Rio Ferdinand, a former defender for Manchester United, thinks it is challenging to foresee Erik ten Hag’s reaction to the Jadon Sancho circumstance.
Sancho, who transferred from Borussia Dortmund to United just over two years ago, is the focus of another case that Ten Hag is attempting to solve. After being left out of the matchday squad for the 3-1 loss to Arsenal earlier this month, the winger retaliated at the Dutchman in a social media post.
The winger’s performance in practice prevented Ten Hag from including him in his plans for the trip to the capital, as the Dutchman acknowledged in his post-match press conference. Sancho, however, responded to the 53-year-old’s remarks on social media by asserting that he had been used as a “scapegoat for a long time.”
Sancho, who returned to United’s practice facility on Monday, has fallen short of expectations ever since joining the team in July 2021. He may or may not be selected for the team that plays Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday at Old Trafford.
Ferdinand thinks Ten Hag will have to carefully consider the possibility of reintroducing Sancho to the squad, insisting that he will have to be mindful of the message it sends to the rest of his players, should Sancho be drafted back into the equation amid the ongoing speculation regarding his future and whether he will play any part against the Seagulls.
Antony and what happens to Sancho are currently one of the major concerns, Ferdinand told Vibe with Five. “I believe the coach will be asking himself, ‘If I play him, or put him straight back in after what he has done, what message does that send to the squad?'”
If he decides to play him right away, I believe how he addresses the team will have a significant impact. When speaking to the team, he might say something like, “Listen, guys, this is why it’s happening, and on another day he doesn’t play,” or something like.
He’s either going to do that, in my opinion, or just say, “He’s not playing.” He is absent this week. Even if I truly need him, I’ll let him leave. After that, he could play Garnacho, Pellistri, etc., and move on.
Ferdinand, who spent 12 years at United, acknowledges that if he were directly equating Ten Hag’s remarks with Sancho’s declaration, he would decide not to reintroduce him to the team. However, the former defender acknowledges that not all of the information regarding the case is publicly available.
Without knowing all the specifics, he continued, “If I had just seen the manager making his comments and then Sancho doing a statement, he doesn’t play, for me. I think there are probably a few more spinning plates underneath that we are not privy to.
“I cannot allow the other players to believe it is acceptable. You can’t just play it that way because there are more rotating pieces involved.
