September 4 – England forward Jadon Sancho says he has been “a scapegoat for a long time” after Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag dropped him for Sunday’s game at Arsenal because of poor training performance.
Ten Hag says he left Sancho out of the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal because of below-par displays in training, sparking an angry reaction.
“You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices in the front line,” said United’s Dutch coach. “So for this game he was not selected.”
Sancho took to social media to say he has “conducted myself in training very well this week” and he didn’t want to let “people saying things that (are) completely untrue.”
“I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into,” Sancho wrote. “l’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!
“All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to my team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and (am) grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!”
Sancho has struggled for consistent form since moving to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million in 2021.
He did not feature from October 22 until February 1 last season, a period that saw him watch the World Cup from afar. With the transfer window now shut, Sancho will not be able to move to another major club in Europe if he continues to be left on the sidelines.
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