Nobody is paying that for him anyway, his lack of effort is apparent to everyone watching, including potential buyers, every time he steps onto the pitch.
Erik ten Hag vs Sancho
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I somewhat agree with you on the point of his effort although he’s never been a high work-rate player anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I can understand EtH’s frustration as he likes his wingers to press and track back, while Sancho is languid flair player that likes to take his time on the ball and connect the play.
But you must remember that not every potential buyer views football the same way as Ten Hag. There are attacking players out there with even worse defensive work-rates than Sancho and it is not a problem for them because their manager values other aspects of their game more. There are probably countless potential buyers out there who probably just view Sancho as not cut-out for the Premier League and that his Dortmund form can be revived where football is played at a slower pace that a) provides the perfect platform for his abilities to shine and b) more importantly, hides his deficiencies and flaws.
Let us be honest. Sancho’s value has already decreased at United. So what benefit did Ten Hag’s comments do for his value apart from make it plummet further? This action was detrimental to the club. It was also detrimental to Sancho’s future career and earning prospects regardless of whether Ten Hag is his boss or not, hence why his agents most likely cleared the statement he gave refuting the manager’s allegations.
More importantly, it was detrimental to an already vulnerable human being. I can’t stress this enough - not performing in the work place is not a reason to be exposed to abuse and a social media pile on. It just is not fair and it lacks class. It also reflects badly on the club and it reflects badly on Ten Hag. Young players across the world, alongside their agents and families, would have seen this. They are likely to think twice about playing for Ten Hag because he has shown that he would throw a player under the bus during a mentally difficult period.
For all we know, Sancho could be trying his hardest in spite of his mental health struggles.
Just a few weeks ago, we were hailing Dele Alli for opening up about his mental health problems. In the years leading up to that he was accused of not trying by countless people who had no idea what he was going through.
I say this quite generally to all the users on here who have no empathy for Sancho - just think about that for a moment.
Here we go...
It doesn't matter one bit what anyone else has done and been or not been punished for. Sancho is accountable for Sancho, he has no reason to concern himself with anyone but himself. If he simply does what the manager asks of him then he'll play, it's literally that simple. He might feel it's unfair or he's not treated fairly, but you suck it up and you do it, then when he has no more excuses to leave you out and he continues to leave you out, then you can complain. He has no right complaining when he's putting in 4/10 performances every time he plays.
There's no cult, there's no agenda, there's no narrative, there's no prejudice, there's no conspiracy. It's a managers job to win games, and even if Sancho had been caught banging Ten Hag's misses and daughter at the same time, in Ten Hag's bed, he'd still pick him if he felt Sancho was going to give him the best chance of winning games. But herein lies the problem, Sancho can't get to training on time and he won't train hard so if you pick him you upset the other players who do as their told and still don't get picked, which is exactly what you're arguing should happen for Sancho!
If you think we can't sell Sancho you should do a quick Google in the life and career of a certain Anelka, Balotelli, Diouf etc. Dickheads will always find a club if they have a history of scoring goals and a certain type of managerial ego thinks they'll be the one to finally get the best out of them.
Yeah but the point wasn't really relevant the first time never mind the second time.
That may well be true but we're now in a situation where we need to find a buyer as he has to leave or Ten Hag and Sancho have to kiss and make-up. We can't have someone on 300k per week training on their own and not being selected long term.
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Somethings been bothering me with this whole saga and it's the public apology thing. You're telling me Eric Ten Hag insists Sancho say something on social media? What platform Twitter? Instagram? Facebook? Tiktok? Can it be written or does he want a recorded video?
Sounds like bullshit to me. I don't believe Eric gives a shit about any of that, if Sancho looked him directly in the eye, shook his hand, and said I'm sorry, I want to get back to work, Eric's going to tell him to feck off I want a social media post?
The glazers have turned this club into a reality TV show. It's a joke.
Sounds like bullshit to me. I don't believe Eric gives a shit about any of that, if Sancho looked him directly in the eye, shook his hand, and said I'm sorry, I want to get back to work, Eric's going to tell him to feck off I want a social media post?
The glazers have turned this club into a reality TV show. It's a joke.
