Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Erik ten Hag will need to be careful when he tackles the Jadon Sancho situation.
It’s not often Rio Ferdinand doesn’t have an answer for something. Not long ago he was giving bogus takeover updates about Qatar that only resulted in increasing the share price.
Who gains from that you can only ask?
However, Sancho finds himself in a bit of bother and not for the first time in his career has his discipline been under question. The winger surprisingly hit back at Ten Hag in a social media statement after being left out of the match day squad for the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal prior to the international break.
Sancho has not been called up for the England squad in over two years, but Gareth Southgate admitted that he could still force his way into the international set-up. That would require a huge improvement and it remains to be seen if Ten Hag still trusts the player.
Ferdinand believes the manager must think carefully about the prospect of reintroducing him to the squad, insisting that he will have to be mindful of the message it sends to the rest of the players, should Sancho be welcomed back into the team.
“One of the big issues now is Antony and what happens to Sancho,” Ferdinand told his YouTube channel Vibe with Five.
“I think the manager will be thinking, ‘If I play him, or put him straight back in after what he has done, what message does that send to the squad?’.
“I think what is going to mean a lot is how he addresses the squad, if he makes the decision by playing him straight away. If he addresses the squad and says, ‘Listen, this is why it is happening, guys, and on another day he doesn’t play’, or whatever.
“I think he will either go that way or just say, ‘He isn’t playing. This week he’s out. I do need him but I’ll let him go out’. He could then play Garnacho and Pellistri etc. and then go from there.”
I don’t think it would set a good precedent if Sancho was immediately reintroduced. That would only tell players that the highest earners get away with such behaviour, and let’s not forget how it ended for Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford last season. Everyone – apart from Piers Morgan – hailed Ten Hag for that decision.
Ferdinand added: “Without knowing all of the details, as I think there are probably a few more spinning plates underneath that we are not privy to, without knowing all that, if I had just seen the manager making his comments and then Sancho doing a statement, he doesn’t play, for me.
“I cannot have all the other players thinking that is okay. But because there are more spinning parts to this, you can’t just play it like that.”
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dale -what is your point as regards rio? are you saying he is on the take from the glazers in order to drive the price the up?
i dont understand this part.
rio seems to support your general argument as to supporting the manager and not reintroducing sancho.