IT took Jadon Sancho just 22 minutes to remind everyone of his quality. Chewed up and spat out by Manchester United, the 23-year-old is back in his happy place and already contributing for Borussia Dortmund. It wouldn’t be surprising if Sancho fully restored his reputation in the Bundesliga after two-and-a-half dismal years at Old Trafford.
The assist provided by Sancho in Dortmund’s 3-0 win over Darmstadt on Saturday would never have happened for him in a United shirt. Not just because the winger lacked confidence in the Premier League, but because Erik ten Hag’s team never used Sancho in the way Dortmund already are.
Freed up by the rotations and movements of his new/old teammates in the centre of the pitch, Sancho was played into a channel inside the opposition box where he could square the ball for Marco Reus to finish. It was the sort of attacking move Manchester United never construct down the right wing.
That Sancho has enjoyed such immediate success on his Dortmund debut upon departing Old Trafford shows other struggling Manchester United players that they should leave too. The club is not a healthy environment for the development of talent – particularly young talent – and that has been proven in several instances over the last decade.
It’s not just Sancho that has discovered life is better away from Manchester United. Anthony Elanga is enjoying an excellent season for Nottingham Forest after leaving Old Trafford last summer, leading many to suggest the Swede would be the best winger at Manchester United were he still there. It’s a solid argument.
Jadon Sancho's first touch 🥵😍 @Bundesliga_EN pic.twitter.com/gBBbQrOQId
— 433 (@433) January 10, 2024
Andreas Pereira is another former United player who has rather much better away from Old Trafford with Jesse Lingard, Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku all enjoying success after leaving the Premier League club. Meanwhile, examples of players who have thrived after joining Manchester United are sparse – beyond Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, it becomes difficult to come up with names.
There are certainly players currently at Manchester United who would benefit from a fresh start somewhere else. Harry Maguire is one such figure. Despite forcing his way back into the first team picture this season, ten Hag’s proactive isn’t a good fit for a central defender who doesn’t have the recovery speed or instincts to play in a high line.
Scott McTominay is another player who would surely benefit from leaving Old Trafford. The midfielder has performed well for United this season, scoring five Premier League goals, but ten Hag frequently demonstrates a misunderstanding of McTominay’s qualities and profile as a player. He’s not a number six.
For Ajax, Antony was a dependable difference-maker. Since joining Manchester United, though, the Brazilian winger has become an ineffective one trick pony. It has surely entered his mind that he should find a new club to get his career back on track. It’s simply not going to work out for Antony as a United player.
The list of players who would have a greater chance of success away from Old Trafford is a long one and includes Casemiro, Raphael Varane, Mason Mount, Anthony Martial, Amad Diallo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Diogo Dalot and Victor Lindelof. It might even include Marcus Rashford such is the deep rut he is currently in.
Sancho certainly didn’t help himself at Manchester United, starting a public war of words with ten Hag and arguing he’d been made a scapegoat by the Dutch coach, but he was ultimately denied the chance to succeed at Old Trafford. Others have suffered a similar fate. They should look to emulate Sancho.
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