Erik ten Hag breaks silence on Jadon Sancho after return to Man Utd squad following explosive bust-up last season…
Erik ten Hag has broken his silence regarding his dispute with Jadon Sancho, yet he remains non-committal about the winger’s future at Manchester United. Despite Sancho’s return to regular training, Ten Hag has not confirmed if the 24-year-old will have a lasting position in the team.
Sancho, who was on loan at Borussia Dortmund during the latter part of last season, rejoined training at Carrington last week. After positive talks, both parties agreed to move past their previous conflicts. This marks Sancho’s first time training with Manchester United’s senior squad in ten months.
However, Sancho did not travel with the team to Norway for a pre-season friendly against Rosenborg, a match United unexpectedly lost 1-0. When questioned about Sancho’s future, Ten Hag emphasized that their past issues were resolved but did not guarantee Sancho’s continued presence in the squad.
Ten Hag commented, “As stated, we’ve moved on. Manchester United needs good players and Jadon is one. We’ve put the past behind us and move forward.” When asked if Sancho would get a fresh start, he repeated, “We’ve moved on.”
Sancho’s fallout with Ten Hag last season led to his exclusion from the team. The situation intensified after Sancho publicly challenged Ten Hag’s reasons for his exclusion from a match against Arsenal, where United lost 3-1. Ten Hag cited poor training performances, while Sancho accused the manager of making him a scapegoat. Sancho’s refusal to apologize resulted in his loan to Borussia Dortmund, where he helped the team reach the Champions League final at Wembley, though they did not pursue a permanent transfer.
As United aim to improve their pre-season performance, Ten Hag hopes reintegrating key players like Sancho will strengthen the team. The defeat to Rosenborg underscored the need for improvement, with United facing 22 shots in the match. Sancho and five other players stayed behind, frustrating Ten Hag despite the use of a mostly young squad.
Reflecting on the game, Ten Hag said, “We can discuss and fix everything that was wrong, but I’m not that person. This performance does not meet top football standards.” He made significant changes at halftime, bringing in academy players.
Looking ahead, Manchester United will face Rangers at Murrayfield on Saturday before heading to the United States for their pre-season tour. The upcoming weeks are critical for Ten Hag to finalize his squad and address ongoing issues, including Sancho’s role.
