Jadon Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan this week after a total of three Premier League appearances and 79 minutes in 2023-24.
Once so desired by Manchester United, Sancho has become a pariah at Old Trafford and Carrington. The winger was bombed out of the squad by Erik ten Hag and forced to train with academy players and coaches.
Good to be back on the pitch. 😁 pic.twitter.com/i0UfYlh6My— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) January 12, 2024
Good to be back on the pitch. 😁 pic.twitter.com/i0UfYlh6My
It became so bad at Man United that Sancho wasn’t allowed to eat with the first team and had his meals delivered to the youth team section of the training centre.
While Sancho was expelled from the team, Ten Hag had no problems welcoming Antony back into the squad after multiple allegations of assault on women.
A double standard seems to exist, forcing Sancho to leave Old Trafford in search of first-team football.
Dortmund weren’t initially interested in reuniting with Sancho. However, an awful run in the Bundesliga before the winter break, with four games without a win, and an equally terrible winter training camp, led Dortmund back to Sancho.
There is hope the winger can regain his form and fitness playing in Germany. Yet, with so little football played this season, it may be awhile before Sancho gets back to his best – if he does at all.
There is no doubt Sancho is a high-quality player. In 2018-19 and 2019-20, Sancho tallied double digits in goals and assists in the Bundesliga.
He then capped his first stint with Dortmund by scoring eight league goals and 11 assists.
Yet, as it seems to be the case, United signed a player not because they needed him, but because he was the most sought-after in world football.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. Sir Alex Ferguson did the same at one time, but the former manager was able to get the best out of the rest of the squad – something Ten Hag and all post-Ferguson managers have failed to do.
It is debatable whether Sancho was the best fit for United when they signed him.
Since arriving in 2021, Sancho has scored three, six, and zero goals in two and a half seasons. He has never tallied more than three assists in a single Premier League campaign.
The dynamic wing play the ex-Man City academy players showed in Germany was not seen at Old Trafford. It doesn’t help that United’s managers haven’t helped with their tactics.
The issues Sancho had at Old Trafford weren’t new. He showcased many of those same character flaws at Dortmund. His “sleeping problem” caused him to be late to training sessions on more than one occasion.
At one time, Sancho was fined £86,000 for turning up to training late by former coach Lucien Favre. Late-night video game sessions were often the reason Sancho struggled to get out of bed in the morning.
Perhaps these personal issues were the reason why United were able to sign Sancho without rivals Man City and Liverpool getting in their way.
Edin Terzic is likely to give Sancho a much freer role in the Dortmund attack. Although the club scored 30 times in their opening 16 games, they conceded 25 goals.
The winter training camp in Marbella didn’t help the defence, which looked abject in games versus AZ Alkmaar and Standard Liege. There was also the issue of young players missing curfew and breaking team rules.
Sancho has the chance to revitalise his career at Borussia Dortmund in the second half of the campaign. Dortmund also have the chance to get their season back on track.
The Bundesliga title is now out of sight. Fifteen points separate Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. Four points separate Dortmund from the top four, which is their main target, along with the Champions League.