Jadon Sancho made his return for Manchester United in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg win over Nottingham Forest.
It was Sancho’s first game since late October, and before we get into his performance, let’s reflect on the smart management from Erik ten Hag for choosing the right moment to reintroduce the star.
Ten Hag picked the right time
Ten Hag picked the right game for Sancho to return. It was a high profile game in a moment with relatively low stakes, with Manchester United cruising into the Carabao Cup final.
There was still an opportunity for Sancho to make a decisive impact, and he helped to do so. Ten Hag intelligently brought Sancho on along with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, ensuring the spotlight did not shine too intensely on the returning winger.
Once onto the pitch, Sancho was able to play with total freedom, due to a role specially selected for the 22-year-old.
Ten Hag took a moment to ensure Sancho was taking in the impressive reception he received from the crowd.
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Sancho position change
Rather than play out wide on the right wing, Jadon Sancho came on to play through the centre, with Bruno Fernandes shifting out to the right.
Whether this lasts, remains to be seen, but it was the right tactical move on the night, with Ten Hag’s collective changes helping United take the score from 0-0 to a 2-0 win.
Sancho thrived in an attacking midfield role, and played his part in the build-up to the second goal of the night, scored by Fred.
Adding Sancho into this position places him in a role where he can be at his most dangerous.
He will see more of the ball, and he is able to go either way, to dribble at opponents or pick out a pass. It is hard for opponents to guess what he will do next.
Sancho becomes more predictable when stationed out wide. Through the centre, he has more options at his disposal in terms of which way to run, or teammates to pass to.
He has played this role before with Dortmund, and briefly in Ralf Rangnick’s ill-fated 4-2-2-2 formation.
When the game began to break in United’s favour, Sancho found himself in lots of space in counter-attacking positions. This is where he can do the most damage to teams.
From a bigger picture perspective, utilising Sancho is this role is clever squad management, with Manchester United low on midfield options.
He has wingers, but not really anybody who can fill in for Bruno Fernandes in attacking midfield, with Amad out on loan and Christian Eriksen injured. Sancho becomes an important option at the position.
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