"Mentally he has to stop thinking so much" - Louis Saha says out-of-form Manchester United star lacks arrogance
Manchester United legend Louis Saha has explained how misfiring Jadon Sancho could ignite his Old Trafford career.
Sancho, 23, has endured a difficult spell with the Red Devils since arriving at the club in 2021. He joined the Premier League giants from Borussia Dortmund for £74 million having become one of Europe's most exciting attackers.
However, Sancho has struggled at Manchester United and has lacked form under Erik ten Hag this season. He has featured 31 times across competitions, scoring five goals and contributing two assists. That takes his overall tally for the club to just ten goals and five assists in 69 appearances.
The English winger has lacked confidence throughout the season and was sent for three months of individual training during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar last December. Saha has explained what Sancho needs to do to get his career back on track, telling Betfred:
"He has to fight; he has to give more, and he knows that. He should be hurt by the criticism regarding his performances, and despite having so much quality, maybe his main issue is overthinking what the opposition is going to do."
Saha added that Sancho needs to show more arrogance amid his lack of confidence. The English forward showed his talent with Dortmund, scoring 50 goals and providing 64 assists in 137 games:
"Players like Jadon need arrogance to perform and show their quality, and I’m still a huge supporter of him, and it’s not fair to assume that he’s not going to start producing. He’s a brilliant player, but mentally he has to stop thinking so much. He needs to believe in his body, in his speed and in his teammates."
Sancho was being heralded as a future England star when he made the move from BvB to Manchester United. However, his lack of form has become problematic, and time is of essence for him to live up to his £74 million price tag.
Manchester United's Luke Shaw explains difficulties in his new centre-back role
Luke Shaw has earned plaudits this season for his performances in a makeshift centre-back role.
The English defender is predominantly a left-back but has featured seven times at the heart of Manchester United's rearguard. He was particularly impressive in his side's FA Cup semifinal win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday (April 23).
However, Shaw has touched on adapting to the centre-back position, admitting that it hasn't been easy (via 90min):
"Obviously it's not easy (playing at centre-back). If it was in a three, it's a bit different. But when it's two, it's a lot different, to be honest."
Shaw is enjoying the role, with Manchester United unbeaten with the Englishman playing centre-back. He continued by alluding to his partnership with Victor Lindelof in the FA Cup win over Brighton:
"Whenever I play there, I really enjoy it, and obviously we had a couple days (to prepare). The manager spoke to me about it and Victor, of course, because against a team like this they're very tricky, a lot of tactical (information). Sometimes I had to stay in the middle of the pitch to follow them."