Kevin Kilbane: Jadon Sancho is not the problem. Erik Ten Hag overplayed his hand

Kevin Kilbane: Jadon Sancho is not the problem. Erik Ten Hag overplayed his hand

Players with Manchester United striker’s talent should be treated with caution

 

Top sport creates the strangest characters. Strange people in your head. This is partly how they get their grade. They are built differently than those who fail. The professional footballer must be selfish. Also a workaholic.

They should also be handled with care. Everything in his life is focused on performance. They need to sleep. They need relaxation in a private environment.

At 16, Jadon Sancho demonstrated all the qualities needed to reach the top of football. It was also clear that he needed to be fed in a specific way.

 

 

Kevin Kilbane: Jadon Sancho is not the problem. Erik Ten Hag overplayed his hand

Kevin Kilbane: Jadon Sancho is not the problem. Erik Ten Hag overplayed his hand

After 151 years, Fanny Blankers-Koen will have some Irish women for company in the Aviva Stadium press room

After 151 years, Fanny Blankers-Koen will have some Irish women for company in the Aviva Stadium press room

Derry City continue to lose ground to Shamrock Rovers with defeat to Sligo Rovers

Derry City continue to lose ground to Shamrock Rovers with defeat to Sligo Rovers

A new era for the Irish women’s team in a historic event

A new era for the Irish women’s team in a historic event

Alex Ferguson’s mantra as a manager was that no one was more important than him at Manchester United. If the manager’s authority is challenged and the response is not prompt, he has no chance of success.

Ask Jaap Stam, Roy Keane and David Beckham.

These are the stories that have entered the public domain. How many times have Ryan Giggs or Eric Cantona crossed the line of acceptable behavior, on or off the pitch, that we’ve never heard of? We saw Fergie standing next to Keane after a few unstoppable red cards. He supported Cantona despite the kung fu move.

Everything that can be kept in the company must stay that way.

 

Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho and manager Erik Ten Hag. Photo: David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty

After successfully removing Cristiano Ronaldo from the club last November, Erik Ten Hag has gained a level of control at Man United not seen since Ferguson’s tenure.

Then he blew it by allowing a fight with Sancho to be leaked to the media. Or even social networks, via the player’s tweets.

Much has been written about Sancho, but Ten Hag actually called him a lazy footballer. The label “unprofessional” will follow him. This could reduce its value and earning potential.

This is high stakes poker. While Ten Hag would have been advised to check or fold and wait for a bigger pot or a better hand, he decided to show everyone his management style.

United’s results show us exactly how well the former Ajax manager is doing at Old Trafford. Casemiro’s late goals against Bayern Munich on Wednesday overshadowed a comprehensive victory for the Germans. Erik ten Hag reacts as Manchester United play Bayern Munich. Photo: Matthias Hangst/Getty

Be honest: when Harry Kane’s penalty made it 3-1, were United fans expecting anything other than a 4-1 or a 5-1?

The club are in 13th place in the Premier League after five games, with Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Brighton already showing their glaring defensive vulnerability at home.

The club’s problems are long-standing, from disciplinary issues to ownership issues that stand in the way of a sale to a nation state or a British billionaire. Now Ten Hag has allowed Sancho’s story to grow, just as his team face Turf Moor and a potential landmine against winless Burnley. Anoraks like me, who keep an eye on emerging English talent, saw Sancho in Manchester City’s Under-18s when he was managed by Lee Carsley. All the ingredients were visible to become a superstar, or a “global brand”, as the modern player should see himself through agents.

But there were red flags at City. He is now 23 years old, he would present himself as a teenager and would prefer to embarrass the full-back rather than easily overcome him.

There were other stories. Sancho reportedly wanted certainty about his playing time in the City team under Pep Guardiola in 2017. According to the Daily Telegraph, he missed training “several times” and could not be reached by City’s coaching staff.

Again, this sort of thing follows the player around.

 

Jadon Sancho celebrates after scoring against Southampton last year. Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty

But Sancho was back again, with a smart move to Borussia Dortmund, paving the way for Jude Bellingham to score 38 goals in 104 Budesliga games. Add to that 64 assists and it was no surprise when Premier League clubs came calling.

Sancho has been a complete failure since he returned to Manchester. It’s clear that he is a special talent with a personality that needs special attention. A Google search would have explained this to the club’s power brokers before they forked out £73m. Some phone calls to former coaches reportedly offered advice on how to persuade him to perform.