TalkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan has claimed that Jadon Sancho is overrated after it was revealed that he was training away from the rest of the Manchester United squad.
The £73m signing from Borussia Dortmund has had a difficult time at the club, registering just eight goals in 52 appearances, and has been criticised by manager Erik ten Hag and sent on an individual training programme.
The 22-year-old is short of confidence, having thrived in Germany, but United are yet to see any return on their large investment outside of a few flashes of quality.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Jordan claimed that people’s perception of the player rates him beyond his ability, and has contributed to his nightmare time at the club.
“He had a poor season for Manchester United. The tragedy of this circumstance is that the player isn’t as good as many people think he is and he’s coming up short,” Jordan stated.
“There are challenges with that in a Manchester United environment which is unique with the pressure and expectation.
“There’s no excuse of him physically not being able to play.
If he’s not physically able to play, that’s inexcusable.
“If he’s not mentally, we have to understand why before we start pouring scorn upon him. I look at it and I watch him and I think he’s never been the player people make him out to be.
“I don’t think we saw enough of him at Borussia Dortmund – we saw flashes of him and reputations being built over there.”
TIF thoughts on Sancho…
Although Jordan is correct about the pressures of playing for United affecting him, as well as his perceived ability exceeding his actual ability, his time at Dortmund was undoubtedly a success regardless of how his United career has gone.
The Englishman registered an astonishing 50 goals and 64 assists at Dortmund, playing a starring role alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland, and his quality was on full display.
The talent is clearly there with Sancho, but he may need a different environment to let it thrive, as he looks a shadow of the player that tore up the Bundesliga so successfully.