The Man Utd winger’s path to recovery now appears to be a long one, despite the fact that Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho are scheduled to meet next week.
It has received more than 60 million views and has been pinned as the top post on Jadon Sancho’s X profile for almost five days. You are already aware of the reference if you are reading this in the first place.
Erik ten Hag was the one who stood his ground on Sunday night after learning of Sancho’s social media response to his own accusations that the winger had been left off the Manchester United roster due to poor training results.
Ten Hag believed he had provided a “clear reason why Jadon wasn’t selected,” according to a United source. He would not alter his position at this time. After five days, it is very obvious that Sancho is not in the mood for repentance either.
Just an hour after Ten Hag’s press conference remark, his tweet appeared on the website that was then known as Twitter. It seemed like an impulsive reaction. On an Apple device’s notes app, he had typed out what he wanted to say before taking a screenshot of it.
But it doesn’t seem like Sancho has changed his mind about essentially accusing his boss of lying and asserting that he was being used as a “scapegoat” or had any second thoughts about doing so. If he had, the post would have been removed without a doubt. Instead, it is still visible to the winger’s 2.2 million followers and is pinned to the top of his profile.
However, the manager and player must now find some common ground to avoid a fight in which neither party looks willing to make concessions becoming an issue or even a disruption.
On Thursday, the simplest option may have already been adopted. The Saudi Pro League was interested in a loan deal for Sancho, and United’s hesitation to respond surely suggested that a deal may materialize, but it never happened.
Sancho will therefore remain at United until January, assuming an implausible loan move to Turkey doesn’t happen in the upcoming week. When the first-team squad returns to Carrington after the current international series is over, a conversation with Ten Hag will unavoidably arise. Can Sancho be kept out of the team for the remaining three and a half months till the transfer window reopens? It would be a daring step.
Next week, the 23-year-old will probably certainly receive a reprimand and disciplinary punishment. Ten Hag will interpret his remarks as a challenge to his authority, and during his tenure at the club, he has cracked down on indiscipline, including Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho for being tardy and Cristiano Ronaldo for refusing to enter the game as a substitute and then giving that explosive interview to Piers Morgan.
However, there was a straightforward solution: mutually canceling Ronaldo’s contract. With Sancho, it doesn’t seem reasonable to do that. Based on the promise he displayed at Borussia Dortmund, he still holds a transfer value even after two unsuccessful seasons at Old Trafford.
Sancho, though, seems to be the one who will have to compromise in order to survive at the club. Before attempting to redeem himself on the field, he will need to express regret to Ten Hag.
When examining the difficulties he encountered at Ajax, it is important to recall a quotation Ten Hag provided to Dutch journalist and author Maarten Meijer for his book, Ten Hag: The Biography.
It appeared in a chapter about Andre Onana receiving a 12-month suspension following a failed drug test and Quincy Promes being charged with attempted murder for reportedly slashing a cousin in the knee.
In his statement, Ten Hag demonstrates both the human side of him—who last year gave Sancho time away from the team—and the strict disciplinarian inside.
These incidents occur to people. He added menacingly, “Normally, I can forget about someone, but I never forgive them. “I show folks my protection. Internally, if someone has crossed the boundary, it can be different. In the end, this is the best sport. You must be able to trust one another in order to get things done. If having a protective mentality hurts me personally, so be it. I am the manager and the leader, and I act in Ajax’s and the outcome’s best interests. That comes first; my own situation comes second.
Ten Hag may need some convincing before he can forgive Sancho, but it may already be difficult to convince him to forget that social media post. the fact that it is still pinned at the top of his profile, in particular.
