When Manchester United signed Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, it was believed that the club had completed a major coup and signed someone who could end up competing for the Ballon d’Or in the future. Well, things have not gone as smoothly as one would have expected for the Englishman.
He had been a standout in the Bundesliga but his form in England has left a lot to be desired. Sancho had shown positive glimpses towards the end of last season and at the start of this one, but now, once again, he is starting to look ineffective on the pitch.
He has not been helped by the performances of the likes of Antony, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial this season, and there is a very real possibility that he could struggle for playing time moving forward if he does not improved.
Rio Ferdinand had been positive about Sancho earlier on in the campaign but now, it looks like the Manchester United has been left concerned by the Englishman’s inability to rediscover his Borussia Dortmund form. As reported by the Mirror, he said on his latest Vibe with FIVE YouTube show:
"“I haven’t seen [his Bundesliga form] yet. That’s the concerning thing for me.“If I’m Jadon Sancho, or in Jadon Sancho’s camp, I am looking at ways in which I can unpick his game, his mind, to unearth the Sancho that made him a coveted talent around Europe. His numbers in Germany were great, he was doing marvellous things over there, but it hasn’t transferred over to the Premier League yet.“And I don’t know why. What is the reason why? Is it because of the way the team set up? Is it because of the pace of the Premier League? Is he getting asked to do more defensively so then he hasn’t got the energy when they’ve got [the ball] in transition?“His assists and goal record isn’t great when you compare it to other players in his position. So you allow him that time to adapt to this league – he’s had a season of that – and after pre-season, I was thinking, ‘Okay, yeah, this looks like we’ve got the Sancho we’ve bought from Dortmund.'”"
Can Sancho rediscover his form at Manchester United?
The biggest worry for Sancho at the moment might be that minutes won’t be as easy to come by this season.
And to be honest, with the kind of football that he has played since joining Manchester United, it is hard to justify starting him over players in top form.
We know what he is capable of, but we have not seen it on a consistent basis in the English game. It is time for him to start delivering though. He has been given a season to adapt and to be honest, he has been given a bit of an easy ride by the fans and the media when you consider the criticism that some of the others have had to deal with.
Yet, it is also important to look at the bigger picture and that is Sancho is still just 22 years of age and has plenty of time to develop into a top player.