Arsenal icon Thierry Henry and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher have expertly broken down why one “fantastic” Manchester United star has struggled at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag’s second season at Old Trafford has been filled with both high and low points, with the under-fire Manchester United manager weathering fierce criticism.
The Dutchman’s side will finish outside of the Premier League top four this season and United will be without Champions League football for the following campaign.
However, Erik ten Hag faces the real possibility of United missing out on European football altogether after the 4-0 drubbing his side received from Crystal Palace.
United’s 4-0 defeat at Selhurst Park left the Red Devils in eighth place in the league table, with Ten Hag’s men level on points with seventh-place Chelsea.
The Premier League side have only three league matches remaining alongside the FA Cup final encounter with Manchester City at Wembley later this month.
Ten Hag reached his second consecutive FA Cup final after United avoided a potential upset at the hands of Coventry City in the semi-finals last month.
The former Ajax boss has also had to deal with off-field issues as well, including Marcus Rashford’s visits to nightclubs and his rift with United misfit Jadon Sancho.
Carragher on ‘brilliant’ Man Utd star
Jamie Carragher was on punditry duties on Tuesday for the second-leg Champions League semi-final match between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.
Borussia Dortmund defeated PSG 1-0 earlier this month in the first leg at the Westfalenstadion before beating PSG 1-0 in the return leg on Tuesday.
Jadon Sancho is currently on loan at Dortmund and impressed for the German club in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
The 24-year-old Manchester United winger returned to the Bundesliga in January after his falling out with Erik ten Hag in 2023.
Speaking on CBS Sports, Carragher broke down his reasons for why Sancho has struggled to emulate his Dortmund form at Old Trafford.
“He was brilliant, wasn’t he? Fantastic,” he said.
“He’s not Dortmund’s player, he’s Manchester United’s player, so United fans will be watching this game thinking, ‘We want that player, where’s that player? We haven’t seen that player for two years.’
“But that is the player that they bought. Moving clubs, sometimes it’s just the kit, the feeling, the stadium, the confidence that you’ve got… it doesn’t feel the right fit at Manchester United.
“And that’s not just for him, that’s for a lot of players. At certain clubs, you just feel more yourself.”
Henry on Carragher’s Sancho verdict
Sancho had big expectations placed on his shoulders after he left Dortmund and completed his blockbuster move to Old Trafford in 2021 for a £73m fee.
However, the United winger has endured a largely unimpressive spell at the Red Devils under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag.
Sancho was also missing for three months in the previous campaign after Ten Hag revealed that the player was dealing with both “physical” and “mental” issues.
Thierry Henry was in agreement with Carragher over Sancho and insisted that pulling on the shirt “can be [a] heavy” burden to carry at times.
“It’s not easy sometimes. The shirt can be heavy, the expectation, the price tag, languages […],” he said.
“Getting used to the town, getting used to something different. You know people at times underestimate all those points.”