Having not started any of Manchester United’s opening three games, Jadon Sancho was missing entirely from the matchday squad as the Red Devils lost 3-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates just before the international break.
When quizzed about Sancho’s omission, Erik ten Hag simply responded that the winger had not trained at the level required of a Manchester United player and had subsequently been left out of the squad as a result.
Ten Hag has not been afraid to make big calls like this in the past. Alejandro Garnacho had shown up late to a team meeting in the pre-season of summer 2022 and a result saw his minutes cut for the tour. He sharpened up his act and grew as a player. Marcus Rashford was resigned to the bench whilst in career-best form for a match against Wolves in December 2022 after he also showed up late to a team meeting. He responded by coming off the bench and scoring the winning goal.
Jadon Sancho has opted for a different approach. He hit back at ten Hag on Twitter, essentially claiming that the Dutch manager was telling untruths and that he has always conducted himself well in training.
There is never a good time for a feud, but this couldn’t have come at a worse time for Manchester United. Regular right-winger, Antony, has been granted a period of absence as he faces criminal accusations in Brazil. Amad Diallo is recovering from an injury. Mason Greenwood is unlikely to play for United again regardless, but he is on loan at Spanish outfit Getafe. This leaves Manchester United with Uruguyuan Facundo Pellistri and Sancho. Pellistri is a bright winger, but he is inexperienced, having made just six appearances in the Premier League, all as a substitute.
There is the option to play Bruno Fernandes or Mason Mount on the right wing, but this takes them away from their best positions, costing the team on the whole. This means that Sancho will likely be needed and that there is a route out of this feud between player and manager.
Positive steps have already been taken. Sancho has deleted the aforementioned tweet in which he criticizes ten Hag, suggesting the first steps to reconciliation have been established.
The next step for Sancho is playing well consistently. Like many of United’s star signings, Sancho has shown glimpses of why he cost €75m in 2021. But the problem is that it has only been glimpses. A fancy nutmeg or flashy skill often shines in highlight reels but doesn’t do much to help Sancho over 90 minutes. In 58 Premier League appearances, Sancho has scored nine goals and provided six assists. He scored 50 goals and made 64 assists in 137 games for Dortmund, indicating a stark drop-off in performance and output.
At Dortmund, Sancho was regarded as one of the best young players in world football, and his signing was seen as an enormous coup for United. He is now no longer held in that regard.
The last time Sancho featured for England was in October 2021. He missed out on the World Cup squad and hasn’t been called up since.
Sancho now has the opportunity to have a consistent run of games, in which he must impress. With Rasmus Højlund now fit and ready to start games, United have an outlet upfront and Sancho will benefit from that. Højlund’s movement in and around the box will give Sancho a target and a player to bounce off, to connect with. The hope is that he’ll form a relationship with the Danish striker akin to the one he created at Dortmund with a certain Norwegian striker who now plies his trade for a team in the other half of Manchester. Let’s hope he does as this season is likely to be all or nothing for Jadon Sancho at Manchester United.
By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyH3lfgott on Twitter
