RIO FERDINAND wants to “know what happened” to Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag after witnessing the playmaker’s excellent display last night.
The 24-year-old was in top form to help Borussia Dortmund beat PSG 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
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Sancho was a constant threat to the French team’s defense and looked completely different to his time at Old Trafford.
In September he was expelled from United following a stand-off with Ten Hag, having been left out of the squad in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.
The boss said his training was not up to standard when asked about his absence later, but Sancho posted on social media in response to deny this – resulting in a huge row and his suspension from first-team training.
This saw him return to Dortmund in January on loan until the end of the season and, although his former teammates continue to struggle, he is now on the verge of reaching the Champions League final.
Former United stars Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves covered yesterday’s match for TNT Sports and both agreed that the England international looked to be back to his best.
And Ferdinand said, “I want to know what happened in United Men. Why didn’t it work there?
‘Is it game time or has he not applied himself well at Manchester United? Was he discouraged because he wasn’t getting playing time?
“Was it the size of the club, the weight of the shirt? Is it the club? Is it the coach’s fault for not getting the best out of him?
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Hargreaves responded: “It’s all there, it’s all those things. It’s the environment.
“[Tonight] I knew from the first touch that he was going to play like this, because he had a bit of arrogance, didn’t he?
“And that’s where I think is when Jadon is at his best, he has a little bit of swagger. At United, he saved himself and played as a wing-back, didn’t he?
Ferdinand added: “That was the frustration at Man United. He’s not doing that.
“That’s the physicality of the Premier League, was that a problem? I don’t know.
“But there are so many different things that you look at and think: What could it be? Only Jadon can tell us this.
“But at the same time, you look at the way he played in the Champions League semi-final, you can’t take that for granted.”
Sancho left Dortmund after a brilliant four-year spell in 2021 at United in a £73m transfer.
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However, he has struggled and scored just 12 goals in 82 appearances for the Red Devils.
It remains to be seen whether Sancho will return to Old Trafford or join permanently at the end of the season.
And when asked about returning to United, he said: “I really don’t know.
“I’m focused on the present right now.
“I arrived here when I was 17 and they gave me the opportunity to play. I am very pleased with all the staff and players who welcomed me back.
“You can see and feel the yellow wall, you can’t wait to play.
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“It’s not over yet and I hope we can finish the job in Paris.”
Sancho’s dip in form has also seen him lose his place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
He won the last of his 23 appearances for the Three Lions against Andorra in October 2021.
But he admitted he is still desperate to storm the Euros this summer, saying: “Definitely.
“I watch it game by game. Performances like today, I hope they continue.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
