Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has spoken out for the first time about his reconciliation with winger Jadon Sancho but remained non-committal about the player’s future at the club. Sancho, who had been exiled by Ten Hag after publicly challenging the manager’s remarks on social media, spent the latter half of the previous season on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
The Feud and Reconciliation
The rift began when Sancho contradicted Ten Hag’s assertion that his exclusion from the squad for a match against Arsenal was due to poor training performances. This public dispute led to Sancho training separately from the team. However, following a meeting between the two, Sancho has returned to the squad.
Ten Hag confirmed that the feud has been resolved but did not clarify Sancho’s long-term role at the club:
“As we said, we’ve drawn the line,” said Ten Hag. “Manchester United needs good players and Jadon is a good player. We have drawn that line and we move on.”
When pressed on whether this marked a new beginning for Sancho, Ten Hag reiterated:
Sancho, who missed out on England’s Euro 2024 squad, is now back at United, working to reintegrate into the team. He was one of six players left out of the squad for United’s first pre-season friendly against Rosenborg, which ended in a defeat for the Red Devils. Ten Hag expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance:
“We can talk and make good on everything that was bad, but I am not that guy. I have seen that this is not the standard for top football. In top football, we have much higher standards, and as an individual you must make sure you are fit. I know you cannot be match fit at this moment, so we need these games to get there. I know we were playing against players who have a much higher fitness level but still, we are Manchester United and players from Manchester United should perform better.”
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Moving Forward
The resolution of the feud between Ten Hag and Sancho is a positive step, but questions remain about Sancho’s role and future at Manchester United. As the team continues its pre-season preparations, the hope is that Sancho can reintegrate and contribute effectively, while Ten Hag looks to improve the team’s performance and set higher standards for the upcoming season.