Jadon Sancho’s current situation at Manchester United is a mystery, as the winger is not included in the Red Devils’ squad for their friendly matches in Spain, having been left out of the World Cup squad by Gareth Southgate from England.
“Jadon Sancho continues with his individual training program as part of a process to return to his highest level,” says the club’s official website. “The club is fully supporting him on this.”
That last line is slightly worrisome reading: why would the club feel the need to clarify its full support regarding a matter as simple as a player’s form? It suggests there are personal issues behind the scenes, a theory supported by Sancho’s social media blackout following the Southgate team announcement.
The Manchester Evening News reported that the player is using the World Cup break as an opportunity to focus on his family life and get back in top shape before United’s Premier League campaign resumes.
Sancho was one of three England players to receive sickening insults after missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final against Italy, and fans will remember all too well the impact he had on Marcus Rashford last season. While the United academy graduate and Bukayo Saka won over his critics after impressing with club and country, Sancho has yet to do so. It may simply be a case of too many problems hitting the 22-year-old at once.
And while fans will have every hope that the player can get into the right headspace, they’re also curious about how best to implement Sancho to help him maximize his undoubted potential.
What’s interesting is that just a couple of months ago it seemed like Erik ten Hag was ready to do just that. The former Borussia Dortmund hustler enjoyed a fantastic pre-season under the new manager, scoring three goals on tour. More than that, he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself.
Once the dust settled after United’s two shock defeats at the start of the Premier League season, it looked as though that form would continue when he scored a beautifully composed goal against Liverpool after clever play into a packed penalty area. . He was lively against Southampton, constantly clashing with players as the Red Devils secured a 1-0 win, and was instrumental at the King Power Stadium, where he scored the only goal of the game to beat Leicester City. Sancho was in with a shout of being Man United’s Player of the Month for August, and September hadn’t started too badly either.
United’s league campaign was suspended for four weeks following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but Sancho continued to perform well, if unspectacularly and with errors, in the Europa League. The congested schedule in the run-up to the World Cup made October and November difficult months for many in the team, but it was here that Sancho’s form fizzled out alarmingly.
He provided an assist against Tottenham Hotspur and was arguably United’s most creative player since open play in a drab 0-0 draw with Newcastle, but overall it was a massive downfall from a player who looked set to enjoy an Great campaign in English football.
Reports of Ten Hag’s discontent with Sancho’s lack of “commitment” began to surface when the winger was forced to sit out United’s last five games due to illness, making the bench a substitute. unused twice and not on the team the last three. .
Fans’ frustration with Sancho’s indirect approach had already boiled over by then, with the young dribbler repeatedly grappling with defenders only to turn his back on good one-on-one opportunities that would have made his eyes sparkle early on. of the party season.
Clearly there is a confidence issue at play but, looking back at Sancho’s best and worst performances in a United shirt, there may also be a couple of tactical issues, the most obvious of which is that he left the club recently. One week.
No attacker at Old Trafford has enjoyed as much productivity playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portugal captain made his way up the team sheet the most times over a six-week stretch that saw Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Sancho himself were discarded. carried out in several stages. Without the gravitational pull that Ronaldo’s ego exerts on his teammates, the chances are good that United’s more dynamic attackers will start posting better numbers as a natural result, as has been argued elsewhere.
But as much as Ronaldo’s presence was an impact, so was Martial’s absence. The Frenchman is obviously Ten Hag’s favorite option up front (it’s his only option up front, after all) and he’s only started two Premier League games with him so far. Martial may have been sent to Sevilla on loan with Ralf Rangnick, but with the Dutchman he is a vital piece of United’s attacking puzzle, at least until he can find a better option.
His ability to work the channels and link play backs up his teammates and gives them more passing options while also opening up space for them to exploit.
When Ronaldo hasn’t been up front, Rashford has been and while his early season numbers may mislead you into thinking he’s adjusted to the centre-forward position, his goals have mostly come after switching to his favorite left band. More importantly, certainly as far as Sancho is concerned, Rashford doesn’t offer much in the way of a holding game or passing combination. As a player who wants to run for the ball and face the opposition goal as often as possible, it’s just not his game.
With the forward market as it is, United will likely need to fix this issue from within the team for now. The likes of Victor Osimhen, Dusan Vlahovic and Harry Kane simply won’t switch clubs mid-season.
And looking at Sancho’s best moments this season, what is obvious is that they mainly occur in central areas. His delightful shimmy into a crowded Liverpool penalty area, his clever flank pass in the build-up to Bruno Fernandes’ goal over Southampton, his line-breaking run to score against Leicester: all these moments showcased the Englishman’s agility in finding spaces. in busy downtown areas.
Erik ten Hag’s system is based on having two players holding width on opposite flanks at all times, and it is perhaps not surprising that once injuries and selection issues made Sancho the only player capable of holding width. on the left, their freedom to move towards the center was restricted. That has had the ripple effect of fewer moments of magic from Sancho, who lacks the acceleration to quicken the pulse against a Premier League fullback but is blessed with the poise to sit in most central halves in world football. .
Playing Sancho and Rashford together allows them to rotate the responsibilities demanded by Ten Hag’s system, which has worked well enough for United in several games this season. But given that Rashford is clearly more effective from the wing while Sancho is much more resourceful in central areas, it might be worth reassessing his roles in the team.
Sancho’s ability to retain possession in tight areas, coupled with his creative passing, could make him an ideal false nine for the rest of the campaign.
In some respects, there are similarities between the United winger and Sadio Mane’s last campaign with Liverpool. The Senegalese star had a dismal run of form in the run-up to the Africa Cup of Nations during the 2021/2022 season, scoring just one goal in nine games. Liverpool signed Luis Diaz, moved Mane from his ‘natural’ position to midfield and saw their fortunes turn when their soon-to-be-departing striker enjoyed a series of man-of-the-match displays in both the Premier League and in the Champions League. .
Perhaps that is why Cody Gakpo is of such interest to Manchester United. Many fans, understandably, would prefer to see a natural number nine signed in the winter. As discussed, that’s unlikely to be possible in the middle of the season, but Ten Hag has publicly reiterated his desire for more offensive weapons on several occasions. With another player capable of holding wide on the left, Sancho’s performances could flourish as a result of the freedom it would afford him.
It would also allow for invaluable rotation ability, a luxury Ten Hag has rarely had in terms of his attacking options this season. Where Manchester City can alternate between Riyaad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden, the United boss had no choice but to play Sancho, Rashford and Antony all at once until they were all injured, all at once. The importance of coolness when it comes to creative players cannot be underestimated.
Jadon Sancho certainly has work to do before the domestic season resumes, and it may be that not all of that work has much to do with soccer.
But it’s clear from the interest Ten Hag has shown in Sancho that the coach will do everything in his power to get the 22-year-old attacker back to his best.
