JADON SANCHO SUMS UP MAN UTD'S PROBLEMS BY BECOMING CLUB FIRST IN POST-SIR ALEX FERGUSON ERA

Ryan Giggs, Nani and Paul Scholes. They were among the most recent Manchester United players to grace a Champions League final, that being some 13 years ago.

Now Jadon Sancho has joined them, becoming the first player on the Red Devils books to make a European Cup final since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. The fact he'll be playing in the showpiece event for another club, all but sums up United and their haphazard decisions since the Scot's retirement.

Sancho had been frozen out in Manchester under Erik ten Hag after a social media spat landed him in hot water. Even before that, like so many expensive signings, the winger had been struggling to deliver, with a loan move away seen as the best outcome for now.

The England international, who has lost his place with the Three Lions since moving to United, has begun to rediscover his best form with the Bundesliga outfit as questions are, once again, asked about the Manchester outfit, their culture and their decision making.

United played in four Champions League finals during the Ferguson era. They won the first two in 1999 and 2008 before losing to Barcelona in 2009 and 2011. Since then their European record has made for grim reading and that trend continued this term.

The likes of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all struggled to make inroads in the Champions League with the team yet to make it past a quarter-final. This term Ten Hag saw his side knocked out in the group stages.

Sancho didn't feature in any of those games as he was frozen out of the first team. His only Champions League games have come in the yellow of Dortmund. Ten Hag had made attempts to get the winger firing during his debut season, but failed to get the desired results.

The Dutchman previously commented on how, even before he was appointed as manager, there were issues with Sancho, admitting that his time in Manchester had not been a success.

He said: "He's now at Dortmund. So after he was signed, one year before [I was here], and there were issues. We have had issues all the way through, and so you can make out his stay at Manchester United so far is not a success. So now he is going back to Borussia Dortmund, so I wish him the best of luck. I hope, we all hope he is doing well there, he will be successful. Again, we will see what is going to happen."

Despite the apparent pessimism Dortmund seem more than content with their loan signing, who they would keep permanently if United were willing sellers at the right price.

The Bundesliga club's chief, Sebastian Kehl, has admitted: " I know that the players feel pretty welcome in Dortmund, they feel at home, especially Jadon. I think it was a quite good decision to take them. But again, this is something for the future, and let's keep our focus on today."

Those negotiations could be conducted with Sancho walking back into Carrington as a Champions League winner. Over the past decade United have had a host of European champions - the likes of Angel di Maria, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Casemiro. They were all purchased following those successes.

In Sancho they already had a player who proved he has the temperament and the ability to help an unfancied side make the biggest game in European club football. People often said Ferguson had an eye for a player, backed youth, didn't always buy the finished article. Penny for Ten Hag's thoughts now.

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2024-05-08T09:23:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd