Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has delivered a stark assessment of Alejandro Garnacho's performance for Chelsea against West Ham United, claiming the young winger's confidence appears "shot to pieces" following a difficult outing at Stamford Bridge.
A Horrible Experience for the Young Argentine
The 21-year-old Argentine international, who moved from Manchester United to Chelsea during the summer transfer window, started on the left wing in Saturday's dramatic London derby. Despite making 26 appearances and scoring six goals across all competitions this season, Garnacho endured what Neville described as a "very horrible experience" during the first half.
Chelsea found themselves 2-0 down at halftime, with manager Liam Rosenior making the decisive decision to substitute Garnacho during the break. The Blues subsequently staged a remarkable comeback to win 3-2, leading Neville to suggest the team looked significantly improved without the struggling winger on the pitch.
Neville's Detailed Analysis of Chelsea's Left Side
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, the Sky Sports pundit provided detailed observations about Chelsea's problematic left flank during the opening period. "West Ham were absolutely fantastic in the first half," Neville stated. "They dominated the game, even though they didn't dominate possession. They had the best chances, they were more physical, and that left side of Chelsea was obliterated."
Neville expressed particular concern about Garnacho's evident confidence issues, noting: "What was difficult to watch last night was a young player like that, who's gone to Chelsea and he looked shot to pieces in terms of his confidence on that left-hand side. I'm not just talking about when Aaron Wan-Bissaka kept going off him running forward, but actually when he got the ball, his first touch was back and then he just kept going back and giving it away."
The former England defender highlighted that Garnacho wasn't alone in struggling, describing the experience as "awkward" and "very horrible" for both the winger and defensive colleagues Jorrel Hato and Benoît Badiashile. Neville emphasised the dramatic transformation that occurred after halftime, stating: "Once he changed it, the complete and utter transformation of the game occurred."
Questions About Rosenior's Team Selection
Neville also addressed Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior's decision to make seven changes from the side that defeated Napoli in the Champions League earlier in the week. While acknowledging the potential bravery of such rotation, the pundit suggested it may have been excessive.
"You'd have to say Liam Rosenior would look back upon it and he made the seven changes, which I'm not going to criticise him for because I actually think that can be deemed as brave," Neville commented. "A lot of managers talk about trusting their squad, but they play the same team near on every single week. They don't trust the squad. Actually to change your players when he's had the run of games that he's had is in some ways admirable."
However, Neville concluded: "He said to those players, I want you to go out there. He said to Jamie Gittins, he said to Liam Delap, he said to Garnacho, he said to Jorrel Hato at left-back, get out there, go and play, I trust in you. But too many changes, it's too many changes."
Long-Term Prospects Despite Current Issues
Despite the criticism of Chelsea's inconsistent performances and Garnacho's particular struggles, Neville maintained a positive outlook regarding the club's overall trajectory. He pointed to recent achievements as evidence of underlying quality within the squad.
"They've won in Napoli, they've come back from 2-0 down against West Ham, they've demonstrated that they've got the quality to win in difficult places or come back in games where they look beaten," Neville observed. "That's a real good thing for them. They're not the real deal, but they should be in the top five."
The analysis suggests that while individual players like Garnacho may be experiencing difficult periods, Chelsea's capacity for dramatic comebacks and important victories indicates a team with considerable potential. Neville's comments highlight the ongoing development required at Stamford Bridge as Rosenior continues to shape his squad amid intense competition for places, particularly in attacking positions.
