Jadon Sancho’s name was first called out at Old Trafford when he returned to Manchester United in February.
After a difficult few months away from the first team, the player emerged from the bench against Nottingham Forest. A grin was evident on his face from the Stretford End as the former Borussia Dortmund star came on in place of Antony.
The last time Sancho competed was in October and the reception he received was warm. After the final whistle, the player born in 2000 went to every corner of the pitch to express his gratitude and he was one of the last to leave the field.
Sancho has to do better next season.
Sancho sent a deep thanks on social media to the fans for their support and some hope the winger can start from that point on. Next week, it will be 4 months since Sancho’s return and ahead is the time for the number 25 to shine.
Although there have been glimpses of Sancho’s abilities during his nearly two years at Old Trafford, the final feeling is that he has been disappointing. This is a player who is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe.
Sancho contributed 50 goals and 64 assists in 137 appearances for Dortmund. The German media can hardly believe that the talent they once watched at Signal Iduna Park is struggling to assert himself at Man Utd. For comparison, Sancho has only scored 11 goals and 5 assists in 76 appearances for the host club. Based on his current performance, he needs to play more than 500 games to reach the numbers he produced at Dortmund.
The truth is that Sancho will need to be lucky to make 150 appearances for Man Utd if he is not to show progress. It is a well-founded suspicion because Sancho often shows a lack of confidence and is less able to overcome opposing defenders.
He did not impress enough in the matches to keep the starting position. The English talent is contracted to play on the right flank but he is better off on the left, where Marcus Rashford is unlikely to be replaced.
The arrival of Alejandro Garnacho in this season also caused many complications, when Sancho’s form fell. Garnacho delivers what Sancho lacks: young, agile and direct.
Sancho’s time to shine at Man Utd is gradually narrowing.
Of course, Sancho’s season has been interrupted for a while and it is necessary to calculate the success or failure of this star from the moment of his return. But in the four months since returning in the League Cup, the number 25 is still not at his best.
Including the FA Cup final against Manchester City, with Antony just injured, Sancho has two games left to play. Most importantly, after the final at Wembley, the players will have a chance to take a summer break and they have to go through pre-season in July.
There will be trips to Edinburgh, Oslo and the US for friendlies and a good pre-season could be key for Sancho.
Lu Feng | 22:28 May 26, 2023
