Jadon Sancho’s best position at Manchester United is obvious
Sancho’s best performance at Man United has come from one specific position – and it’s not the one he’s played most often.
Antony’s potential return from injury for Saturday’s FA Cup final is an unexpected and probably optimistic update.
The Brazilian needed crutches to get to Old Trafford on Sunday after suffering a nasty ankle problem for half an hour in Thursday’s 4-1 win over Chelsea and having to be carried on a stretcher.
His absence would be a blow and it’s safe to assume that even though the winger is fit he won’t start at Wembley against Manchester City, a team he has scored against this season already.
It opens the door to an FA Cup final start for Sancho, who would start his first game in the vault since England’s 3-0 friendly win over Ireland in November 2021. You have to travel back to November 2019 and a 7-0 win over Montenegro to find out the last time he started a match at Wembley in front of a crowd. The February League Cup cameo in February was a much happier experience than the one in the Euro 2020 final 20 months earlier.
Erik ten Hag kept his faith in Sancho in the second half of the season despite mostly lukewarm performances. He has started 11 of the last 15 Premier League games, mostly on the left side due to injuries to Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
He has played 19 games at left wing this season and scored three goals, leaving United fans frustrated. Reds loyalists were delighted to welcome him back in February following his absence from the squad over the holidays, but will continue to want more from the 23-year-old in the months ahead.
In his last season at Borussia Dortmund, the youngster played almost as much on the left as on the right (15-14), but perhaps he was flattered that he was cheating. 71 of his 131 caps for the Germans came on the right, with just 45 on the left.
At United he made 48 appearances at left and just 16 games at right. The role of the winger today compared to 20 years ago has changed a lot with right-footed players on the left and vice versa, the expectation of going in and shooting on goal. But there are exceptions to the trend and Sancho seems to be one of them. He has played nine fewer games on the right wing this season to score as many goals as on the left wing: three out of ten.
His assist for Anthony Martial in the win over Chelsea came when he too was on the right. Sancho’s elegant goal against Liverpool in August came down the right wing. It’s the only top-six team he has scored against this season, having played on left field against the others. He also scored three goals in four games on the right flank during pre-season last summer. It seems obvious where he thrives the most and it’s a shame he wasn’t recognized sooner.
Of course, Ten Hag is unlikely to give up on the £85million signing of Antony and Sancho is not United’s first choice at the moment with the Brazilian offering more. But Sancho is an impressive backup when Antony has to turn or take off.
Sancho failed to take the bull by the horns during his time at United, but there is still time at his side. However, next season still looks important for the former Manchester City academy star.
Putting on a great performance at Wembley against his old employers would plant a seed in Ten Hag’s mind which will stick around all summer.
So with Garnacho and Rashford occupying the left flank, Sancho can concentrate on producing the goods on the right and challenge Antony’s first choice status, as he has so far been unable to earn it himself.
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Erik ten Hag confirms two Manchester United players will not start against Fulham
Man Utd can secure third place with a win over Fulham on Sunday and Erik ten Hag will take the game seriously despite him having already completed qualification for the Champions League.
Erik ten Hag has confirmed he will not be starting Zidane Iqbal or Kobbie Mainoo against Fulham, saying every player must earn a place in the squad.
Manchester United have already qualified for the Champions League following Thursday’s 4-1 win over Chelsea and have an FA Cup Final against Manchester City looking forward next weekend.
However, Ten Hag isn’t taking a bench approach for the final day of Fulham’s showdown, with the result that a game or better of Newcastle’s match against Chelsea ensures a guaranteed third-place finish for the Reds.
And so he confirmed that up-and-coming academy duo Mainoo and Iqbal would not start the game as a result. When asked by Stadium Astro if either of them would be fielded, Ten Hag said: “No, they won’t because they have to prove themselves and prove their position.
“The attitude here is always that we want to win games. It doesn’t matter what competition or where we are, but this has to be the routine. So let’s take this game seriously too, we want to keep this third position in the league.”
Mainoo made his full debut in United’s 3–0 League Cup win over Charlton in January which lasted an hour. He made his next substitute appearances in an FA Cup fourth round win over Reading and a 3-0 Premier League triumph over Leicester. The last time he was included in the first-team on matchday was in the 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham in March.
Meanwhile, Iqbal hasn’t played a minute of first-team competition since Ten Hag joined United, although he has featured in pre- and mid-season friendlies.
The 20-year-old has made 17 appearances for the team this season but is yet to make the move since his late debut in December 2021.