REVEALED: The secret to Sancho saving his Man Utd career

Jacque Talbot

• 28 Mar 2023 06:45 CDT
• 4 min read

Jadon Sancho has shown glimpses of what he’s made of this season.

Erik ten Hag has offered a bunch of Manchester United players a fresh lease on life, with Marcus Rashford, who’s almost broken his own record for most goals in a season, being the most obvious example.

But questions remain over Sancho and how he would fit in. Sounds are that the Dutchman could look to use the England star as a No.10, and this isn’t dissimilar to how he succeeded in the Bundesliga.

READ MORE: Man Utd give surprise player priority over Rashford in contract discussions

At Dortmund, Sancho started playing as a wide attacker who could operate both on the left and right. He also often played as a wide forward and operated from the No.10 position, showing his tactical flexibility. At Man Utd, Sancho has played predominantly on the left wing.

The biggest difference from his Dortmund days has been in his playing style. At Dortmund, he operated as more of an inside forward. He would frequently receive possession in the half-space, where he would look to directly be involved in chance creation and build-up. He thrived around the penalty area and preferred cutting inside through dribbles than driving to the by-line and crossing the ball.

But, following his £72.9 million move to Old Trafford in 2021, he was placed as an outright winger. His role was then to forge chances from wide areas rather than in the middle of the pitch. This means he also performs a high number of crosses near the opposition’s by-line. But, lacking in passing range, it was not something that he is the best at.

BVB even slowly moved the 23-year-old towards being a creator rather than a powerful winger. His dribbles per 90 minutes volume gradually reduced, while his crossing per 90 mins numbers stayed relatively flat, and his half-space and final-third chance creation, as well as passing per 90 numbers, have increased from 2018/19 to 2021/21.

Comparing the stats from his final season at BVB to his first season at Man Utd shows a drop-off in all categories except cutback crosses. His drop-off in form has been plain to see in the Premier League - but a positional tweak could fix all that.

Man Utd targets could help Sancho

The downturn in form at Man Utd might also be down to the playing style of some of his teammates. The fullbacks he plays ahead of are less attacking than the likes of Achraf Hakimi and Raphael Guerreiro at BVB - the latter being a particularly blistering player who enjoys occupying advanced positions.

The current crop do not overlap as much and occupy wider areas, which would allow Sancho to drift centrally. Man Utd’s problems upfront could also have an impact on his performances, too, and he would also be better off combining with a forward who is more mobile than Cristiano Ronaldo was in 2021/22 - or Wout Weghorst this term, for that matter. A move for Victor Osimhen over Harry Kane, two of Man Utd’s targets, would arguably help unlock Sancho for the upcoming campaign, therefore.