Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag, his current manager, engaged in a remarkable media exchange.
According to one former Manchester United player, Sir Alex Ferguson would not have allowed the Jadon Sancho and Erik Ten Hag situation to play out publicly.
After the 23-year-old England international was dropped from the matchday squad, Sancho and the current United manager Ten Hag engaged in an amazing media discussion following the Arsenal game. Ten Hag attributed that choice to what he called disappointing training performances.
After being questioned by Sancho on social media, the former Ajax boss is also believed to stick by his remarks. During the first international break of this season, it was a topic of discussion at Old Trafford and beyond. Former United player Louis Saha has since offered his opinion.
“If a similar situation between Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag happened when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, he would’ve put the player on his bench or in the stands for a few weeks,” the Frenchman stated in a statement to bookmakers Paddy Power.
No one would have questioned the choice, Saha continued, because there are other talented players vying for roster positions. Nobody dared publicly challenge him because he was the one in power and you never knew how he would respond.
Nobody would misbehave around Sir Alex. Things were a little more private in my time period, but now it appears that management feel constantly compelled to communicate with media in a frank and open manner.
It can occasionally be beneficial, but it can also be risky and lead to uncomfortable circumstances for a period. This was one of those instances where a manager opened up unnecessarily; you shouldn’t leave a player out and then expose him.
Sancho’s head is being partially submerged under the water by Ten Hag since he is already not doing well. Although sometimes the manager must speak publicly about a player, it wasn’t necessary in this case.
“Sancho then has to justify himself; he believes he’s done good in terms of commitment and physical performance, but his management is demanding more. It’s an unnecessary circumstance, therefore I feel bad for both of them.
Sometimes those difficult conversations need to be kept private, and even if you shout and are upset, you should keep that to yourself rather than telling the media because of the current circumstance. Sancho is forced to defend himself as a result of it. He is a professional who wants to demonstrate his ability to play for the team.
