Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara has criticized Manchester United and Erik ten Hag over their treatment of first-team attacker Jadon Sancho.
Manchester United manager Ten Hag dropped Sancho from his squad for the Premier League defeat against Arsenal on September 3. When asked why he did not bright Sancho to north London, Ten Hag said that he was not satisfied with the Englishman’s training-pitch display. The 23-year-old publicly reacted to the Dutchman’s comments, saying the coach was making him a “scapegoat.”
Manchester United have removed Sancho from first team
In the aftermath of the fallout, United removed Sancho from the first-team squad, confirming it with an official statement on Thursday. It read (via The Mirror):
“Jadon Sancho will remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group, pending resolution of a squad discipline issue.”
O’Hara Slams Ten Hag & United For Mistreating Sancho
Speaking on talkSPORT, O’Hara criticized Ten Hag for not handling the situation with more maturity. The former Premier League star acknowledged Sancho was not playing up to his potential but claimed only regular football would allow him to turn it around.
He said:
“I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing to him.
“I know he’s come out and made a statement, whether that was the right thing to do or no. But was it right of Ten Hag to dig him out when he wasn’t even involved with the group?”
O’Hara added:
“We all know Jadon Sancho needs to be better on the football pitch. And how he does that is getting him back playing football, getting him training and enjoying his football.
“What they’re doing to him right now is never going to get Jadon Sancho back to his best. All you’re going to do is mentally damage the football player and make him feel worse than he already does. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Manchester United signed Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for a $90.63 million fee in 2021. The left-winger is yet to prove his mettle in Manchester, scoring just 12 times and providing six assists in 82 appearances across competitions. His contract with the club expires in June 2026.