Off to Saudi please. Another lazy player.
It was.
We don't know everything that's gone on but ETH has been pretty consistent in wanting to get rid if the rubbish. Maguire was probably a bigger liability. As for him not playing, he's doing as much good on the bench as the pitch.
How will we ever get along without him?! 
sorry it was my poor attempt at humour - I just get annoyed that players say they want to play and will move yet their actions all suggest otherwise
I agree with you though and you wonder how much is enough. Sancho could command considerable wages elsewhere and if he backs himself then he could well return to his United level of income AND be praised by all as a great footballer. If I was English I would be doing all I could to be part of the national team as well because there’s a solid chance of winning something and being set for life
Bollocks. ETH's exact quote was "“He wasn't fit enough to be there. It's a combination of physically and mentally.”
It is your convenient interpretation that is a comment about mental health and a breach of trust. But it could just as easily have been about low confidence, or his attitude was wrong. You don't know what it meant.
It was pre-season, a series of friendlies! Means nothing as a guide to form or place in the team.
Your argument must already be based on pretty flimsy evidence, or you wouldn't feel the need to invent stuff?
How do you know?
Ten Hag gave a simple answer why Sancho has not been selected. SANCHO then invited the social media pile on by disputing it... on social media. What an idiot.
Then people like you decided to invent a Jenga Tower of bullshit to explain why it's OK for an underperforming player to keep underperforming and really it's the manager's fault.
Footballers earn their own reputations, not their managers. Sancho is earning a bad rep all by himself.
Again, an assertion with no evidence. (Also I love how you think managing a team of top 1% performers in a high pressure environment for a world class organisation, is anything like what you or I are used to at work).
He didn't throw him under the bus. He challenged him to do better.
SANCHO exposed himself to the social media pile on, not Ten Hag. He has agency. He had an alternative course of action. He could've said, "Fair enough boss, I do need to push a bit harder. I'm on it." No pile on. In fact, we'd have admired him for it, because that is the sort of player we need.
Sancho is in this mess because he made, and continues to make, bad decisions. He needs to own it, and fans like you need to stop protecting players who aren't up to playing for us.
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This is not a black and white situation.
Sancho has made plenty of bad choices and seems immature.
ETH's job is to get the most out of our squad at all times. He is definitely not doing that at the moment.
To alienate players (with WC potential) who needs to be managed closer is not the right way to do things.
We need to manage our players better and be better at solving our challenges/problems.
Do I think it has been easy to manage Sancho? No.
Do I think we could have done a better job with him? Infinitely, yes.
Right now our club is all over the shop, both on and off the pitch and things are clearly not working out. I don't think running the club like an authoritarian dictator is the way out of this mess, quite the contrary.
I hope he comes back.
Sancho has made plenty of bad choices and seems immature.
ETH's job is to get the most out of our squad at all times. He is definitely not doing that at the moment.
To alienate players (with WC potential) who needs to be managed closer is not the right way to do things.
We need to manage our players better and be better at solving our challenges/problems.
Do I think it has been easy to manage Sancho? No.
Do I think we could have done a better job with him? Infinitely, yes.
Right now our club is all over the shop, both on and off the pitch and things are clearly not working out. I don't think running the club like an authoritarian dictator is the way out of this mess, quite the contrary.
I hope he comes back.
This works all works both ways. Sancho shouldn't be need to micro managed, we pay him handsomely. If he can't be bothered to apply himself without someone specifically managing him, you don't deserve that money. Especially when he hasn't performed on the pitch.
His "need" for closer management is also alienating for squad members that don't need that and are on considerably less than him. Again, whilst not actually performing to a standard expected from the manager and even team mates.
You can always do things better, but it's not exactly like we've done a bad job. He's played something like 82 games for the club in all competitions and scored 12 goals, at what point should he have some introspection?
what story?
He doesn't have world class potential. Doesn't have the right attitude for it.
There are plenty of other players out there that are not immature and does not need to be managed to such a ridiculous degree. It's time we throw our time and resources after such individuals, and realize that players like Sancho will only ever let you down. He can go do one. Wouldn't mind if he never played for the club again.
