September 1, 2022. Jadon Sancho scores the only goal for Manchester United in the club’s first away win under Erik ten Hag. Afterwards, Sancho shakes hands with journalists beneath Leicester’s main stand and is polite as he explains why he feels more freedom under his new boss on the field.
“More information, a clearer plan on what to do, especially in some areas of the pitch. Definitely,” he says of Ten Hag’s methods. “The style of play in training is what we’re working on. Some of that you see, some of it is the intelligence of our players, creating and knowing each other well.”
September 3, 2023. Sancho, 23, doesn’t figure in Ten Hag’s squad as United lose again at Arsenal. Asked why not after the game, his manager says: “Jadon, on his performances in training we did not select him.”
Sancho responds on social media and he’s not happy and suggests he has been made a scapegoat and has been “for a long time which isn’t fair!”.
It’s a shame this is public and not dealt with internally but the manager chose for it to be. The outcome was that it briefly made headlines before the next negative Manchester United story came along – in this case two police forces investigating allegations of domestic violence by Antony, which the player strongly denies.
Ten Hag could have easily said he was omitted for personal reasons, but the manager wanted to make the point public. Sancho and Ten Hag may both feel that they are right but there’ll likely be only one winner and it won’t be Sancho.
The Londoner is also being disingenuous since Ten Hag, according to many sources within Old Trafford, has looked after Sancho. The manager was proactive in building a relationship with his player. He was friendly, positive, engaging and helpful, as he was with other players.
When Sancho needed help in the month after the Leicester goal following a slump in form, Ten Hag was there to help and support him privately and publicly. Not every United manager in the post-Ferguson era had the same man-management skills. Players were hung out to dry publicly or simply ignored until they were moved on. That hasn’t happened between Sancho and Ten Hag.
It was also in Ten Hag’s interest to try and get a tune out of a player who had underwhelmed since his move from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, which came with a vast €85 million fee. It would have been £30 million more if Dortmund had their way the previous year. United had pursued Sancho for a long time.
Ten Hag is an intense disciplinarian. United needed that. If players – and it doesn’t matter which players, as Marcus Rashford twice found out last season – are late, then they get dropped. It’s nothing personal nor is it as painfully rigid as it was under Louis van Gaal, when one long-serving senior player decided he’d had enough after being admonished for being 28 seconds late to a meeting about a meeting. But Ten Hag sets the standards that have brought him success at his previous clubs.
For Sancho to claim innocence is incorrect. He should be repaying Ten Hag with top performances since that’s how he’ll be judged.
A scapegoat? Not from fans, like other players. Sancho has received nothing but support from United fans at games. There are and will always be abusive trolls online, but Sancho can have no complaints from the way fans have been patient with him in the hope that he’d become the player they thought he would be when he signed from Dortmund.
That has yet to happen and United would have let Sancho leave in the summer had a sufficiently substantial offer come in for him. None did, which was no surprise give another mediocre season from the forward on vast wages.
It’s not easy being a Manchester United player. The pressure is intense and that’s not for everyone. Ten Hag gets that and it’s a reason he’s so protective of his players. He’s also democratic and gives players several chances.
He will likely speak to Sancho in private and try again with him, as he has done before when he sent him to the Netherlands last autumn to work on getting back into a place where he could play for him again. They were not the actions of someone who dislikes the player.
Sancho still has a contract until 2026, with the option of another year from United. United fans will continue to support him at games when he plays. They want him to do well and he performed OK in pre-season.
There have been the odd bright spots in his time at Old Trafford, his goals against Leicester and Liverpool a year ago being two. There’s little bright about Manchester United right now, but at least Sancho can properly prepare for the next games during this international break; he has not been selected by England for two years now.
