Ten Hag Says Garnacho Must Push for Man Utd Starting Role

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho reacts after the English Premier League match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford in Manchester, Britain, 13 May 2023. (EPA)
Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho reacts after the English Premier League match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford in Manchester, Britain, 13 May 2023. (EPA)
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Ten Hag Says Garnacho Must Push for Man Utd Starting Role

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho reacts after the English Premier League match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford in Manchester, Britain, 13 May 2023. (EPA)
Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho reacts after the English Premier League match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford in Manchester, Britain, 13 May 2023. (EPA)

Manchester United's Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho must push for a starting spot in the Premier League side after an impressive debut season in which the 18-year-old has scored five goals, manager Erik ten Hag said.

Garnacho, who has also made four assists, marked his return from an ankle injury by coming off the bench to score in added time and seal a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

"He came in and did almost everything good and scored a great goal that will give him belief. It's good for us for the rest of the season that he's back and can have an impact," Ten Hag told reporters.

"I'm happy we can bring in young players and, hopefully he will progress so quickly that he can compete for a starting position. Because that is his next challenge."

Asked what Garnacho needed to do to start for United, Ten Hag said: "Making decisions, being aware, scanning situations, when to go one-on-one, get behind, when to go for goal or make an extra pass.

"Decisions like that are what makes a good player a top player - that is the difference. But when you see it overall, he's a huge talent and very brave."

Ten Hag said the pathway into the starting side was open for young players such as Garnacho, who signed a new deal to stay at United until 2028.

"But, in the end, it's about the player - he has to invest and have a plan to do it," the manager added.

United are fourth in the league with 66 points, four ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool with three games to go.



Keys No Longer Feeling Pressure to Win Elusive Grand Slam Title 

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2025 Madison Keys of the US celebrates winning her quarter final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2025 Madison Keys of the US celebrates winning her quarter final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. (Reuters)
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Keys No Longer Feeling Pressure to Win Elusive Grand Slam Title 

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2025 Madison Keys of the US celebrates winning her quarter final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 22, 2025 Madison Keys of the US celebrates winning her quarter final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. (Reuters)

Once paralyzed by the pressure to win a Grand Slam title, Madison Keys is now at peace with her lot as she prepares for a blockbuster Australian Open semi-final with Iga Swiatek.

The 19th seeded American booked her third semi-final at Melbourne Park on Wednesday, overhauling Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 3-6 6-3 6-4 with her customary firepower.

Nearly 16 years after turning professional at the age of 14, Keys is still going strong at the majors even if the silverware has eluded her.

The closest she has come was a run to the 2017 US Open final where she was beaten 6-3 6-0 by Sloane Stephens in an all-American clash.

Negotiating second seed Swiatek, who has crushed all five of her opponents at Melbourne Park, will be a huge task for Keys on Thursday but pressure is unlikely to be a problem for the hard-hitting American.

"I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to appreciate my career for what it has been, and it doesn't have to have a Grand Slam in order for me to look at it and say, 'I've done a really good job, and I've really left everything out there'," the 29-year-old told reporters.

"Now, while that's obviously still the goal, there have been periods of my career where it felt like if I didn't win one, then I hadn't done enough, and I didn't live up to my potential in all of that.

"That kind of took a lot of the fun out of the game, and there were times where it felt paralyzing out on the court because it felt as if I needed it to happen instead of giving myself the opportunity to go out and potentially do it."

While Swiatek has been unstoppable in Melbourne and holds a 4-1 winning record over Keys, the Illinois native can go toe-to-toe with the world's best when her power game is on song.

It took a while for it to warm up against Svitolina but soon proved overwhelming for the outgunned 28th seed.

While rarely associated with defense, patience or even much of a Plan B, Keys said she would be wary about being too aggressive against Swiatek.

"The biggest thing that makes her so difficult to beat is because since she moves so well, if you miss your spot just slightly, she has enough time to recover, and then the point goes back to neutral," she said.

"So then there's just such a balance of being aggressive and trying to get her to move and going for things, but not pressing too hard and not going for anything too quickly.

"So I think she just does such a good job at making people start going for a little bit too much too quickly."