LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Erik ten Hag has faced criticism from Louis Saha, who has advised the manager to “set aside his ego” in the Jadon Sancho situation.
Sancho, the £72 million winger, was notably omitted from the Manchester United squad during an early September match against Arsenal, which the team lost 3-1.
Following this exclusion, the England international took to Instagram to dispute claims that his absence was due to subpar training performances.
He accused his manager of making him a’scapegoat’ for the team’s disappointing start to the season, feeling unfairly singled out for the team’s struggles.
Subsequently, Sancho has been excluded from first-team involvement and is no longer permitted to use senior team facilities, including the canteen at Carrington.
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Instead, his food is delivered to him via the walkway that connects the academy and senior facilities.
Former United player Louis Saha criticized Ten Hag’s handling of the Sancho situation and stated that the treatment “is not right.“
“The Sancho situation could have been handled better for sure,” he said in an interview with BettingOdds.com.
“Of course, Sancho has a responsibility, but the manager does as well, and he needs to support him.
“Everyone is losing in this current situation, and Ten Hag must now set aside his ego.
“This treatment is not right; it seems like the manager is attempting to seek revenge to demonstrate his authority.”
Saha also expressed his disapproval of United’s lackluster performance in the Manchester derby, where they suffered a 3-0 defeat to their arch-rivals.
“There is undoubtedly a sense that the fans are losing faith at United,” he noted. “Fans expect to see determination, and they need to witness competitiveness in games like this.
“ We did not witness the necessary energy or aggression to compete in a derby, and they lacked spirit.
“This responsibility falls on the manager, and the fans made their dissatisfaction clear.
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“The players must recognize that their performance is insufficient. Ten Hag needs to be bold but also acknowledge his own mistakes at times.
His decisions have consequences, and he made some errors against City, for which he should face criticism.”
There have been speculations that United might consider selling Sancho during the January transfer window, possibly due to ongoing issues and the desire to reshape the squad.
Although the team will return to action against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup, it is unlikely that the winger will be involved.