Arsenal v Man United player ratings
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ARSENAL RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale - 6: Clean sheets just aren’t a thing in this fixture. The Arsenal stopper was well-beaten by a ferocious Rashford strike that almost snapped his fingers back on its way in, but he later showed strong hands to deny Martial at his near post. AFP -
Ben White - 6: Gave Rashford too much room to jink inside and unleash a piledriver that crashed in off the post to open the scoring. Should have grabbed an assist at the other end, but Saka could only steer his precise pass straight at Onana. AP -
William Saliba - 7: A big second half for the reliable defender who showed excellent awareness to deny Rashford a near-certain second with a huge block, and he was in the right place again to scramble the ball away and deny Hojlund a dream debut. Action Images -
Gabriel - 5. Given a torrid time by the physicality of Hojlund following his introduction. Survived a major scare when he played Garnacho offside by the finest of margins as United looked for the sucker punch, only to be blown away themselves. EPA -
Oleksandr Zinchenko - 7: Whipped an inviting cross into a great area, which was scrambled away by Dalot with Saka ready to pounce. Always seemed to get a foot in and showed good intensity to win the ball back and atone for a stray pass. Action Images -
Martin Odegaard - 9: A busy afternoon for the skipper who was relentless in the press and led by example, not least when he thundered his side back on terms just 35 seconds after Rashford’s opener. A proper captain’s performance on a day that will go down in Gunners folklore. Action Images -
Declan Rice - 7: Deservedly serenaded with ‘Rice Rice baby’ by the home faithful after the tenacious midfielder squeezed a dramatic 96th-minute winner past Onana to take the roof off the Emirates and make himself a North London hero. AP -
Kai Havertz - 4. A disastrous start for the German who squandered the best chance he’ll get all season with an air shot from five yards and gave the ball straight to Eriksen who sent Rashford through to score. Denied a penalty by Anthony Taylor on second viewing. AFP -
Bukayo Saka - 6. His usual industrious self, but he found clear opportunities hard to come back in the first half and steered a tame effort straight at Onana from point-blank range after a passing masterclass from the men in red. AFP -
Eddie Nketiah - 8. Another impressive outing in what’s shaping to be a defining season for the 24-year-old. Linked up nicely with Martinelli and was often the key man in some tantalising build-up play. Deserved a goal for his efforts in a high-energy display. Getty -
Gabriel Martinelli - 8. Terrorised Wan-Bissaka with an electric performance on the left, which included a sumptuous flick around the corner before his low pass across the area was smashed home by Odegaard for the leveller. Curled a beauty inches wide in the 69th minute. AFP -
SUBS: Gabriel Jesus (on for Nketiah ‘76) - NR: More important minutes for the returning forward who showed ice-cool composure to floor Dalot before sliding the ball past Onana to unleash pandemonium at the Emirates. AP -
Takehiro Tomiyasu (on for Zinchenko ‘76) - NR: Provided some important fresh legs to help thwart the visitors' counter-attacking approach. AFP -
Fabio Vieira (on for Havertz ‘77) - NR: Played Jesus through the middle to seal an emphatic victory and cap 103 minutes of breathtaking brilliance. Action Images -
Reiss Nelson (on for Martinelli ‘90) - NR: A short but breathless cameo for the 23-year-old in the thick of a frantic finale. Reuters -
Jorginho (on for Odegaard 90+9) - NR. Reuters -
MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: Andre Onana – 6. Calm – even if the travelling fans to his right were not – as he passed the ball with confidence between Arsenal’s strikers to his defenders and midfielders. Got on his knee to block a Saka shot on 80 but two goals went past him in time added on. Strong on corners. Booked. Getty -
Aaron Wan Bissaka – 7. The full-back’s battle with the excellent Martinelli was the most engaging and relentless duel of the game which was scrappy in the first half and cagey in the second. He did well. VAR was also right in overturning a penalty given for contact with Havertz. Reuters -
Victor Lindelof – 6. Very busy as United defended deeply, but he was comfortable with it. Ten Hag felt his side were more compact this week, but it meant Arsenal had 17 shots, 25 crosses and 12 corners. Reuters -
Lisandro Martinez – 6. Running in circles for Arsenal’s first goal, but he blocked a 12th-minute attack and did the same with an Odegaard shot on 50. Niggle and edge with Havertz. Came off injured on 66. AP -
Diogo Dalot – 7. Up against Saka and another defender who performed well. Defended a Zinchenko cross on 42, then chested and volleyed another Arsenal attack away 10 minutes after half time. Bested by Jesus for one goal. AP -
Casemiro – 6. He’s getting into form and better with Eriksen near him. Controlled in a first half when there were numerous misplaced passes and turnovers in possession, but United’s form at Arsenal remains woeful. Getty -
Christian Eriksen – 6. Wondrous pass to set up Rashford for United’s goal as his team concentrated on catching Arsenal on the break – just 12 per cent of United’s passes ended in the final third of the pitch. Blocked two Arsenal efforts and held his game until the end. EPA -
Antony – 5. Controlled a couple of high balls well on the wing and wiggled his way forward, but United have now gone six league games in London without a win. AP -
Bruno Fernandes – 6. Much ground covered as he defended early and attacked late. Poor game management from United’s captain and manager. A draw at Arsenal would have been a positive result. Getty -
Marcus Rashford – 6. Scored three in two games against Arsenal last season and a superb opening goal, finishing an Eriksen pass from the left with United’s first touch inside the Arsenal penalty area. Looks more of a threat from the left. Followed up on a Martial shot on 53. Well martialled by Gabriel in another attack. Getty -
Anthony Martial – 5. A shot on 53 from a counter was United’s first attack of the second half but it went straight at Ramsdale. And that was about it. EPA -
SUBS: Rasmus Hojlund (Martial, 66) – 7. The 20-year-old Dane impressed on his debut after signing from Atalanta. Worked hard and put himself about far more than Martial. Ended up in a heap after his one run on goal was blocked by Gabriel. AP -
Harry Maguire (Martinez, 66) – 5. His first appearance of the season. Needs minutes if he’s to have a United future and he might get them with injuries to other players. PA -
Jonny Evans (Lindelof, 83) – N/A. On for the injured Lindelof on 83 and his first United appearance since 2015. Watching him as Arsenal scored was not pleasant. Getty -
Alejandro Garnacho (Antony, 83) – N/A. Looked to have won the game when he went through, finished well and celebrated as the away fans went crazy. Then VAR ruled the goal out because he was offside. It was all downhill then for United. Getty
