Ruben Amorim has heaped praise on Alejandro Garnacho for the way he has kicked on and "changed in everything" since the disappointment of being left out of the Manchester derby.
It is seven weeks since the Argentina international and fellow academy graduate Marcus Rashford were surprisingly omitted from the United squad that went on to to secure a late comeback win at City.
The latter's continued exile is dominating the headlines, with Amorim saying on the eve of the Europa League match against FCSB that he "has to change" and meet his standards to have a future at Old Trafford.
Speculation rumbles on over Rashford ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline, as does talk about Garnacho’s future – although the 20-year-old’s response to the City setback appears starkly different.
The talented forward has knuckled down and impressed off the bench, including providing an assist, in Thursday’s 2-0 win at FCSB as United sealed progress to the Europa League round of 16.
"He changed right away since that game against City," head coach Amorim said of Garnacho. "The way he understands things and understands that I just want to help him, I just want to win games.
"He changed in everything: the approach when you talk with him, the way he recovers.
"He understands that sometimes I’m a different coach, that I am demanding in my way and sometimes it’s hard with the first impact because it’s a different kind of coach.
"He understands that it is never in a bad way, it’s always for him, but I am different person.
"I think all the merit (goes to) Garnacho. He is improving and we want to continue to improve with Garnacho."
Garnacho has been linked with a January exit due to United’s need to juggle profit and sustainability requirements as they seek to rebuild, which has led to similar talk about Kobbie Mainoo.
The homegrown 19-year-old provided one and scored the other in a man of the match performance in a more advanced role in Romania.
Amorim suggested he preferred him there as he has fewer defensive responsibilities, as he downplayed talk over contract negotiations and uncertainty affecting Mainoo.
"I don’t think it is (about) the contract," he said. "Everybody in England sees him as a very, very good player.
"He played in the European Championship final, so I think it is more the position. Then he’s not comfortable because before he was always playing and now he sometimes plays, sometimes doesn’t.
"But I think the key point is the position. It’s different for him, it demands a lot from him and today, in that position, I feel that (he was) more happy to play. Simple as that.
"I don’t look at just the movements, the way he touched the ball. I feel it just watching him. He was so happy on the pitch. That is important for me because if they are happy, they play better, so I think he can change position."
Mainoo and Garnacho were key parts of United’s 2022 FA Youth Cup triumph and have flourished in the first team, scoring the goals in May’s FA Cup win against City.
Amorim wants more academy graduates as he underlined homegrown talents’ importance both to the squad and the club’s financial situation.
"That part is true (about finances), but I want players like Kobbie and Garnacho," the head coach said ahead of Sunday’s match against Crystal Palace.
"You have to bring more (through) because that is something that all the clubs in England have to take advantage (of). The players that come from academy – to play, to feel the shirt and also to sell."
Amorim has Europa League glory in his sights and is looking forward to invaluable time on the training field after United qualified directly for the last 16.
After opening the new-look league phase with three stuttering draws under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils ended with five straight wins – four of them under Amorim – to finish third out of 36 teams and end the group unbeaten.
No other team managed to do that across the Champions League or Europa League, underlining Amorim's evolving side’s place among the favourites to lift the trophy in Bilbao in May.
"I don’t see a big difference in the way that we play, but today we had more time to think and now you can see some movements," the United head coach said.
"The idea is there because we have more time to play, to understand the game. I think we can go game by game and we can win it.
"Then you have the responsibility, no matter what, no matter the context, you are in Manchester United so you must fight for winning trophies, so we will see.
"When you get to this stage of any competition, anything is possible and they can prove that in a good day, they can win against anybody, so we can think about that."
United’s win in Bucharest means they skip next month’s play-offs, with a last-16 match awaiting in March against Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar or FC Midtjylland.
Amorim has long spoken of his determination to avoid the play-offs in order to secure time on the training pitch to work with a group he joined in November.
"That is really, really important for us," the United boss said.
"To have time to train, to create connection between everybody – even the staff, everybody there in training, go to the pitch, know each other in the right environment.
"I think it’s really important. Then you can have one week to prepare a game, so in the beginning of the week you can work your idea and then you have time to also focus on the opponent and prepare the game in a better way.
"The players can rest, I can understand better my players."
