nistelrooy‘s final game in interim charge at Old Traffford.
Despite rounding things off with a stunning curled effort on 82 minutes, Garnacho appeared reluctant to celebrate afterwards, and instead seemed upset at finding the net.
At full-time, the 20-year-old could be seen deep in discussion with fellow goalscorer Bruno Fernandes on the pitch.
And the United captain later revealed that his teammate had chosen not to mark his latest goal after feeling a lack of support from the club’s fans.
Fernandes said: “Garnacho scored a banger but didn’t celebrate like he should because he thinks he has lost faith from some fans.
“I told him people will always moan but lots of people like you and enjoy what you do. I told him to celebrate, it was something special.”
Garnacho’s refusal to celebrate came just days after he was goaded by a supporter outside Old Trafford prior to United’s midweek Europa League clash with PAOK.
But Fernandes’ explanation was not enough to convince former Watford striker Troy Deeney, who instead ripped into the young winger.
Appearing on talkSPORT’s Hawksbee and Jacobs show, Deeney was asked if Garnacho should have been thicker-skinned in the face of criticism.
He responded: “I said it last night on Match of the Day, and I’ll repeat it. It goes twofold.
“One, it says what players are like nowadays, where their skin is so thin that one gentleman can say what he wants to say and everyone sulks.
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“And secondly, if he’s getting affected by that, I would say to him, just as an older pro: ‘[I] don’t think this football game is for you, big man’.”
Explaining his strong stance, Deeney continued: “Because you play for the biggest club in world football. If you play poorly, you’re going to get people to get on your case.
“If you play really well, you’re still going to get people to get on your case. You play for Man United.
“It’s called jealousy and that’s part of the game. So, disappointed that he didn’t celebrate. It’s an unbelievable goal.
“But this will be the making or breaking of him, because if he can’t handle that from one gentleman with an iPhone in his face, then I don’t think this is the game for him, unfortunately.”
And it wasn’t just the former Watford skipper who was left less than impressed by Garnacho’s actions.
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talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan was also heavily critical of the starlet, arguing that Garnacho’s behaviour highlighted a weak mentality among United’s players.
Jordan said on White & Jordan: “What you saw on the weekend was the absolute embodiment of the culture of Man United, and the problem they’ve got in that dressing room where that kid doesn’t celebrate that goal.
“The reason why he doesn’t celebrate is because he’s had some hurty words said about him, or people have been critical of his performances. That is all you need to know.
Despite his co-pundit Martin Keown arguing that Garnacho’s actions were a sign of the toxicity surrounding the Red Devils, Jordan was unconvinced.
Slamming the Argentine international, he said: “It’s a self-indulgent load of old fanny.
“You’ve scored a goal playing for one of the best teams in English football, in one of the biggest clubs in English football, and all you can do is walk around like [Marcus] Rashford, which is the world’s on my shoulders, poor old me.
“Change the narrative!”
