Erik ten Hag is looking forward to strengthening his new club’s midfield department this summer. Manchester United have been linked with several players, including Declan Rice and Frenkie de Jong, to name a few.
It remains to be seen who the Red Devils will target, but they may have an internal solution worth considering. James Garner has spent the year on loan at Nottingham Forest, but will return to Carrington in the coming weeks.
The United Academy graduate was promoted to the Premier League on Sunday after playing 90 minutes. Is it good enough for Ten Hag to consider it next season?
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Now 21, the United striker has gained valuable experience at City Ground this season. He was a ubiquitous figure for Forest, starting 36 of his 46 championship games.
Steve Cooper used a variety of formations from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3, although as the season progressed, he eventually settled on 3-4-1-2 as an option. preferred.
Regardless of the system, Forest persisted largely with a pair of midfielders in the middle of the park, with Garner regularly occupying one of those two places, scoring four goals while recording eight assists.
Most of his assists originated in dead ball situations. Cooper took advantage of Garner’s ability to run on a set piece, with the young Englishman taking control of most of Forest’s chances from corners and free kicks.
His influence on the Forest game would not have been so great if the set plays were not part of his skills, which is not ideal given the dynamics at Old Trafford, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Alex Telles and Luke Shaw usually rules them. situations.
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Garner’s delivery technique is also present in open play. In fact, it was his crossing that made Forest beat Huddersfield in Sunday’s play-off final. His shot came in from the right hand side but managed to save it with an unbelievable reaction stop.
Garner has proven to be a talented worker and worker in Nottingham. His willingness to catch the ball aggressively is sometimes a setback. His attitude seems excellent and his commitment to the cause is undeniable, although it remains questionable whether his level is high enough for United.
Ten Hag will have aspirations to dominate European football in the coming years. The Dutchman will demand a fluid offensive football and, despite Garner’s potential and promising period in the Championship, it is reasonable to suggest that he would be little more than a player in the squad at best in Manchester.
He could probably do a job as a substitute or as an option to be deployed in national cup matches, but in the Premier League and Champions League, United standards have been set by Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and Michael Carrick.
Garner has a solid career ahead of him, but if he wants to continue to thrive, his teammates will have to find ways to mask his limitations while mastering his skills from the plays. Whether this should happen at a new club is still up for debate.
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