Manchester United’s season has gotten off to a rough start, and behind the scenes, a mystery player has disclosed discontent within the squad, particularly regarding manager Erik ten Hag’s treatment of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho.
The unrest at Manchester United has been palpable, with public criticisms between Ten Hag and Sancho adding to the turmoil.
During a discussion on talkSPORT, Alan Brazil shared some information he had received from a United player. He expressed, “Do you know what Ally—and I know you’ve got to be careful about what you report—this is only what I heard from a United player who told someone we know very well?”
According to the player’s account, “He said, the players are not having the manager; they’re not having him, definitely not. By all accounts, they’re disgusted at the way he treated Cristiano, and they say Sancho is a great guy who works his socks off, so I don’t know who to believe, to be honest.”
In response, Ally McCoist remarked, “I tell you one thing, you can guarantee it’s still not right there, is it?” Brazil concurred, adding, “No, he said the players aren’t having him; they’re not having him.”
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Manchester United’s situation improved somewhat before the international break when Scott McTominay’s late goals secured a victory against Brentford at Old Trafford, averting a full-blown crisis.
The Sancho issue is only one of several challenges that Ten Hag is currently grappling with. The 23-year-old previously responded to his manager’s comments, stating, “Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people to say things that are completely untrue.
I have conducted myself well in training this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t get into; I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time, which isn’t fair.”
Ten Hag, when asked about his decision to exclude Sancho, emphasized, “Based on his training performance, we didn’t select him. At Manchester United, you have to reach the required level every day. Choices can be made in the front line, so he wasn’t selected for this game.”
Ten Hag reportedly seeks an apology from Sancho and is prepared to offload him during the January transfer window if he doesn’t receive one. Sancho has been excluded from the first-team squad since criticizing Ten Hag as untruthful after being dropped from last month’s defeat at Arsenal due to a poor training attitude.
In addition to allegations of insufficient effort during training and frequent tardiness, Ten Hag has expressed concern about Sancho’s influence among teammates, though this claim is strongly contested by sources close to the player. Sancho feels like a scapegoat and is currently unwilling to yield.
Manchester United may also be open to loaning him to another club while subsidizing his £300,000-a-week wages.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United was contentious and followed a revealing interview with Piers Morgan. His position at the club became untenable after he criticized the club, the Glazers, manager Erik ten Hag, and his teammates in the interview.
Following a deterioration in his relationship with Ten Hag and a controversial exit, Ronaldo became the first major star to join the Saudi league, initiating a trend of talent heading to the Middle East.
