Ten Hagh refutes the notion of a ‘120 billion problem child’ and does not address players who are unable to play
At this point, Jadon Sancho (23, Manchester United) has no choice but to change his mind. Manager Eric ten Hagg, 53, has no intention of backing down.
Manchester United defeated Crystal Palace 3-0 in the round of 32 of the 2023-2024 Carabao Cup at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Sunday. It was a refreshing victory after a long time.
But there was a topic that was as hotly debated as the victory. The story of Sancho, the ‘problem child’, who wasn’t even named in the matchday squad on a day that featured a number of potential players.
The reason: a falling out with Van Gaal. Sancho publicly sniped at Van Gaal after being left out of the Arsenal game on April 4. At the time, Van Gaal explained that he left him out due to his poor performance on the training ground, but Sancho released a statement saying that he was a “scapegoat” and refuted this.
Ten Haag was not going to let Sancho off the hook for publicly defying him. The post was quickly deleted, but Sancho was still excluded from first-team training.
Sancho has even been training alone on the academy’s training grounds, banned not only from the field but also from the first team locker room and cafeteria. Ten Haag reportedly has no intention of forgiving him until he apologizes.
Ten Haag’s response was still cold. “I don’t talk about unavailable players,” he said when asked about Sancho in an interview after the Palace game, according to Talk Sport in the UK.
For now, Sancho has deactivated his social media accounts. He has also left his profile blank. When asked if Sancho’s behavior was a constructive move, Van Gaal said, “I don’t know, that’s up to him,” adding, “I don’t comment on players who are unavailable”.
Sancho now has two options: go in with his head down or find a new path through a transfer. United are also reportedly considering selling Sancho, with Van Gaal backing the move. The Red Devils spent a whopping £73 million to bring him to the club in 2021, but they are determined not to let go of a player who is a detriment to the team.
According to ESPN, Sancho still refuses to apologize. However, he has been banned from all first-team facilities, so it’s unclear how long he’ll last. It’s unlikely that Van Gaal will change his mind, as he’s already taken a hard line against Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fed up teammates are also calling on Sancho to apologize. ESPN reports, “United players including Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire have stepped up to address the situation. According to one source, 먹튀검증 his England teammates have told Sancho to apologize to Van Gaal if he wants to keep his career at Old Trafford.”