When the wide man was questioned on whether he felt any sadness about how his time at Old Trafford wrapped up, he offered the same curt, one-word reply: “No.” ..Continue Reading
Garnacho explained: “Sometimes in life, you have to change things to take a step forward or to improve as a player.
“I think it was the right moment and also the right club. So it was an easy decision. “‘I came here to play my football and to show people the player I am.”
He departed for £40million late in the window after being relegated to United’s so-called bomb squad under Ruben Amorim.
Speaking openly for the first time since the transfer, the Argentine revealed that the two Enzos — head coach Maresca and national teammate Fernandez — played a major role in directing him toward Stamford Bridge.
Garnacho, 21, said: “I spoke with the manager before I came. He explained a little bit about the project we have here and convinced me.
“He trusts me, that’s the most important thing. We have confidence, between manager and player. He speaks with me every week.
“I spoke with Enzo Fernandez in the summer. He helped me a lot. I know him, of course, from the national team.
“He was a big part of the deal. I’m happy to work with him because we are really close.”
Maresca was clear after Garnacho arrived that the youngster needed to sharpen his defensive contribution — and the winger has accepted the challenge.
With a grin, Garnacho said: “In modern football, defending is an important part of the game.
“Every team you face is strong and you have to defend with everyone. I know I have to defend if I want to play — he told me this. I just try to do the work he asks, and then, with the ball, he asks me to just go, and if I lose the ball, try to recover.”
Chelsea, meanwhile, are attempting to bounce back from a difficult spell, having fallen to defeat at Leeds before producing a flat performance in a goalless draw with Bournemouth.
Maresca cautioned his squad that there would be no easing off against Atalanta tonight in the Champions League.
The Italian club, coached by Raffaele Palladino, are aiming to maintain the high-energy style that served them so well under Gian Piero Gasperini.
Maresca said: “Many teams in Italy try to do something similar to what Atalanta has done in the last few years with Gasperini.
“You can see most of the teams played five at the back, most of the teams tried to play man-to-man everywhere. If you go to the toilet, they follow you everywhere.
“I’m in love with Atalanta. Watching them from afar has been great for us Italians. Atalanta has been one of the reasons to be proud.”
