How will Erik ten Hag deal with Jadon Sancho's scathing outburst?
Erik ten Hag axed Cristiano Ronaldo and fell out with Andre Onana – so how will Man United boss deal with Jadon Sancho after scathing social media outburst?
- Erik ten Hag said Jadon Sancho was dropped due to ‘training performances’
- The England international angrily dismissed the claims as ‘completely untrue’
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off
Erik ten Hag is unlikely to be looking back on Sunday with any fondness.
Manchester United were denied a last-gasp winner against Arsenal by VAR, before Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus scored twice in injury time to spark jubilant scenes at the Emirates.
United are already six points behind Manchester City and have already lost twice in four Premier League games this season.
Their injury crisis, meanwhile, has reached the stage where Ten Hag was forced to end the game with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans on the pitch against Arsenal – a partnership last seen together for Leicester City four years ago.
What happened after the game, however, may concern the Dutchman even more.
Erik ten Hag has not been afraid to confront his players head-on since arriving at Man United
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Ten Hag said in his post-match press conference he had left Sancho out of the United squad for the trip to Arsenal ‘on his performances in training’.
It prompted a furious response from the England international, who dismissed the claims as ‘completely untrue’ and insisted he has been made a ‘scapegoat’ in a lengthy social media post.
If ten Hag’s track record is anything to go by, Sancho may have picked a fight with the wrong manager.
The Dutchman has already shown himself to be absolutely ruthless with players who cross him, as a certain former United striker could attest to.
Here, Mail Sport takes a look at ten Hag’s most eye-catching spats with some of his players.
Cristiano Ronaldo
It’s hard to begin anywhere else. The power struggle between Ronaldo and Ten Hag came to define the latter’s first season at Old Trafford and may well shape his entire tenure at the club.
The Dutchman’s demands for their forwards to press high up the pitch always seemed ill-suited with the Portuguese’s penchant for limiting his exertions to the six-yard box.
And so it proved. United’s top-scorer in the previous season, Ronaldo started just three of ten Hag’s first 13 Premier League games in charge as rumours of a rift between him and the United boss grew impossible to ignore.
The 38-year-old refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham in October last year and then walked out of Old Trafford before full time.
Ronaldo started two of United’s next three matches and captained the side against Aston Villa, which would prove to be his final appearance for the club.
In a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan, the Portuguese declared he had no respect for ten Hag, whom he accused of ‘betraying him’ along with senior figures at the club.
‘I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me,’ Ronaldo said.
‘Some people, they don’t want me here – not only the coach but the other two or three guys. Not only this year, but last year too.
‘Honestly, I shouldn’t say that. But listen, I don’t care. People should listen to the truth. Yes, I feel betrayed.’
Cristiano Ronaldo (right) started only three of ten Hag’s first 13 Premier League games in charge as rumours of a rift between the two grew louder
The Portuguese said he felt ‘betrayed’ by Ten Hag, but the Dutchman insisted Ronaldo had double-crossed him ahead of his acrimonious exit from Old Trafford
Ronaldo eventually headed for the lavish riches of Saudi Arabia after his contract was torn up, following a path that has been well trodden since.
Ten Hag, meanwhile, accused the former United No7 of double-crossing him over his acrimonious exit.
‘Until that moment [the interview] I never heard anything. He never told me, “I want to leave”,’ he said in December.
‘The interview I think, as a club, you can’t accept. There will be consequences. To make that step, he knew the consequences.’
Without Ronaldo, United went on to win a first trophy in six seasons and finished third.
Jadon Sancho
And so onto the latest problem landing in Ten Hag’s in-tray.
The United boss was typically blunt when asked why he’d not selected Sancho for the trip to the Emirates.
‘On his performance on training we didn’t select him,’ he said.
‘You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game, he wasn’t selected.’
The 23-year-old’s response didn’t pull any punches either, with the player suggesting he had been made a ‘scapegoat’ and effectively dismissing Ten Hag’s claims.
‘Please don’t believe everything you read!’ he said on social media.
Sancho has racked up just 12 goals and six assists in 82 appearances in all competitions since joining United from Borussia Dortmund for £73million in the summer of 2021
The England international claimed he has been made a ‘scapegoat’ after ten Hag said he was not included in the squad for the trip to Arsenal due to performances in training
‘I will not allow people to say things that are completely untrue. I have conducted myself in training very well this week.
‘I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!
‘All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to the team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and I am grateful to do so, which I know every week is a challenge.
‘I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!’
The dynamic between ten Hag and Sancho is intriguing.
The England international has failed to live up to his £73million price-tag since signing from Borussia Dortmund two years ago, with a return of just 12 goals and six assists in 82 appearances in all competitions.
Last season, Sancho missed over four months to deal with physical and mental challenges
Last season, Sancho missed over four months to deal with physical and mental challenges and ten Hag suggested over the summer he had fully recovered.
‘At this moment he is in a very good vibe. He decides how he is, how his mood and vibe is,’ he said at the end of July.
‘He has a lot of energy, we have all seen that from the moment he came back. He wants to enjoy football and be successful.’
The vibe appears to have taken a drastic turn for the worst.
Andre Onana
United paid £47m in the summer to replace David De Gea with Onana, satisfying Ten Hag’s demands for a progressive goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at his feet.
The Dutchman knows Onana well given they spent four-and-a-half years working together at Ajax, but their relationship has not always been straightforward.
The Cameroon international was Ajax’s No1 when Ten Hag became their manager in December 2017 and remained first choice until February 2021 when he was banned under doping laws.
Onana tested positive for the banner substance Furosemide, a diuretic, after accidentally taking some of his wife’s medication when searching for an aspirin.
Banned initially for 12 months by UEFA, this was reduced to nine months for the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Andre Onana’s relationship with ten Hag at Ajax wasn’t always straightforward
The pair mended their relationship and Onana signed for United for £47m this summer
Ten Hag publicly stood by Onana, but their relationship soured when the keeper returned to the fold towards the end of 2021-22 season.
Ten Hag was reportedly unhappy about his fitness levels, while mistakes crept into Onana’s game after he was no longer guaranteed a starting spot.
A colourful character and not always one for diplomacy, the Cameroonian stated he ‘didn’t give a s***’ after supporters booed him off the pitch following a mistake.
Ten Hag dropped Onana for the Dutch Cup final against PSV Eindhoven, which Ajax lost 2-1, and the goalkeeper didn’t play for them again before moving to Inter Milan.
But the pair subsequently made up and the Dutchman hailed the shot-stopper as a transformational player as he welcomed him to Old Trafford in July.
So there is a way back into Ten Hag’s good books for Sancho.
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify
Your browser does not support iframes.
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify
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