After four losses in the Premier League and two more in the Champions League, Erik ten Hag knows he must turn the fortunes around at Manchester United if he wants to keep his job. The Dutchman had a great first season at Old Trafford, but his second is proving to be a disaster, with a poor run of form and off-field issues continuing to hang over the club.
The former Ajax manager also appears to have fallen out completely with Jadon Sancho, who has refused to apologize after calling out the Dutchman on social media in a now-deleted tweet. Erik ten Hag needs to provide a solution to the crisis at the club, and he must do it fast to avoid being sacked soon.
Erik ten Hag talks about Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho’s relationship with his manager seems to have reached the point of no return, and if the reports coming out of England are true, the former Borussia Dortmund player may be shipped out of the club when the January transfer window opens, with a return to Germany on the books for him.
Sancho is letting his ego get in the way as he has a clear pathway back into the team, but he chooses to do otherwise. After publicly calling out the manager in the wake of United’s defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Jadon Sancho was temporarily suspended by the club, with reports inside the club suggesting that he only has to tender an apology to his manager and teammates to get back into the team.
However, Sancho continues to be frozen out of the team due to his refusal to apologize. Ahead of the club’s game against Brentford, Ten Hag answered questions about the Englishman. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing that has changed with Jadon Sancho. He’s not available, so he’s not part of the squad. I don’t have any comment about that,” the Manchester United manager said.
The 23-year-old was recently pictured with ex-United player Jesse Lingard, prompting backlash from United fans for his lack of effort to get back into the team.
Erik ten Hag discussed the responsibility of managing Man Utd
Being a Manchester United manager is never an easy task, but despite a good first season that ended with a Carabao Cup win, Erik ten Hag’s second season is turning into a nightmare. Mediocre performances, off-field issues, and reports of dressing room leaks have all contributed to United’s below-par season so far.
“We know we are still in transition as a club, but in the meantime, we know we have to win every game,” the manager said.
“We don’t walk away from that, not this team, not these coaches, and not these managers. It gives me more energy to turn this around. The fans are backing us; this is what I feel. I am sure these players can be mentally very strong,” he concluded.
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