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Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge of Manchester United has been characterised by flailing fortunes on the field and lots of off-field controversies.
The biggest one was when the manager called out Jadon Sancho for his unacceptable training standards, with the player firing back at his boss on social media.
The Englishman called the Dutchman out for the preferential treatment he meted out to certain players with the former Ajax coach responding by banishing him from the first team.
Despite the best efforts of the PFA and his England colleagues at trying to make the forward apologise, he remained adamant in his stance and was forced to train with the reserves for more than three months.
Sancho-EtH tiff
United were desperate to move on the former Manchester City academy graduate and agreed to send the 23-year-old on loan back at Borussia Dortmund with the Red Devils forced to pay a large portion of his wages.
The England international grabbed an assist in his second debut for the Bundesliga club in a match against Darmstadt and revealed post-match that he felt like he was back home.
The Dortmund hierarchy have since gone on to praise the winger but so far, there have been no reports of the German giants willing to splash the cash to ensure a permanent deal for Sancho.
Now, Dortmund manager Edin Terzic has revealed that despite not having played competitively for a lot of months, the winger was in terrific shape during training.
However, the manager refused to reveal whether the winger was fit enough to start!
Dortmund boss praises Sancho
“It’s true that Jadon arrived here in good condition, yet we also know how the past few weeks and months have gone for him — and thank god he wasn’t injured (against Darmstadt).
“We’re happy about every training session and he’s happy to be back on the pitch and he’s done well this week. We tested him and Ian again on Tuesday to get their results and they were both outstanding — and we’re happy about that.”
All these might be ploys to ensure the player regains his confidence and performs on the pitch. United will not be too displeased as Sancho’s form will be crucial in enhancing his resale value come the summer.
If Ten Hag remains the manager, there is little chance that the player returns to the first team. However, if results do not improve, INEOS might be forced to show the Dutchman the door. Any new manager coming in will then have the final say.
