Jadon Sancho: Man Utd problems blamed on rise to glory of teammate; star told he’s ‘blown his final chance’ with Ten Hag
Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag and winger Jadon Sancho
Manchester United’s inability to get the best out of Jadon Sancho and subsequent falling out with Erik ten Hag is being blamed almost entirely on the return to world-class form of Red Devils teammate Marcus Rashford.
Sancho has struggled to replicate anything like the form that convinced United to shell out a huge £73m to bring him to the club from Borussia Dortmund back in summer 2021. Having chased him for the best part of two seasons, there was a feeling of delight at Old Trafford when the deal was finally sealed; many at the club convinced they had brought in one of the English game’s brightest young talents.
However, Sancho has struggled badly since the move, scoring just 12 times in his first two seasons and finding himself in out of the side since Ten Hag’s appointment as manager.
And with tensions between the two being aired in public following Sancho’s omission from the squad that lost 3-1 at Arsenal on September 3, the player now faces an extremely uncertain future at the club.
Indeed, United officials were reportedly keen to let Sancho leave for Saudi Arabia after receiving an approach from Al-Ettifaq recently. But while the deal did not go through, Sancho has since found himself linked with a variety of different moves ahead of the January window.
To that end, Newcastle and Barcelona are being credited with an interest, though one of the player’s former clubs have seemingly doused in flames any prospects of them re-signing Sancho.
All the same, with Sancho not currently under consideration for a first-team return and being asked to train away from the main group, it does appear unlikely he will ever play for United again.
Rashford rise to blame for Sancho struggles at Man Utd
With Sancho’s future looking increasingly to be away from Old Trafford, the man who first brought him to the club, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has spoken out on the player’s struggles.
And he feels the main reasons for his issues is his inability to play in his favoured position – as an inverted left-winger. And the rapid rise to form of Rashford since Ten Hag’s appointment has coincided with Sancho’s form nosediving.
“We haven’t seen the best of him. I hope we do, but he prefers to play left wing… where Marcus plays,” Solskjaer told The Athletic.
Competition for places at United is always going to be tough, with Alejandro Garnacho another right-footed, left-winger.
On the other flank, Antony, albeit currently unavailable, and Facundo Pellistri also stand in Sancho’s way.
The exasperation felt by Sancho in his now deleted post on X illustrates perfectly the frustration being felt by the winger.
Shearer claims Sancho has blamed his last chance at Man Utd
Claiming he felt ‘scapegoated’ by his manager and suggesting he has not told the truth over his recent omission, pundit Alan Shearer has sided with Ten Hag over the simmering feud.
And he suggests the United manager must have been at the end of his tether to publicly out the star in the way that he did.
“The only thing I would say is – and we have said it before – for him to come out and publicly say that about Jadon Sancho. He must have been on his final call, and his final chance,” Shearer told The Rest Is Football YouTube show.
“I don’t know what’s gone on, but you [always] hear different rumours about players being late, not turning up for training and missing a team bus. That in itself is unacceptable.
“How many times has it happened? We’re not sure, but for him to come out and publicly say about Jadon Sancho, there must have been several things that have gone on in the dressing room.”
Sancho has not travelled with the United squad to Germany as the Red Devils prepare for their return to the Champions League on Wednesday as they take on Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
