Man United legend Ryan Giggs claims Erik ten Hag publicly criticising Jadon Sancho is ‘the last throw of the dice’ in a bid get the best out of the £73m star as he gives first interview since being cleared of domestic violence charges
- Ryan Giggs won 13 Premier League titles during his Manchester United career
- Jadon Sancho has managed just 18 goal contributions in 82 United appearances
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off
Legendary former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs has had his say on the ongoing Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho feud, insisting that the manager has tried ‘everything’ with the player.
Sancho was left out of the United squad that lost 3-1 at Arsenal last Sunday, and when quizzed on the decision to do so, Ten Hag spared no time in revealing he was unimpressed by the forward’s performances in training.
Unsurprisingly, Sancho – who cost United £73million back in 2021 – was himself less than pleased with the comments, insisting that he was being scapegoated, and there was nothing wrong with his showings on the training ground.
The player had been linked with a move away to Saudi Arabia as a result, but with Al-Ettifaq failing to meet United’s valuation, he looks set to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place in the side.
Giggs believed that it looked as though Ten Hag was trying his best to get the most out of the talented youngster, and suggested the ball was now in Sancho’s court to either show his boss what he’s made of, or sit and sulk.
Ryan Giggs believes that Erik ten Hag calling out Jadon Sancho was the ‘last throw of the dice’
Sancho has failed to deliver on the hefty £73million fee Manchester United paid for him in 2021
Ten Hag publicly slammed the England international’s performances on the training ground
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‘It seems like it was the last throw of the dice. Let’s call him out publicly and see how he reacts,’ Giggs told Webby and O’Neill.
‘From the outside you don’t know, but it looks like Ten Hag has tried everything with Sancho really. When he came to the club, I was a fan.
‘I thought that he could get better, could improve, which he’s not really done in the short space of time he has been at the club. For me, he always made the right choices in that final third which is rare for a young winger.
‘But it just hasn’t happened. He [Ten Hag] has sent him away to get fit. He’s tried him in different positions, and for me calling him out publicly is probably the last straw or the last try to get the best out of Sancho.
‘The player can react and think “right, I’ll show him and show the manager what I’m capable of” or he can sulk and probably won’t get anywhere. It’s up to Sancho now. I know a lot has been made of his training and for me, training at United – from my experience as a player – was harder than the games.
‘You have to have the performances in training to get yourself on that pitch on a Saturday. He’s got to improve, that’s the bottom line. Because you’ve got a manager who won’t settle for every day.
‘If it’s true that his training performances haven’t been good enough, you’re not going to play.’
Clear the air talks are reported to have taken place between the two parties in a bid to remedy the situation.
However Giggs, giving his first interview since being cleared of domestic violence charges in July, suggested that Sancho’s reaction is that of a player perhaps near ‘the end of his tether’ at United.
Things have not gone well at Old Trafford for the 23-year-old since his arrival in summer 2021, coming to the club after rising to the top with Borussia Dortmund scoring 50 goals and providing 64 assists in 137 games.
Giggs argued that some of the onus for getting the best out of Sancho lies with his team-mates
Sancho has made just 18 goal contributions in 82 appearances for United since his 2021 arrival
The forward has posted disappointing numbers of just 12 goals and six assists in 82 appearances, but Giggs believes part of the onus lies with his team-mates.
‘It goes deeper than that,’ Giggs claimed, when asked what legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson would have done. ‘It’s the responsibility of the dressing room to make sure he is performing every day in training.
‘We drove each other every day. Sometimes the manager didn’t have to do a lot because we were already there in the dressing room and on the training pitch. The players have got to take responsibility – if he’s true that he’s not pulling his weight – they have to call him out to make sure he does perform. He’s got ability, we’ve all seen that.
‘There’s only one person who can change it. You can only get it back on the training pitch. Build your fitness, confidence, physicality – do everything you can. Don’t give the manager any excuses to call you out.’
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