Earlier, the England national team announced the 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar. United have three selections: Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford. Sancho's defeat was to be expected, as his performance has failed to meet expectations since joining Manchester United and there are signs of gradual decline.
Commenting on Sancho's defeat, Manchester United's veteran Paul Parker responded sharply: "I really never understood why United paid so much for Sancho's transfer fee. Sancho had a number of problems because he never attacked the opposing full-backs directly, he returned passes on the pitch and did not challenge his opponents directly. The way you play in the Bundesliga is completely different from your time out in England, and it looks like Sancho has never been well suited to United's role as a key player. If you look at the transfer fee United put in Sancho, I would say he could end up being United's worst signing ever. ”
Why did Manchester United buy Sancho? Because of "lack". Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, then Manchester United manager, had always wanted to bring in a full-fledged winger to strengthen his attacking power, and "homegrown youthfulness" was his aim to rebuild Manchester United. So, a homegrown winger like Jadon Sancho will certainly enter United's radar.
During the Dort period, Sancho's performance can be described as phenomenal. He started as a substitute and gradually established himself as a regular and handed over a double-double in scoring and assisting for three consecutive seasons, including 20 goals and 19 assists in 44 games in 2019-20. Such a gorgeous performance has made many European giants dazzled, at the peak, Sancho was worth as high as 120 million, and Dort CEO Watzke set an asking price of no less than 120 million euros. Manchester United waited for Sancho for two years before finally bringing him in in the summer of 2021 for a transfer fee of €85 million. If it were not for the impact of the epidemic, the transfer fee would most likely break 100 million.
In order to persuade players to join, Manchester United offered a contract with a salary of up to 350,000 pounds a week, second only to Ronaldo and David De Gea. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's determination to find out why United spent such a high transfer fee to bring in Jadon Sancho. In fact, it is similar to Manchester United's spending 100 million to bring in Anthony, which was insisted on by the manager at the time, and Manchester United performed well in the previous season, winning the second place in the league, and the club's senior management of course wants to fully support and then go to the next level.
So is it possible for Sancho to be the worst signing in Manchester United history? This possibility is possible when considered in terms of transfer fees and performance.
Before Sancho, Manchester United had a lot of high-priced signings, and Pogba and Harry Maguire were more expensive than him. But both players have had a substantial impact on the team and both have had highlights. Pogba, for example, although controversial, is undoubtedly competent. During his time at Manchester United, he was the strongest presence in midfield, one of the few world-class teams. And Maguire, although he has suffered a lot of complaints, but his first season on the part of the team has really improved the level of Manchester United's backline. It's just that after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer changed his style of play, his shortcomings were exposed.
But what about Sancho? There have been occasional flashes since joining United, but never sustained highlights. In the first season, 5 goals and 3 assists in 38 games, a cliff-like decline. This season, many players under Ten Hag have been activated, such as Dalot, B Fee, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, with the exception of Sancho.
Instead of improving significantly, Sancho is getting tougher. As Paul Parker said, he never dares to attack the opposing defense directly, he only returns the pass. As soon as the ball reaches his feet, he slows down, habitually dangling a few times and then passing back.
The most obvious contrast is the youngster Garnacho, who was eye-catching from the first start. As soon as the ball arrives, he picks up speed and fearlessly storms the opposing defense. Dare to make moves, handle the ball after breaking through, and get better at a time. Carabao Cup against Villa, 2 assists in 28 minutes. On the current trend, it is entirely possible that Gaganajo will keep Sancho firmly on the bench.
Judging from United's current transfer rumours, Ten Hag is interested in strengthening his forward line next summer. So, if Sancho can't prove himself for the rest of the season, leaving the team is a high probability ending. If you leave like this, the name of the worst recruitment in Manchester United's history will basically not run, because the value for money is too low.