This season, Man Utd has a number of issues off the field, and the organization seems to be caught in a downward spiral of despair.
Erik ten Hag will have luck attempting to unplug for a few days during this international break. He sought the thoughts of former Manchester United players like Louis van Gaal and Daley Blind about what it was like to work there, and they would have forewarned him about weeks like this.
United are currently caught in one of the death spirals that have repeatedly wrecked them over the past ten years. They have a tremendous capacity for crisis management, and given how much firefighting they are now performing, they ought to be moved to Pontypandy.
On the field, things aren’t exactly going perfectly. Ten Hag will be concerned by their two victories and two losses from their first four games, as well as some underwhelming performances, but things are even worse off the field. What they would give right now for a positive news article.
Right now, that seems doubtful. For United, the past several weeks have been a nightmare, and things don’t seem to be going any better. Jadon Sancho’s foolish and amazing answer to Ten Hag’s assertion that he wasn’t selected based on his training form eclipsed Sunday’s heartbreaking loss at Arsenal instantly.
Ten Hag and United have previously been warned by Guardiola regarding Sancho.
Sancho claimed he was being used as a “scapegoat” on social media and in essence accused his own management of lying. A surprising and unanticipated broadside was delivered. Since then, United has attempted to put use the fire by being mute, but insiders say Ten Hag stands by his own remarks.
It’s unlikely that the winger will escape punishment for his outburst, and it’s hard to see how he can get back on track right away. This relationship is currently in trouble, just seven months after Ten Hag was praised for his tactful management of Sancho. The early separation between them this week might help tensions calm down, but the problem will dominate the lead-up to the Brighton game.
