There's a good player in there. I know we all like to shit on the Bundesliga but it is a decent league and his stats over multiple seasons were very impressive. He's unsellable due to his wages and amortization value so I think the best option would be to try and play him into form over the pre-season. This season will be make or break for him at the club in my opinion.
25
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 3
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 0
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Regardless of which team he goes to, it’s becoming pretty evident he isn’t going to be a success in the premier league. Not a big player anyway. He might do an ok job at a lower level team in the prem but he clearly doesn’t have the intensity and drive required to be an elite player in this league. It’s sad to see but it doesn’t look likes it’s going to happen for him at Utd at least.
Much easier to thrive against the likes of Karlsruhe and Augsburg
Yeah a lot of people have brought up the Bundesliga, but he excelled in CL matches against tough opponents as well. I think its a confidence issue, a mental issue. He just doesnt seem to try stuff anymore.
He's not fully fit guys. There's no mystery. You can't do your stuff at the top level if you're not physically right.
So he hasn't been fully fit for 2 years? Riiiiiight.
Er yeah.
You think you've been watching a fully fit top level athlete for the last two years?
He lacks pace and stamina and cannot win a 50:50 challenge.
His league stats were far better than CL stats back in his Dortmund days though.
18-21:
CL: 5 goals 6 assists in 21 games (avg 0.52 g+a per game)
BL: 37 goals 41 assists in 92 games (avg 0.85 g+a per game)
21-23:
PL: 9 goals 6 assists in 55 games (avg 0.27 g+a per game)
I think he simply struggle in tougher league.
He spent 6 months getting fit last season in the middle of the season and was still shit.
Fitness might be an issue, but he’s responsible for that as a professional athlete. To a lot of us who’ve watched him regularly, it seems he doesn’t have the required desire, fight, or cutting edge to make it at the level he now finds himself. Nor the mental attributes to withstand the pressure.
So many excuses...
Whether he's got no confidence, whether he's mentally weak, or weather he's not been fit. None of it makes a difference. Elite athletes playing at the top of any sport need mental strength, self confidence and obviously they are required to keep themselves fit and in peak condition. If Sancho isn't capable of meeting any of those requirements after 2 years, then he's not good enough for United. The same can be said for a number of United players over the last few years who constantly have excuses made for them
Whether he's got no confidence, whether he's mentally weak, or weather he's not been fit. None of it makes a difference. Elite athletes playing at the top of any sport need mental strength, self confidence and obviously they are required to keep themselves fit and in peak condition. If Sancho isn't capable of meeting any of those requirements after 2 years, then he's not good enough for United. The same can be said for a number of United players over the last few years who constantly have excuses made for them
I said it in last seasons Sancho thread but the thread started looking a lot like the Martial/Pogba/Lingard/Sanchez etc threads of yesteryear.
Starts with “one more season”, “he has the ability”, and ends with “it’s a confidence thing”, “he’s not be playing in his best position”, “he needs 4 world class players around him”.
If you believe that then I don't really know what to say. That's some top level excuse/delusion right there. I'd love to know what you think it takes for a player to "be fit". He's training with top sports coaches every single day for 2 years and playing in the premier league. Does he need to take 6 months off to build up his fitness? How does that look in your head? Maybe i dunno...he'd have to train with sports coaches every day for 6 month.....oh wait.
You're going to have to face that he's just not cut out for the intensity of the premier league and can't hack it. You know he's missed 2 games through injury the entire time he's been here? If it was Owen Hargreaves we were talking about not being fit for 2 years i could get on board. But this is just excuse making nonsense at the highest level.
When do you reckon was the last time he was fully fit? Or is his “fully fit” level just not enough to enable him to prosper in the PL?
When people had their pitchforks out for Rashford the season before last, his defenders claimed that his shocking form was a result of a lack of fitness from having been overplayed and brought back from injury too early. Given what Rashford had previously shown himself to be capable of this seemed completely plausible; the question was one of whether he’d actually be able to recover that fitness, and I have to admit that I had my doubts.
Sancho has never shown anything in his time at United to suggest he can cope with the hustle and bustle of the Premier League. It’s more likely that he just hasn’t got the physique for it.
The one thing I really like about Sancho is his ability to dig the ball (and himself) out of tight spaces.
Yet those who saw a lot of him at Dortmund reckon he struggles in England because defenders give him a lot less room.
That doesn’t appear to make sense.
Yet those who saw a lot of him at Dortmund reckon he struggles in England because defenders give him a lot less room.
That doesn’t appear to make sense.
I’ve already said it in another thread but you absolutely cannot underestimate the crushing pressure that comes with playing for United.
Young, english, high money transfer, the perfect recipe for media to circle around him.
Only Bayern and Real are even more crushing with their players. Some players can handle it, some don’t.
I’ve seen him getting more confidence at the end of last season. He’s exactly the system player that Ten Hag can play. Same as Antony, I’m not a big fan of his game but he’s way more useful than people think he is.
Anyways, it would be stupid from us to sell him at a discount this summer
Young, english, high money transfer, the perfect recipe for media to circle around him.
Only Bayern and Real are even more crushing with their players. Some players can handle it, some don’t.
I’ve seen him getting more confidence at the end of last season. He’s exactly the system player that Ten Hag can play. Same as Antony, I’m not a big fan of his game but he’s way more useful than people think he is.
Anyways, it would be stupid from us to sell him at a discount this summer
Give him two more years of fitness training then we'll see the true Sancho out there.
Well obviously it’s easier to shine against Karlsruhe. They haven’t played first division since 2009. You need to update your list of teams to shit on.
To be fair he has had a very easy run with the media. And that is due to be being English. Anthony gets called out by the media for his transfer fee mores than sancho.
