It’s getting irreversible.
“Jadon Sancho, 23, has rejected manager Eric ten Hagh’s request for a public apology, insisting he is still a victim,” the British newspaper The Telegraph reported on Friday.
Manchester United is not happy with Sancho. “Sancho has breached a disciplinary matter,” the club said via its official channels on Thursday, “and he is excluded from first-team training for the time being. He will only train in private until the matter is resolved.”
United have no wind at their backs. A second defeat in four games was followed by an off-field disturbance. “Sancho has described himself as a scapegoat,” the British publication The Guardian wrote on April 4. The comments cast doubt on his future at Manchester United.”
The same day, against Arsenal. In his post-match press conference, Van Gaal cited “poor training performance” as the reason for Sancho’s exclusion. Sancho took to social media to refute the claims.
“I’m not going to listen to something that’s not true at all,” he said, “I’ve trained well. I think there’s another reason (for his exclusion). I’ve been scapegoated for a long time. It’s not fair.” For Arsenal, Van Gaal chose Alejandro Garnacho, 19, and Facundo Pelestri, 21, as bench options.
The Arsenal game without Sancho ended in a loss for the Red Devils. The visitors took the lead early on. In the 26th minute, Rashford broke down the Arsenal left flank and found the back of the net with a sensational right-footed shot. United’s sharp counterattack struck a blow to Arsenal.
Arsenal were not done. Within two minutes, captain Ödegaard equalized. He latched onto Martinelli’s pass and slotted home with his left foot.
The seesaw game continued. The pattern of play was similar. Arsenal had most of the ball and pressed United. United dropped back and focused on defense, looking for a counterattack.
United almost turned the game around again. In the 44th minute, Garnacho broke into the Arsenal box and calmly slid the ball into the back of the net with his right foot. Garnacho celebrated with the Gunners away fans after the dramatic goal. However, after VAR, the goal was ruled offside. Garnacho’s upper body was slightly ahead of the opponent’s final defense. Eight minutes of second-half stoppage time were awarded.
It was a theater goal. Rice, Arsenal’s £100 million acquisition from West Ham, was on his toes. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Rice unleashed a strong right-footed shot from a corner, and the ball bounced off Evans’ foot. He curled it into the narrow space between Onana and the post. It was Rice’s first goal for Arsenal.
In stoppage time, Jeju drove a wedge. Desperate for a goal, United’s backline was suddenly open. Jejus broke free on a solo dribble to reach the doorstep, where he perfectly faked the final defender before firing a right-footed shot to give Arsenal their third goal. Arsenal went on to beat United 3-1 at home.
Sancho’s defense continued. “I’m just happy to play football and contribute to the team. I respect all the decisions of the coaching staff. I’m playing with fantastic players. I know that every week is a challenge.” In Sancho’s absence, United lost 1-3 at Arsenal.
The mood in the locker room was turned upside down. The players seem to have turned their backs on Sancho. According to a report by ESPN on September 9, the team is fed up with Sancho’s behavior. The players are tired of his attitude. They are in full support of Van Gaal. Aside from Sancho, the majority of United’s players are happy with the way Van Gaal is managing the team.
In the past, Mourinho has been quick to dismiss players who rebelled against him. Such was the case with United legend Cristiano Ronaldo, 37. At the beginning of last season, Ronaldo rebelled against Mourinho. As his playing time dwindled, he gave interviews and expressed his dissatisfaction with his life at United.
In the end, it was Ronaldo who left the team. He was headed to Al Nasr in Saudi Arabia, his first trip to Asia in soccer. Without Ronaldo, Ten Haag’s side went on to win. They finished the 2022-23 season in third place and qualified for the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
The start of the second season has been a struggle. Following Sancho’s departure, star winger Anthony Martial, 23, was accused of assault. United have suspended Anthony from training pending the outcome of an investigation.
Meanwhile, United are open to a move for Sancho. They are willing to listen to offers from Sancho’s former club Borussia Dortmund. Sancho left Dortmund for United in the summer of 2021 for £73 million. Despite dominating the German scene at a young age, he has struggled in his native England. He was even rumored to be feuding with his manager.
