Not only did Manchester United suffer a gutting defeat away to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, but things quickly got uglier following the full-time whistle after Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho had a public spat.
The Red Devils traveled to the Emirates Stadium with the aim of ending their horrible away record against their big-six rivals. However, despite a valiant performance from Ten Hag's men, late goals by Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus condemned them to a 3-1 loss.
And during his post-match interview, the upset Dutch manager was asked about Jadon Sancho, who, despite the injuries to the likes of Mason Mount, Raphael Varane, and Luke Shaw, did not even make the squad.
The former Ajax boss then surprised everyone by admitting that the Englishman was fit but was purposely left at home due to his poor attitude and performance in training. This did not go down well with the Manchester United fans as Jadon is yet another marquee signing failing to prove his worth at Old Trafford.
"Jadon [Sancho] - Performance in training so we didn't select him. You have to reach a level everyday at Manchester United."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 4, 2023
Erik ten Hag on dropping Jadon Sancho from his matchday squad against Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/1nhSPBIdZw
Things then took another twist when Sancho took to social media to hit back at Ten Hag and his comments. Posting on X (formerly known as Twitter), the former Dortmund playmaker wrote:
"Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue.
— Jadon Sancho (@Sanchooo10) September 3, 2023
"I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into, I have 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 grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!"
The Daily Mail have now offered some insight as to what is going on behind the scenes between the two. According to the British news outlet, those close to Sancho believe the 23-year-old is being mistreated by the Dutch manager.
Despite impressing during the preseason, the English starlet has not started a single game this season and has been restricted to a few minutes off the bench. Furthermore, Ten Hag has been accused of handing out preferential treatment to others, with his mega-money signing Antony starting all four games so far despite his abysmal displays.
Despite all of this, insiders at Manchester United believe Ten Hag was true to his words — he believes Sancho has a lot more to give than what he is currently showing. The two are set to sit down for talks to clear the air.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, need to regroup as a team as well after losing two of their first four fixtures. The club currently enters the international break in 11th and faces Brighton and Bayern Munich in their next two games once the league resumes.
