New Delhi: It seems like the storm has settled in the Manchester United camp, and differences have been resolved between the club’s manager, Erik Ten Hag and Jadon Sancho. The duo had a public fallout in 2023 after the Dutch boss publicly criticised Sancho by questioning his commitment in training. Sancho retaliated on social media, accusing the United manager of making him a “scapegoat.” The 24-year-old winger was banned from training and was sent to his former club Borussia Dortmund on loan. After impressing in Germany, his loan spell ended in the Champions League final.
Following Dortmund’s loss to Real Madrid in the 2023-24 UCL final, Sancho returned to Manchester and was spotted training before in the pre-season. He was also seen indulging in conversation with ten Hag. Further, United has clearly stated that Sancho will be part of the club’s pre-season schedule.
Since moving from Dortmund to Old Trafford, Sancho’s performance has been inconsistent, and they only made three appearances for the club in the season, even whilst under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. In September 2023, Sancho was excluded from the squad, resulting in the team losing 3-1 to Arsenal. The Manchester United boss claimed the exclusion was due to below-par training session performance. The Dortmund winger soon refuted the claim, shared a cryptic post, and has missed match action since. He even said that Ten Hag had made him a ‘scapegoat’. The club and Ten Hag chose not to respond to Sancho’s post publicly.
In January of 2024, Sancho had to make a loan move back to his former side, Borrusia Dortmund, and return to game time. Sancho then went on to have a very successful season with the club and even featured in their side during the team’s clash against Real Madrid for the UEFA Champions League final. Sancho failed to capture the silverware after Madrid won the final 2-0.
According to media sources, Ten Hag has praised Sancho, clarifying that the duo had successfully buried the hatchet and would move towards a future where both can work towards the same objective. The 54-year-old manager stated that his club needed good players like Sancho, owing to which they have ‘drawn the line and moved on.’
Can Sancho find his mojo back?
Of course, only time will say how long this ‘drawing the line’ between the two will last after their past disagreements. Many experts have viewed Sancho’s decision to stay to increase or protect his market value. How Sancho presents himself after the transfer deadline will be crucial.
If Sancho is back, the English footballer will have his task cut out for him. With his work ethic and skills, Sancho must impress Ten Hag and his new coaching staff. He must also earn back the trust of his teammates and fans. Being under constant scrutiny, he must justify his spot in the squad and show commitment towards his team irrespective of how much game time he gets in the season.
He must find his space on the field to be part of the mix. Some experts have observed that he is better on the left, though he is often brought on the right wing. On the left, he competes for space with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, while Antony and Amad Diallo crowd the right. After experimenting with him in that position last season, ten Hag has preferred him in the central role. He has commented about this on club media and said he fits in a central position.
There is plenty of competition from Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, possibly Amad, and now Joshua Zirkzee. How Sancho navigates through this pool of players will be on how well and fast he integrates back.
Ever since Jadon Sancho resumed training with Manchester United, things have turned towards the bright side between ten Hag and Sancho. But how long can this new friendship last? Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
