Alejandro Garnacho exchange shows Manchester United are improving in another area

When Alejandro Garnacho's number was up on Tuesday night, he crossed the white line, paused and concealed his mouth during an impromptu debrief with Erik ten Hag.

That is the only craven characteristic about Garnacho. He is not the only one. Son Heung-min did it when he remonstrated with the referee during Tottenham's limp defeat to Arsenal. Romeo Beckham was at it aged 11 in a hospitality box at the Boleyn Ground with his father.

Ten Hag's response was visible to any lip-readers and the pair ended their chat chuckling. Garnacho was on two goals and had fluffed a shot at a hat-trick. He had not even taken his seat and Christian Eriksen whipped in Manchester United's seventh goal.

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Garnacho's idle thumbs could have caused additional aggro for Ten Hag last week and he opted to bench him at Southampton. United sources stressed that change was tactical and that Ten Hag was unaware of Garnacho's carelessness on Instagram, where he liked a post quoting Cristiano Ronaldo's criticism of the United manager.

An issue that might have blown up blew over. Garnacho came on, reduced Southampton to ten men and then worsened their goal difference. Against Barnsley, he scored two goals and assisted two.

Some at United felt Ten Hag's lack of warmth counted against him during the crises last season. Ten Hag can be brusque and officious but he also made beelines for Kobbie Mainoo and Toby Collyer in the immediate wake of euphoric cup triumphs at Wembley.

After Garnacho's first Premier League goal at Fulham - an added-time winner - Ten Hag embraced him and ruffled his hair. Consider the