Jadon Sancho showed glimpses of what he can offer this Manchester United side against Everton at the weekend.
Over the summer, Manchester United made a bold move to sign Jadon Sancho. After a couple of failed attempts, the Old Trafford outfit finally landed the Englishman’s signature, in a deal worth an initial £73million.
Sancho had spent a few years lighting up the Bundesliga with his immense quality and class. United fans were getting a player whose peak years are still in front of him.
However, it’s fair to say his start at United has been less than ideal. Be it due to a lack of match fitness, a lack of confidence from what happened over the summer, or an unfamiliarity with his teammates, I guess we’ll never know.
Sancho looked a little lost. Like he was struggling. Playing within himself. That’s unlike the player we’ve all grown to know and love. The good news? He seems to be snapping out of that slump, slowly but surely.
Against Villareal, Sancho would start. He was involved in some nice moves and showed some lovely touches. Then, against Everton this weekend, Sancho would play his best minutes in a Reds shirt thus far.
The £200k-a-week star (Salary Sport) would offer encouragement during an excellent cameo vs Everton. The classy winger would come off the bench and change the game with his on-ball technicality, passing ability and general skill.
Those body feints, the crisp passing, the directness. Sancho would change the game and swing the match back in United’s favour, carving out chances and making everyone around him better. This is why the Red Devils spent big to bring him in.
Football, now more than ever, is a squad game. Just look at how stacked the City squad is. United are aspiring to be at that level. Sancho will not play every week, that’s just the nature of the sport in this day and age. He has to contend with some other elite level players and if the 21-year-old wants regular minutes, he has to impress pretty much every single time he takes to the field.
With some tricky games coming up, this is truly the acid test for a man who could potentially dominate this division for the better part of ten years. It’s the perfect opportunity for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to show faith in his new big-money man.
Now all Sancho needs is his first goal and his first assist. That’ll further boost his confidence and get those positive juices flowing. As long as he keeps believing in his own ability and not letting the naysayers bog him down, we’ve got one hell of a player on our hands.
I guess the international break has come at a weird time. Sancho has managed to sneak into the latest England squad, but I would’ve much preferred him to remain comfortable here in Manchester and play a few more games at club level. This is a chance to further boost his confidence levels while away with the Three Lions, though.
Hopefully, for Sancho, this is just the start.
Will Jadon Sancho play a big part for Manchester United this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
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