Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has slammed Manchester United for the way they have handled the Jadon Sancho debacle.
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Tensions between Sancho, United and Erik ten Hag are at boiling point after the player and manager publicly criticised each other following the 3-1 loss at Arsenal last Sunday.
After the game, Ten Hag claimed that Sancho had not been in the matchday squad due to his performances in training.
The winger dramatically fired back on social media however, writing: ‘I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue. I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!’
The pair have been away from Old Trafford since due to the international break, but upon their return they will have face-to-face talks which could well determine the England international’s future at the club.
The whole debacle has divided fans and pundits alike, but Fowler believes Sancho had every right to hit back at his manager, saying that Ten Hag made a huge mistake but publicly calling out the 23-year-old.
‘There are two things that every football club must take into account these days, if they are to do things properly. One is the mental health and wellbeing of players, which is a huge issue in football, and needs serious consideration,’ the former striker wrote in his column for The Mirror.
‘I don’t think the comments, responses and counter briefing that clearly went on fit into a modern approach to wellbeing for athletes. And that brings me to the second point.
‘We are living in a different world now, where everyone has a voice. Even when I was playing, there were very few outlets where a player could respond to criticism of him. Now, everyone has a voice, because social media is omnipresent.
‘So if a manager or a club makes serious accusations about a player not behaving properly – in this case Sancho’s attitude towards training – then he not only has the capacity to hit back, but also the right.
‘I think the days when the club has all the power are gone, and they have to accept that. If a player believes he has been wrongly accused or smeared, then he has the right and the ability to say so.
‘I wouldn’t criticise Sancho for responding in the way he did. He was merely correcting what he saw as something inaccurate about him.’
Many believe Sancho -who signed for the Red Devils in 2021 for £73million – no longer has a future at Old Trafford, but with the transfer window closed any possibly exit won’t take place until January.
‘It seems like a situation which can only spiral out of control… a classic case of making a player’s position untenable, and forcing him to leave,’ Fowler added.
‘This is a big mistake, not least because the window closed that weekend, and there is now an destabilising environment at the club.
‘If the manager doesn’t fancy him as a player, then fair enough. But these days, you don’t have to make players outcasts to get rid of them.
‘Loyalty is a two way street. If a player signs a contract, clubs expect them to honour it when it suits them, but not if they get rid.’
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