Jadon Sancho made his return to the squad earlier in the week and he’s set to play a important role for the rest of the season.
Jadon Sancho entered 2023 with renewed optimism that it would finally be the year he would succeed at Manchester United.
Sancho last made a matchday squad on October 30, 2022, prior to making his return to the side against Nottingham Forest earlier this week and he’s benefited from a unique three-month break, which has given him a chance to reset and refocus.
Ten Hag speaks with Sancho. (Image: 2023 Getty Images)
The 22-year-old is hoping the new year will bring him improved fortunes and it seems he could be used in a new position after Erik ten Hag used him in a central role, as a No.10, when substituting him on against Forest in the semi-final of the League Cup.
When asked about Sancho’s central role in midweek, Ten Hag said: “I think we have done that before. You move Bruno [Fernandes] out and create also a different dynamic in the team, that is what we intended to do.
“Jadon, I know he can play as a 10 as well. He can play as a winger – he can play as a 10 – but often we mix it around and that is what I like. The position has to be occupied and it’s about the players keeping discipline to do that.”
That means Sancho could now be used in three positions: left-wing, centre-attacking midfield and right-wing. Sancho was signed from Borussia Dortmund to play on the right but his statistics from his time in Germany suggest that was an oversight.
That’s because Sancho scored 20 goals from the left wing in 3,099 minutes and 24 goals from the right wing in 5,265 minutes at Dortmund. He has looked most comfortable on the left during his time at United and that led to Antony’s arrival.
Sancho returned against Forest. (Image: 2023 Manchester United FC)
Sancho predominantly played on the left side last season, but the landscape in the squad is entirely different with Ten Hag in charge. Marcus Rashford is simply undroppable this term and Alejandro Garnacho has already proved to be a perfect deputy.
Rashford and Garnacho are ahead of Sancho on the pecking order on the left and Bruno Fernandes, who is also one of the first names on the team sheet, is ahead of him through the middle, but Antony is the only person standing in his way on the right.
Anthony Elanga and Facundo Pellistri play in that role, of course, but Elanga has not scored since February last year and Sancho is undoubtedly a bigger talent than the latter, who only made his first-team debut last month after two years at the club.
While Ten Hag will consider using Sancho across those three positions, it seems an obvious choice to play Sancho on the right. His statistics have been worse on that side, yes, but he’s naturally right-footed and that’s exactly what United need.
The start Antony has made to his career at Old Trafford has been indifferent. The Brazilian has not looked like a £84million player, although that sizeable fee was certainly not his fault, and his preference to cut inside has become predictable.
Antony is left-footed and plays on the right wing, which means he’s reluctant to burst to the byline and cross into the box, whereas Sancho is the opposite. He will be forced to take on the full-back and he can offer something completely different.
4 people that have tried to buy Man Utd – from suspected spy to Colonel Gaddafi
Controversial Manchester United owners the Glazer family are understood to be open to selling the club in the coming months as Sir Jim Ratcliffe bids to buy the Red Devils
Avram and Joel Glazer are looking to sell Manchester United (Image: Getty Images)
A number of colourful characters have attempted to buy Manchester United down the years.
The club’s controversial owners, the Glazer family, are currently looking to secure fresh investment in the Red Devils, with the possibility that they could sell United before the end of the current season. Britain’s richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has already confirmed he is in the running to buy the club after news broke of the Glazer’s openness to a sale.
He is not the first person to have attempted to buy the club, though, and here are four others who have tried and failed in the past.
Robert Maxwell
Robert Maxwell was unwilling to meet the asking price to buy Manchester United (Image: Maiman Rick)
Back in 1984, media proprietor, former Member of Parliament and suspected spy Robert Maxwell registered an interest in buying United.
Maxwell had a history in football, having been unsuccessful with plans to merge Reading and Oxford United in 1981 to create a new club called Thames Valley Royals. Luckily for United fans, Maxwell was unwilling to meet the then chairman Martin Edwards’ asking price.
Michael Knighton
Michael Knighton came close to acquiring a majority stake in 1989 (Image: Getty Images)
United were almost sold for a second time during the 1980s after Michael Knighton came close to acquiring a majority stake in 1989.
Knighton even appeared on the pitch in full kit to do keepy-uppies before a win over Arsenal at Old Trafford. He had pledged to rebuild the Stretford End as part of his £20million takeover bid, only for his consortium to fall apart before the sale was completed.
Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch was blocked from buying Manchester United (Image: GC Images)
A decade later, it was revealed to Edwards that then BSkyB owner Rupert Murdoch was interested in buying United.
Responding to shares in Liverpool, Arsenal and Celtic being snapped up by cable TV channels, Murdoch was keen to get in on the action and table a bid worth a total of £623.4million. Although that bid was accepted by Edwards, the move was blocked by the Department of Trade and Industry on the grounds that “the merger would adversely affect competition between broadcasters”.
Colonel Gaddafi
Colonel Gaddafi was “a whisker away” from buying Manchester United (Image: Getty Images)
Perhaps the most bizarre potential takeover of United came about in 2004, just a year before the Glazers bought the club.
Former Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi is said to have been “a whisker away” from buying John Magnier and JP McManus’ 39.9% stake in the club.
Mehmet Dalman, who brokered the deal with the Glazers in 2005, told the Sunday Times in 2021: “People don’t realise how the deal was a whisker away from going to Libya. Gadaffi almost bought the club. That’s how close it got – literally, you’re talking about a few hours.”
Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk; dailystar.co.uk
