Reason for Manchester United benching Alejandro Garnacho vs Southampton revealed after he liked Cristiano Ronaldo’s comments on Ten Hag: Reports

Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho started on the bench against Southampton on Saturday, September 14, after he liked Cristiano Ronaldo's comments on manager Erik ten Hag. The reason behind this decision has been revealed, as per reports.

Cristiano Ronaldo notably criticized Erik ten Hag during a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel UR Cristiano. He questioned the manager's mentality by saying (via Daily Mail):

"Man United coach cannot say they can't compete to win the Premier League and the Champions League every year. This is Man United! You have to be there, to mentally say... listen, maybe we don't have that potential, but I cannot say that. We're going to try. You have to try. This is why Man United need to rebuild."

Alejandro Garnacho, who was teammates with Ronaldo during the legendary striker's second spell at United, liked a post that detailed these comments. Although the 20-year-old eventually removed his reaction from the post, his activity was noted.

Ten Hag has gained popularity at Manchester United as a disciplinarian, as he has been known to punish players for their social media activity in the past. A high-profile example is Jadon Sancho, who was frozen out of the first team after he lashed out at the manager on social media in late 2023.

This has led to reports that Alejandro Garnacho was left on the bench as punishment. However, the Manchester Evening News (via Daily Mail) has revealed that the 20-year-old's absence from the starting lineup was a tactical decision.

Garnacho did come on as a late substitute and scored the third goal for Manchester United in a 3-0 win.

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Cristiano Ronaldo believes Manchester United need to rebuild

During the interview where he criticized manager Erik ten Hag's mentality at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo also spoke about Manchester United as a whole. The forward, who had two stints with the Red Devils, told the club that a rebuild was required.

He said (via ESPN):

"They [United] need to rebuild everything, in my opinion. This club needs time to rebuild because it's still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change. They understand that. This is the only way...

"They're investing in the training ground ... So I'm happy because [things are changing]. I believe that the future will be bright. They have to rebuild from the bottom. If not, they cannot compete. It will be impossible."

Manchester United recently came under new co-owners in the INEOS group, headed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who have promised to improve the club's standing across the board. Time will tell if they take Cristiano Ronaldo's words seriously as they continue to work on the club's infrastructure.