Alejandro Garnacho shared a brief three-word response after Manchester United suffered a defeat in the FA Cup fifth round against Fulham on Sunday evening. The Red Devils’ campaign ended with a penalty shoot-out following a taxing 120 minutes at Old Trafford, marking yet another setback at the beginning of Ruben Amorim’s tenure as head coach.
Garnacho began the match on the bench after Amorim stated he had sustained a minor injury prior to his early exit in last Wednesday’s victory over Ipswich Town. The 20-year-old winger came onto the field in the 53rd minute and energized the struggling home team, which had exhausted every available outfield player in the squad. However, he surprised many by not taking a penalty in the crucial shoot-out, leading to United’s elimination.
Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, and Casemiro were all successful with their penalties, while Raul Jimenez, Sander Berge, and Willian also converted theirs.
Victor Lindelof was an unexpected choice to take a penalty and appeared lacking in confidence before Bernd Leno blocked his feeble attempt.
This defeat leaves United’s season hinging on their chances in the Europa League as they prepare for a challenging two-legged round of 16 match against Real Sociedad.
On Monday, Garnacho commented on the disappointing loss to Fulham, sharing a photo of himself seated on the Old Trafford pitch with the caption: “Sorry United fans [teary eye emoji].”
The atmosphere at Carrington is likely at an all-time low this week, but Amorim’s squad must quickly move on, with a trip to San Sebastian scheduled for Thursday.
La Real is waiting in the Europa League last 16 after finishing 13th in the league stage, trailing United by five points, and defeating Midtjylland in their knockout round.
United have struggled in their recent encounters against Spanish teams, but their upcoming rivals have also had a disappointing league performance, currently sitting ninth in La Liga.
The chance for European qualification via the Premier League appears almost lost for the Old Trafford club, who sit in 14th place, 10 points behind the top eight with Arsenal set to visit on Sunday.
The Europa League presents Amorim’s final opportunity, offering a potential route to the Champions League next season with a victory in Bilbao on May 21.
After 120 minutes against Fulham on Sunday, United looked exhausted, especially after playing with only 10 men for a significant portion of the match against Ipswich days earlier.
At this point, the hope for any Europa League-driven salvation seems slim, and Garnacho will be crucial if United are to achieve an unexpected turnaround.