How does Ole get the best out of Sancho at Manchester United?
By Varun Aithal
England thrashed Andorra at Estadi Nacional in their FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers on Saturday; there were five different goalscorers for England in the seventh game of the group stage but it was Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho who shined brightest.
Gareth Southgate’s team was able to put five past the opposition in the game to consolidate their lead in Group I with 19 points after seven games. Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho was the star of the show for his side with two assists to his name.
The Three Lion’s boss started with a 4-3-3 formation; they started the game with a high tempo and scored their first goal in the 17th minute.
They added one more before the break to make it 2-0 at halftime. Tammy Abraham, James Ward-Prowse, and Jack Grealish added one apiece in the second half to make it 5-0 against the home side. Sancho collected an assist in each half of the encounter.
The United attacker was at his usual best against Andorra; linking with fullbacks, bursting down the line with pace, and mounting pressure on the central defenders with his pinpoint crosses.
It was certainly a delight to watch and hopeful signs for Ole and Manchester United fans but he has battled to replicate this form at Old Trafford and questions have been asked, so what could be the reason for him struggling to find his footing at the Theatre of Dreams?
Jadon Sancho vs Andorra:
"Minutes Played: 72Goals/Assists: 0/2Shots on Target: 1"
How Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can solve the Jadon Sancho puzzle?
At United, Jadon Sancho has featured in six games and has played 236 minutes. Out of the six Premier League games, he has only started two games for his team and has failed to either score or assist for his new club.
With no goals and assists, the pressure is mounting on Sancho as well as on Solskjaer. Ole has played Jadon on the left-flank with Mason Greenwood featuring on the right.
The manager is currently under a lot of scrutiny from the Old Trafford faithful and has to get the best out of the former Borussia Dortmund star. But the question is, how Ole can get the best out of Jadon Sancho?
Keeping Jadon Sancho on the right wing is key; he has featured on the right flank for Borussia Dortmund 14 times out of 32 combined appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League. He had six goals and eight assists in these appearances. This is a G/A total of 38% for the German outfit.
Change in the midfield
Whenever Jadon Sancho played on the right flank for BVB, he had Thomas Delaney as a constant in the midfield. He had great communication in the center of the park with Delaney, and his interchanging passes and lay-offs allowed him to burst forward with pace.
In the 2020/21 season, Delaney accounted for 0.6 successful lay-offs per 90. At Manchester United, Fred and Scott McTominay had 0.5 successful lay-offs per 90.
If OGS wants to get the best out of the Englishman, he needs to pick either the aging Nemanja Matic (0.6 lay-offs per 90) or the bench-warming Donny van de Beek (1.1 lay-offs per 90).
The Sancho puzzle conclusion
Option 1: We can blame neither Jadon Sancho nor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Sancho’s poor run in the English Premier League. We all know that the 21-year-old winger is a slow starter and needs a run of games to get into the groove.
In the 2020/21 season, it took him 14 matchdays to find the back of the net. The return of Marcus Rashford from injury has the potential to help Sancho adjust to the new surroundings and find his feet.
He has played only six games in United colors – for the capability and the talent that the 21-year-old possesses – it should not take much longer for him to hit the form he once did at Dortmund.
Next. Christensen set to extend his Chelsea contract. dark
How many goals and assist will Jadon Sancho score this season for Manchester United despite having a slow start to his life in the Premier League?