One you know, second you don't. Strange that you say "infinitely yes" with the one you don't
Since we’re going to dissect each-other’s posts…
If you want to go down the tactical route, we can go there too. Ten Hag made it clear that he wants United to be a transition team. In pre-season, we saw this new tactic of circulating the ball in the first-phase in order to bait the opposition press in order to force the transition.
We saw those how those goals were conceded vs. Dortmund and Lens via turnovers close to our own goal as the players were getting used to the system, and we also saw how Ten Hag has persisted with that system this season. It would therefore be wrong to say that pre-season means nothing as there has been tactical continuity.
However, there has not been continuity in the case of Sancho which is why he has every reason to feel aggrieved. I felt he was one of our better performers in that false 9 position and the team was a lot more balanced with him dropping into the pockets to link the play and open up space for others to run in behind.
I’m not inventing the fact that ETH opted to play Rashford as a 9 in our first two games despite the fact that his back to goal play is poor and he is not good at connecting the play. If Sancho did show some bad attitude in response, this is likely the cause of it. If I was in his shoes, I would certainly feel like there is nothing I can do to please this manager and he wouldn’t give me a fair crack at the whip.
Imagine for a second if your boss bad mouthed you on a public platform thereby alienating you in the eyes of other potential employers. How would you feel?
This is why Sancho had to refute this statement in public. Ten Hag made the initial statement in public, Sancho had to protect his own reputation because, at the end of the day, his manager is dragging it through the mud.
Regardless of it all, Sancho’s career at United under ETH is finished due to what is ultimately a personality clash. My concern is for the mental well-being of our players because they are not going to give their all on the pitch for a manager who they dislike. If even greats like Jose Mourinho and Louis Van Gaal could not survive calling out players in the press, what makes you think Ten Hag would? Remove the season in which Frenkie De Jong carried Ajax to Champions League semi-final, what credit does he have in the bank to make him a manager worthy of Man United?
This is my fundamental concern. It’s not about Sancho, because players come and players go and I have a personal preference for more direct wingers. It’s about Ten Hag’s divisive and alienating behaviour. It’s about Ten Hag treating the club like a personality cult, clearly having his favourites (remember how Weghorst starting almost 30 games in a row despite being far worse than the likes of Bebe and Obertan?), and almost exclusively recruiting from the Eredivisie.
Moreover, it’s about Ten Hag lacking the social skills to keep the dressing room on board. You have to remember that these footballers are human beings with egos too. In an ideal world, they would not have egos but the reality is that they do and part of the art of managing a big club like Manchester United is managing those personalities and keeping everybody on-board with the vision and strategy.
Believe me, my friend. I am rooting for Ten Hag just as I rooted for every Manchester United manager. We could be managed by Steven Gerrard and I would only want us to win. But I fear that what Ten Hag is doing will demoralise the players and ensure that he loses the dressing room, which would ensure that we are unable to challenge and will have to go through another rebuild.
Are you really trying to say that I chose to conveniently interpret a comment from ETH that Sancho isn’t mentally fit is about his mental health? This is a major reach from you. Regardless of what it meant, I’m not deluded in saying that almost everyone interpreted it as a mental health issue. In which case, this sort of stuff is better to be kept confidential. Maybe you would not mind if your mental health struggles were made public, but I’m sure countless people would. It was an act that lacked sensitivity on Ten Hag’s part.
Pre-season friendlies have a purpose. They aren’t just played for fitness. It is also a chance to experiment with new systems and a chance for the manager to observe how what is being taught on the training ground is being implemented in practice.
If you want to go down the tactical route, we can go there too. Ten Hag made it clear that he wants United to be a transition team. In pre-season, we saw this new tactic of circulating the ball in the first-phase in order to bait the opposition press in order to force the transition.
We saw those how those goals were conceded vs. Dortmund and Lens via turnovers close to our own goal as the players were getting used to the system, and we also saw how Ten Hag has persisted with that system this season. It would therefore be wrong to say that pre-season means nothing as there has been tactical continuity.
However, there has not been continuity in the case of Sancho which is why he has every reason to feel aggrieved. I felt he was one of our better performers in that false 9 position and the team was a lot more balanced with him dropping into the pockets to link the play and open up space for others to run in behind.
