Gary Lineker wades in on Jadon Sancho debate with pointed swipe at Erik ten Hag
Gary Lineker has taken a swipe at Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag over his ruthless treatment of Jadon Sancho.
The England forward, who has struggled to live up to expectations since his £73million move in the summer of 2021, was axed from the matchday squad for Sunday's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal. And when asked about his selection decision after the game, Ten Hag pulled no punches with his explanation.
"On his performance on training we didn't select him," he said. "You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game he wasn't selected."
Clearly perturbed by the criticism, Sancho hit back on social media, writing on Twitter: "I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, 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've been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair!"
The 23-year-old also said he did "respect" any decision made by coaching staff, and pledged to "continue to fight for this badge no matter what." And on Monday, reports emerged that the player was set for showdown talks with Ten Hag, amid the possibility of disciplinary action.
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Responding to that development, Linker questioned the apparent hypocrisy of the Dutch boss, posting: "So the manager can go public, but the player can’t. Interesting."
In a discussion with journalist Ollie Holt, Lineker also argued that Ten Hag could have been more diplomatic with his wording: "'I make the decisions' would’ve sufficed and been wiser," he added.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Was Erik ten Hag wrong to call out Jadon Sancho? Comment below.
The Match of the Day presenter wasn't the only high profile pundit to side with Sancho. Jamie O'Hara also backed the former Borussia Dortmund man, and asked why a number of United's underperforming players weren't also being called out.
Sancho made 41 appearances for United in all competitions last season, scoring seven times. But during the World Cup in December 2022, he was sent to Holland by his manager to undergo a personal training programme amid concerns over his physical condition.
He started United's first three Premier League games this season, against Wolves, Spurs, and Nottingham Forest. But he was again not selected by Gareth Southgate for England's upcoming games with Scotland and Ukraine.
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