Ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince says he is disappointed that the clash between manager Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho has become public.

Ince compares the situation to when there was a falling out between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho, and he feels that the differences between Sancho and his manager should have been resolved behind closed doors:

“I remember, a few years back, speaking about the [Paul] Pogba situation with [Jose] Mourinho, that’s not how you deal with things at Man United. Especially with Sir Alex Ferguson, things like this need to stay in-house to avoid adding fuel to the fire. The media were having a field day with the Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho situation. United haven’t started well and Erik ten Hag knows that. The last thing you need at a club like United is to have this kind of distraction come out.”

“It could’ve been dealt with very differently. Ten Hag has his ways but when you come out saying that ‘Jadon’s performance in training hasn’t been great’, it’s not something that needs to be put out there. Then, worst of all, Sancho has replied back. This whole situation has blown up and Ten Hag could’ve dealt with it in a very different way.”

Ten Hag was put in a difficult position

By omitting Sancho from the matchday squad for the Arsenal game, ten Hag knew he would be asked about why the winger was not included.

If he had refused to comment or made up another excuse, speculation about Sancho’s absence would have spiralled anyway. By speaking the truth, the Dutchman hoped that the situation would not get out of hand.

However, Sancho’s public statement has complicated matters massively and the rift between the player and the manager is now in the public domain. As Ince says, perhaps this could have all been handled in-house but, with so much information leaking out from the dressing room in recent years, you wouldn’t have thought that is a realistic option. It will be interesting to see how things play out from here.

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