I’m not inventing the fact that ETH opted to play Rashford as a 9 in our first two games despite the fact that his back to goal play is poor and he is not good at connecting the play. If Sancho did show some bad attitude in response, this is likely the cause of it. If I was in his shoes, I would certainly feel like there is nothing I can do to please this manager and he wouldn’t give me a fair crack at the whip.
Sancho has every right to dispute it. Ten Hag could have just said it was a tactical decision and left it at that. Instead, he made a comment that exposed Sancho to question marks about his professionalism. Note how I’m not here defending Sancho’s professionalism. I’m not in training to observe him nor am I his friend or family member. I just felt it was a totally unnecessary remark. I do not object to Ten Hag dropping Sancho over an apparent lack of professionalism. I object to him making it public.
Imagine for a second if your boss bad mouthed you on a public platform thereby alienating you in the eyes of other potential employers. How would you feel?
This is why Sancho had to refute this statement in public. Ten Hag made the initial statement in public, Sancho had to protect his own reputation because, at the end of the day, his manager is dragging it through the mud.
I don’t think Sancho viewed it as his being challenged to do better. Moreover, being humiliated in a public setting is not going to make an employee want to work harder to prove a point. It can demoralise people totally and break their spi
Sancho did not say anything publicly until Ten Hag did. I’m sure Sancho did the whole “fair enough boss, I need to work harder” thing at the start of the year and behind closed doors but this actual was likely a last resort.
Regardless of it all, Sancho’s career at United under ETH is finished due to what is ultimately a personality clash. My concern is for the mental well-being of our players because they are not going to give their all on the pitch for a manager who they dislike. If even greats like Jose Mourinho and Louis Van Gaal could not survive calling out players in the press, what makes you think Ten Hag would? Remove the season in which Frenkie De Jong carried Ajax to Champions League semi-final, what credit does he have in the bank to make him a manager worthy of Man United?
This is my fundamental concern. It’s not about Sancho, because players come and players go and I have a personal preference for more direct wingers. It’s about Ten Hag’s divisive and alienating behaviour. It’s about Ten Hag treating the club like a personality cult, clearly having his favourites (remember how Weghorst starting almost 30 games in a row despite being far worse than the likes of Bebe and Obertan?), and almost exclusively recruiting from the Eredivisie.
Moreover, it’s about Ten Hag lacking the social skills to keep the dressing room on board. You have to remember that these footballers are human beings with egos too. In an ideal world, they would not have egos but the reality is that they do and part of the art of managing a big club like Manchester United is managing those personalities and keeping everybody on-board with the vision and strategy.
Believe me, my friend. I am rooting for Ten Hag just as I rooted for every Manchester United manager. We could be managed by Steven Gerrard and I would only want us to win. But I fear that what Ten Hag is doing will demoralise the players and ensure that he loses the dressing room, which would ensure that we are unable to challenge and will have to go through another rebuild.
How better could ETH have managed Sancho.
Who else gets two months off to go a sort out their mental issues?
Agree. We are stuck with him.
May as well put him on loan somewhere, but really, what are the chances of him performing to a level where someone wants to buy him and take on those huge wages?
I think too many people have told Sancho he has world class potential. He’s England’s 7th choice winger, how about he goes on the pitch and does the basics properly. From what I’ve seen he looks about as good as Alex Iwobi.
He's already delivered consistantly on a WC level over multiple season at a different club. I don't believe for a second he has suddenly become unmanagable.
We've just not been doing it right.
You are right that there are plenty of other players out there that is not immature and needs less managing, but try to name one other attacking midfielder in a top 5 league that have delivered 1+ (1,04) G+A/90 consistantly between 17 and 20 years old (114 goals and assists in 9900 minutes for Dortmund) the last 30 years?
You can't, because he's the only one. He was pretty much one of the most creative and goalthreatening young midfielders we've seen the last 30 years, up untill we bought him.
KDB, Ozil, Musiala, Fabregas, Lamps, Scholes etc....They were not even close at that age.
We get him here and bin him for attitude issues.....it's nothing short of a scandal that the club and management hasn't managed him better.