United came out strong. They are considering selling Sancho, according to local media such as the Daily Star. “Sancho will leave Manchester United in the January transfer window. His relationship with manager Eric ten Hagh has completely broken down. United are considering a loan move, as well as an outright transfer.”
In effect, Sancho has been dropped from the United squad and now Anthony, 23, a key winger under Van Gaal, is in danger of missing out. The BBC and The Guardian both broke the news of Anthony’s alleged assault. According to the reports, Anthony’s ex-girlfriend claimed that she was physically assaulted by Anthony in January. She reportedly required hospitalization.
The outlet reported, “Anthony is investigated for allegedly assaulting ex-girlfriend. Gabriella Cavallin claimed he attacked her with a ‘headbutt’ in a hotel room in Manchester in January. She was reportedly treated in hospital.”
On the same day, Brazilian outlet UOL also broke the news about Anthony. “Police in São Paulo and Manchester are investigating the incident,” the outlet reported.
Anthony fired back on social media. “The allegations are false,” he said. The evidence already available will prove my innocence. I am confident that the ongoing police investigation will prove my innocence.”
On the same day, the Brazilian national team announced through official channels that Gabriel Jesus (26, Arsenal) had been named as a replacement for Anthony, pending an investigation into the assault allegations.
It’s a headache for United. Ahead of the 2022-23 season, United signed Anthony, a prodigy of Eric ten Hagh, for €100 million ($142.9 million). Anthony had a disappointing campaign last season after joining United, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists in 47 games. Shortly after the start of the 2023-24 season, rumors surfaced.
Anthony refuted the allegations outright. “I needed to speak out because I was being labeled an assailant,” he told the police in an interview. There was an argument, but no assault. The truth will come out,” he explained.
His career was immediately put on hold. The Brazilian national team dropped Anthony from its September A-match roster. Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal) was named as his replacement. Without Anthony, Brazil defeated Bolivia on Sept. 9 at the Estádio Olimpico do Pará in Brazil in the first round of South American qualifying for the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026.
There were even additional accusations. The U.K.’s Telegraph reported on Aug. 8 that “two more women have accused Anthony. One woman said she was physically assaulted by Anthony in Brazil in May last year. The other woman said she was blackmailed by Anthony for sex during a business trip to the UK.
Anthony is still a starter under Van Gaal. He has started all four of the team’s games since opening day at right winger. He hasn’t scored an offensive point. Just when he was hoping for a rebound, he had personal problems. He can’t focus on the game. And if the assault allegations turn out to be true, he won’t be able to keep his job. This was the case with Mason Greenwood, 21, who was suspended for a long time for assault.
After initially remaining silent on the Anthony situation, United changed their tune. The club decided to suspend Anthony from training for now. The outcome of the investigation will determine Anthony’s future at United.
It’s been one bad day after another for the Red Devils. The Red Devils have started the season with two wins and two losses. Anthony and Sancho are out for the foreseeable future. The up-and-comers Garnacho and Pellegrini are likely to get their chance.
Anthony is still a starter under Ten Haag. He has started all four games since the start of the season on the right wing. He hasn’t scored an offensive point. Just when he was hoping for a rebound, he had personal problems. He can’t focus on the game. And if the assault allegations turn out to be true, he won’t be able to keep his job. Such was the case with Mason Greenwood, 21, who was suspended for a long period of time for assault.
From the start, United have been rocked by off-field incidents. Sancho caused quite a stir when he refuted Van Gaal’s interview. Van Gaal left Sancho out of the squad for the game against Arsenal. He cited “poor training performance” as the reason. “I’m just an innocent scapegoat,” Sancho said, disputing Van Gaal’s claims.
United backed the manager. In an official statement on Thursday, the club announced that Sancho would be excluded from first-team training for a period of time. The reason: a breach of team discipline.
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said, “We are continuing to investigate Anthony’s allegations. We will not be commenting further,” according to the BBC. 메이저놀이터