Erik ten Hag swerves Jadon Sancho questions but insists Man United culture had to change

Manager says club asked him to install 'strict lines' when appointed last summer

Jadon Sancho is being made to train away form the rest of Manchester United's first-team squad. Getty

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag swerved questions about Jadon Sancho's future on Friday but insisted his remit after being appointed was to change the culture at the club.

Sancho was involved in a public spat with his manager after Ten Hag told the media that the 23-year-old had been left out of the squad for the defeat at Arsenal before the international break because of “his performances in training”.

The winger, signed from Borussia Dortmund for £73 million in the summer of 2021, responded on social media by saying that he had been made a “scapegoat” by the Dutch coach, who is in his second season in charge at Old Trafford.

“Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week,” Sancho wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!”

United released a statement on Thursday stating that Sancho would be training away from the rest of the first-team squad “pending resolution of a squad discipline issue”.

On Friday, ahead of United's Premier League home game against Brighton, Ten Hag was asked to clarify the situation regarding the Sancho situation, the former Ajax coach skirted around the question.

“Sometimes you have setbacks with players being injured or unavailable for other reasons,” he said, without naming Sancho directly. “Our squad is very good and the players available are motivated.”

But when asked if he considered himself a strict manager, Ten Had said: “Strict lines is what the club asked me [to bring], because there was no good culture before last season. I had to set good standards.

“It is never someone makes one mistake, it is a whole process before you come to a certain outcome about strict lines. There is a structure to cross lines, staff or players, so you have to be strong.

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“It's always about team. The team is above everything else,” he added. “There are many different characters and you have to manage them. The team is always above anything else.”

Ten Hag has also leapt to the defence of defender Harry Maguire, who was on the end of abuse from Scotland fans during England's midweek friendly win.

Maguire, who could have left United in the summer, described it as “banter” but his mother came out in support of him on social media.

And Ten Hag added: “I have said many times, it is disrespectful, he doesn't deserve it, he is a great player, gives great performances. It's crazy but it's how it works and Harry has to block this by performances.

“It's unjustified when you see his career, it's a great career and it has a lot to come but he has to block it by good performances.”

Ten Hag revealed Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof are fit to face the Seagulls, but Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Raphael Varane are still injured.