We basically need to evaluate the incoming players not only based on their technical abilities but also whether they will fit in our team so as to avoid Sancho like situation.
Nah, I don’t buy it. Only very rarely do players prove they are world class in the Bundesliga alone. Usually they will back it up with impressive CL displays, and/or by being a key player for a strong national team (think Robben, Lewandowski, Neuer, etc.). Sancho did OK in the CL I suppose, but can’t break into the England side at all.
Average footballers by PL standards can sometimes achieve very good stats in the Bundesliga. There are plenty of examples of this.
I dont think he is unmanageable. I think he is lacking the personal motivation to be the best player he can be. Any wonder when he is making over a million a month for mailing it in?
Because of this, ETH probably believes that others have passed him in the pecking order. He said as much post Arsenal.
I think it was a challenge to Sancho, and Ten Hag's error was thinking his player would rise to it, rather than shirk from it. Either way, he has discovered something important about Sancho, which is that he cannot be trusted.
Jumping to conclusions again. You don't know what his agent did, so why say it?
Man, seriously, footballers are in the wrong job if they think they won't get abused for not performing. Have you ever even been to a football match?
The abuse didn't come from The Hag's mild observation about why he wasn't selected, the social media abuse came after Sancho posted his disagreement on social media. Sancho fanned the flames. Was that his "right"? Who cares? It was stupid, whether it was his "right" or not.
Again, how on earth do you know what young players across the world would think?
And I am saying that the evidence for Ten Hag saying it was a mental health issue isn't actually in the words he used (especially given English isn't even his first language). It doesn't matter how "everyone interpreted it". I am giving Ten Hag the benefit of the doubt because it is unclear. You are not, because it suits your narrative that Ten Hag is wrong.
Speculation, if, buts, the only purpose of which is to explain away Sancho's actions. You don't know. You are guessing. So don't say it.
Because you wouldn't be able to, based on his United performances so far.
That's not what you or others seem to really object to, you object to ETH "throwing him under a bus" the implication being that he was sacrificed to distract from the result.
I think I would, if motivated to want to win at United, have responded aggressively and demonstratively in training, in order to prove my boss wrong. As great players do.
Sancho is using it as an excuse to run away. No time for that, none at all.
I've even had pool fans ragging me about it but saying he's got to get binned, probably torched his career. Would be good if we could get grounds to terminate on gross misconduct and avoid essentially rewarding him for unprofessional behaviour.
You've got some fair points but I don't think EtH outright declared that any mental illness was involved although it was alluded to, I agree.
I've been in the situation myself with bipolar disorder and if he's got some kind of illness then he really shouldn't be at work, he would be declared officially unfit to work.
He's got a pretty unusual 'job' compared to most of us but if his confidence is rocked by something EtH said, he needs to rethink his career because he's going to be getting grief from thousands of people all saying much worse.
It does seem that he's getting very poor advice and/or he's acting up in quite a petulant manner.
Spot on. Sancho also had great standing on the national team before he joined United - not 7th choice, but 1-3th choice.
If it’s true Barcelona wants Sancho, it think
It says all.
Funny how every single player that we buy, their value plummets after few months,.
I know it’s a stupid and futile thought but I can’t help but wonder if Jadon was the man for tonight given his experience of German football.
Probably not but what if ……
Probably not but what if ……
Sums him up.
Surely not real?
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It just wasn't mate, again my point was if Sancho has been such a problem in terms of his behaviour and professionalism then maybe he shouldn't still be here.
The fact United also have other players who have underperformed but are otherwise professional and the manager is happy with their attitudes, workrate etc is absolutely irrelevant to that point.
I heard this took place an hour before kickoff, not actually during the game.
Yes, what better antidote to the lightening speed of Davies then the slow, lazy but undoubtedly technical Jadon Sancho.I know it’s a stupid and futile thought but I can’t help but wonder if Jadon was the man for tonight given his experience of German football.
Probably not but what if ……
Not a good look and shows a lack of maturity. Someone around him should be advising to not do things that give any more perception he's lazy and unprofessional.
To be honest I don't see the problem with this if he isn't included in the matchday squad. He shouldn't do it during the match, but if he does before it while he waits for the match to start I see nothing wrong with it.