Once again, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has shown his dominance by removing Jadon Sancho from the first-team lineup at Old Trafford. Sancho’s failure to offer the Dutchman an apology is what prompted him to take this dramatic action.
After a social media rant in which the 23-year-old criticised Ten Hag, Sancho’s future with the team was already in limbo. Ten Hag had earlier asserted that Sancho had been benched because of weak workout efforts when this outburst occurred.
The football director, John Murtough, had been asked to mediate the conversation between the two, but it now seems unlikely that Sancho would be able to make amends with Ten Hag as reports suggest he rejected to do so.
Jadon Sancho will reportedly continue to train at the club’s academy facilities going forward, according to The Athletic, as Manchester United acknowledged in a statement: “Jadon Sancho will remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group, pending resolution of a squad discipline issue.”
Ten Hag’s firm approach to the Sancho situation is the most recent example of the former Ajax head coach implementing rules at Old Trafford. Although his approaches weren’t always well welcomed, they undoubtedly had an effect.
Gabriel Agbonlahor, a TalkSPORT analyst, criticised Ten Hag last season after a list of his club regulations was released soon after he was appointed. Strict guidelines on dietary preferences and alcohol intake were part of the rules. Ten Hag, in Agbonlahor’s opinion, was “overdoing it.”
Agbonlahor said back in July 2022, “The rules Ten Hag is putting into place are ordinary regulations. Regular weekly or biweekly player weight checks and dietary habits monitoring are normative. The majority of players avoid drinking alcohol regardless. Therefore, the participants were probably thinking, “We already do this; it’s nothing new for us,” when he walked in and set these regulations.
“I think the restriction on personal cooks is going a little too far lately. Players can order their private chefs to provide wholesome meals. Why should they have to rely on food from the practise pitch when they already know what kind of food to supply for the players?
