Enzo Maresca has given Sancho the self-belief to thrive on loan at Chelsea
Amorim would not be able to turn around his fortunes at Man United anyway
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By DANNY MURPHY
Published: 17:30 EST, 14 December 2024 | Updated: 17:30 EST, 14 December 2024
Jadon Sancho would have been involved in the Manchester derby had things turned out differently, but United’s loss is Chelsea’s gain.
Sancho is again looking like the winger who ripped it up for Borussia Dortmund and it already feels like a no-brainer to turn his loan move into a permanent agreement.
There is no point in Ruben Amorim dreaming ‘if only’. Even if the new United manager had joined sooner, too much had already happened for Sancho at Old Trafford for his fortunes to turn around.
I love seeing young players overcome adversity and Sancho has been a joy to watch this season. England’s World Cup qualifiers begin in March and if he continues with his present form, don’t be surprised to see him called up by new manager Thomas Tuchel.
A fit and confident Sancho is an asset to any club. He has wonderful balance that helps him glide across the pitch. His versatility is an added asset in the modern game; he can beat a man right or left.
By the time United decided to keep Erik ten Hag last summer, Sancho’s head was already out of the door because he’d faced so much negativity and criticism at Old Trafford. As a former player, I can tell the difference in his body language now he’s wearing the blue of Chelsea. He’s fitter, got more energy and it’s like a weight of expectation and pressure has been lifted off his shoulders.
Jadon Sancho is a big gain for Chelsea - he looks like the player he was at Borussia Dortmund
After shining at Dortmund but struggling at Manchester United, he has overcome adversity
United had just finished a distant second when he signed in 2021 but the false position papered over the cracks of a disjointed club.
Sancho became the poster boy for all their failings and later both Ten Hag and the fans turned against him. He could have handled certain things better but young men who quickly acquire fame and fortune sometimes need help, and he didn’t get any.
This is a fresh start. Chelsea are a club on the rise and he’s feeling loved and appreciated. Enzo Maresca has given him belief and he’s in a young team all on the same pathway which gives them a band-of-brothers feel.
Sancho’s numbers as a teenager at Dortmund were amazing. He went backwards at United but showed willing by taking a pay cut to be at Chelsea. That’s not the action of a young flash Harry only thinking about money.
At 24, his best years lie ahead and they should be with Chelsea.
He will be in the starting XI again against Brentford on Sunday night as they continue an unlikely title challenge. Given he’ll cost only £25million next summer it’s brilliant business.
Looking back on his United dip, it’s almost inevitable with a player of Sancho’s age that the ego could take over and they get too big for their boots at certain stages.
At a club like United, he should have been guided through that, as I was at Liverpool by Gerard Houllier, to whom I’ll always be grateful.
In Enzo Maresca, he has a manager who has given him belief, and he has a brotherly bond with his team-mates
Erik ten Hag failed to lead Sancho in the right direction when his ego got too big at Man United
I’m afraid that Ten Hag failed Sancho in that respect but Maresca’s style suits the winger — he wants him to be brave and to try and beat people; flicking the ball over the feet of defenders and going past them like he did as a teenager in Germany.
A couple of other factors have also helped. Chelsea have paid huge fees for Enzo Fernandez (£106million), Moises Caceido (£115m) and Mykhailo Mudryk (£88m), so not all eyes are on Sancho.
In any case, the scrutiny isn’t the same as at United — one of the biggest clubs in the world.
What Sancho has to do now is carry on what he’s started. Then we can say he’s found the home he was looking for at Chelsea.