Manchester United were hit hard by injuries last season and the effect of that nightmare is still so strong that Erik ten Hag has repeatedly stressed “survival of the fittest” this season.
The first, and most high-profile casualty of this no-nonsense approach on the first matchday was Jadon Sancho.
Sancho was left out of the squad altogether and Ten Hag later said he had an ear infection but he could play, so it was the manager’s choice to not select him.
However, he said they need everyone over the course of the season to get through a tough run successfully so players not selected have to be patient.
Now, he has sent an indirect message to Sancho and the players who may find themselves in similar situations in the season ahead.
Erik ten Hag’s clear message
Speaking in the embargoed section of the press conference ahead of the Brighton game, Ten Hag expanded upon his thought process on squad selections.
He spoke about how he deals with players who might be unhappy after being left out but made it clear that not everyone can be catered to all the time.
He said: “We can’t explain for every game [why a player has been left out] but of course when a player has questions and he doesn’t understand, I am always open for conversations.
“Sometimes I will take the initiative but I don’t want to explain for every game why I made however many decisions I have to make. There are so many, and I cannot explain them all.”
He stopped short of naming any particular players but a clear message has now been sent to everyone in the squad.
For once, the manager has a problem of plenty to look forward to after putting square pegs in round holes last season due to an injury crisis.
Importance of atmosphere
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has begrudgingly accepted previously that Manchester City’s way of doing things should be learned from.
Letting discontent players leave at the first sign of opportunity to ensure maximum commitment in the squad is something Pep Guardiola’s side always do.
Regardless of the quality of the player, or his standing in the team, if they deem him to be a negative/sulking presence in the dressing room, they are shown the exit door.
United did that last season when Ten Hag and Sancho fell out spectacularly but reintegration ahead of this season offered hope for the future.
However, the murmurs of discontent grew into deafening noises once Sancho was omitted from the squad vs Fulham.
Further details which have emerged since over Sancho’s behavior after the omission clearly show that the bridge was open temporarily mended.
Ten Hag has been extremely frank on the subject of Sancho, a departure from his tight-lipped of dealing with the media, so he’s clearly not afraid of calling the player out any longer.
Sancho, on the other hand, has shown he doesn’t respond well to it and a mutual parting of ways might be the best option going forward.
As Ten Hag said, he can’t explain everything to every player all the time, but this indirect message to the whole squad will serve as a blanket statement for many decisions this season.
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