“I don’t think the comments, responses and counter briefing that clearly went on fit into a modern approach to wellbeing for athletes.”
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Man Utd players’ feelings towards Jadon Sancho after latest Erik ten Hag spat
I know it sounds a bit cynical, but I can’t help thinking the entire Jadon Sancho situation stinks suspiciously like a classic case of wanting a player out.
I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but it seems to have blown up before the transfer window closed. And to me, Manchester United have not really played this properly, with what appears to be quite a bit of briefing against their player.
Look, he may well have not been training properly, as Erik Ten Hag suggested. But I get the feeling there is more to it than that. And I genuinely don’t think any party benefits from it all being played out in public.
There are two things that every football club must take into account these days, if they are to do things properly. One is the mental health and wellbeing of players, which is a huge issue in football, and needs serious consideration.
I don’t think the comments, responses and counter briefing that clearly went on fit into a modern approach to wellbeing for athletes. And that brings me to the second point.
We are living in a different world now, where everyone has a voice. Even when I was playing, there were very few outlets where a player could respond to criticism of him. Now, everyone has a voice, because social media is omnipresent.
Ten Hag has been left stunned by Sancho’s outburst (
Image:
Manchester United via Getty Images)
So if a manager or a club makes serious accusations about a player not behaving properly - in this case Sancho’s attitude towards training - then he not only has the capacity to hit back, but also the right.
I think the days when the club has all the power are gone, and they have to accept that. If a player believes he has been wrongly accused or smeared, then he has the right and the ability to say so.
As a manager I do strongly believe there has to be discipline within a squad, otherwise players can walk all over you. Yet that’s what your club rules and regulations are there for. They operate behind the scenes, and if they’re correct then there’s no need to air it in public.
Sancho hit out over his lack of action (
Image:
Martin Dalton/REX/Shutterstock)
If a club feels they have to come out and tell people about it, then that’s a huge worry - because it means your discipline is not working. If there are briefings afterwards, then the whole thing has broken down.
That’s not a good look for Manchester United, and definitely not a good sign. Again, I’m not saying go soft on a player, just to respect them too. If there is a dispute, then sort it out in private, not in such a disruptive public way.
I wouldn’t criticise Sancho for responding in the way he did. He was merely correcting what he saw as something inaccurate about him. I think if there are policies in place to safeguard mental health and wellbeing, then it really shouldn’t have pushed him into that response.
Now it seems like a situation which can only spiral out of control. If Jadon has suffered mental health issues in the past, as I believe Erik ten Hag said in the past, then it’s obvious a club HAS to be sensitive towards that issue.
Yet as I say, it seems a classic case of making a player’s position untenable, and forcing him to leave. Which again, is a big mistake…not least because the window closed that weekend, and there is now an destabilising environment at the club.
It just means even more pressure on the player, which is the wrong thing to do. Every time he trains, every time he plays or doesn’t play, there will be questions and yet more spotlight. That is the wrong way to have handled it.
The winger has struggled to hold down at place at United (
Image:
PA)
I obviously don’t know if it’s true that Sancho has now refused to meet with Ten Hag as has been claimed. Probably half of the story is just speculation based on very little. But if it is true, then you can understand it.
Clearly from Jadon’s point of view he’s been treated badly, he’s been accused of something he strongly denies. And he will also feel that he’s hardly being shown compassion or consideration, when it comes to his mental health.
If the manager doesn’t fancy him as a player, then fair enough. But these days, you don’t have to make players outcasts to get rid of them. Loyalty is a two way street. If a player signs a contract, clubs expect them to honour it when it suits them, but not if they get rid.
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I think United need to step back and have a look at their handling of the situation. This is a £73m player we’re talking about for one thing, and the club are doing their best to destroy that value, it seems.
But far more importantly, this is a human being we are talking about, who deserves to be treated with respect. All this briefing and undermining is not the best way to do that.