You’re right about traditional medias. I should’ve been clearer but I meant the overall media including football pages on twitter and instagram, who dubbed him 007 in his first 7 games with us because he had no goals or assists, when we all know he was coming back from illness.
https://www.eurosport.com/football/...-half-of-last-season-s_sto9072285/story.shtml
The article is a bit dated but 8 United players made up the top 12 of most abused PL players on Twitter. So there’s a lot greater scrutiny on United players, and we can see that it got to Maguire as well.
It’s not an excuse but it’s a component not many other clubs have to include when assessing the mental strength of their players.
I'm not defending Sancho here.
Me saying he's not fit isn't an excuse. It's the biggest criticism I can think of for a player.
I'd sell the guy tomorrow. Can't be doing with him.
What I mean is he literally can't be arsed getting himself into top level athlete shape. He's visibly gassed after 60 mins. Nor does he look like an athlete. Which is all on him.
People are scratching their heads as to what's happened when the answer is there right in front of them.
If you think just being at United means a player is automatically in top shape you'd be wrong. How hard he trains, how he lives away from Carrington is on him. Coaches can't guarante a player is fit.
Not being fit isn't an excuse. It's the highest criticism I can think of for a pro player. He's gpt everything he needs to be in top shape but simply can't be bothered by the looks of it.
I said this when he first joined, spurning the chance to train with the team to carry on with a holiday. Was told at the time it's what his mental health needed.
Your first summer at United. You do everything you can to be ready.
I'm firmly in the sell Sancho camp but I don't think he hasn't been fit as I don't think EtH would accept that from a player and still play him. Definitely he is not at peak confidence level for sure but I reckon he's fit enough. I just think with the step up in physicality, pace and less space in the prem, a player like Sancho to truly thrive with no pace and no strength has to be either a great dribbler or very creative and I don't think Sancho is either (despite all the assists in Germany). If he went back to Germany I could see him picking up where he left off.
ETH hasn't played him. He sent him to a fitness camp for the first half of last season. Why would he do that if the player was perfectly fit?
That and him visibly being knackered after 60 mins, often being subbed off.
I'm not sure why folk find this so hard to believe.
He's on a huge contract, years left. If he's not motivated to train and live properly there's not much the club or ETH can do except drop him.
Which is exactly what's happened.
Meant to say Kaiserslautern, but it turns out they haven't played in the top flight since 2012 either.
I think he ought to be great but can’t wrap my head around why it is not happening. It must be mental, a lack of confidence and fight maybe. Let’s hope something clicks this summer.
He is one of few players who is good in tight spaces. He is a playmaking winger.
He is one of few players who is good in tight spaces. He is a playmaking winger.
Heads in London too sadly. His family/ friends are there and spends all his free time going back.
There was that brief spark at end with him at RW where he looked pretty damn good I thought. Perhaps he will kick on a bit playing more rw
Apologies - i agree with you.
That was in meaningless games against opposition that had downed tools (Chelsea). He was one of our worst players against City in the FA cup final, he is a nothing player that should be let go if any decent offer comes in.
The mental part of the game is far more important than talent tbh. Both intelligence which I wouldn't say he lacks, but the toughness. Confidence to try things, toughness to not get affected by criticism, relishing being a United player and not hiding from it. It's a huge variable for any transfer that comes to the club and many players flop just because of it. Also my reasoning for wanting Onana over Costa with how Onana did in the CL final vs how Costa did in the world Cup.
I'd say more that it's easier to do that in a Dortmund shirt than a United shirt. Less pressure on you, less focus on the league, didn't come with a big price tag...
don’t forget his dislike of tracking back and pressing
Making someone, who already showed discipline problems while he was still trying to earn his big move, top earner may also be a factor. But who knows.
He’s not leaving - wages are impossible for anyone else to get close to and I’ve not seen or heard anything from him to suggest he has the fight or pride to work harder elsewhere for an England spot. I think he’ll go for free at the end of his contract.
I hope he comes good but I don’t think he will - zero fight in him and not enough quality to be a top technician in the PL. And frankly even most strong technicians (Ozil-esque) aren’t viewed favorably at top teams in the modern era of high pressing. He’s a long way from that.
Looks a very, very bad signing and I don’t think that perception will change over time.
I hope he comes good but I don’t think he will - zero fight in him and not enough quality to be a top technician in the PL. And frankly even most strong technicians (Ozil-esque) aren’t viewed favorably at top teams in the modern era of high pressing. He’s a long way from that.
Looks a very, very bad signing and I don’t think that perception will change over time.
I think it’s definitely a mental issue.
The Athletic just released a piece on former « wonderkid » Nick Powell ( I still remember the marvellous strike he scored for his first game) and he said that he loved playing football, but at United they loved winning. He didn’t feel like he belonged or deserved to be United.
He basically explains that he was not strong enough mentally back then, and that not performing at his standard led to a negative spiral of playing bad and feeling bad about playing bad.
And for me we’re clearly facing a similar issue with Sancho. Perhaps the mechanics are different, but we’re simply looking at a player devoid of confidence, not used to being under that much scrutiny and not used to underperform.
He'll be the next player to get kicked out of this club by ETH if he keep playing like he's been playing since we signed him.
I can’t believe anybody wants Sancho sold especially for the meager sums mentioned… seriously. He will get back to previous levels.. dude still young enough.
1. Sancho has excellent decision making, can finish, shoot , dribble and the only nit stopping him from recovering his form is the part between the ears and he’s still young enough to develop… if he does he’ll be instantly worth £70m minimum
1. Sancho has excellent decision making, can finish, shoot , dribble and the only nit stopping him from recovering his form is the part between the ears and he’s still young enough to develop… if he does he’ll be instantly worth £70m minimum
Weak as piss no fight in this guy.