The Sancho/Greenwood conundrum
After a difficult start to the season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a Sancho/Greenwood conundrum
By Oli Dickson Jefford
When Jadon Sancho signed for Manchester United this summer, it ended a transfer saga that had dragged on for two seasons.
After impressing at Borussia Dortmund, the England international was expected to hit the ground running at Old Trafford as Man Utd looked to surge into title contention.
Unfortunately for the Red Devils, that hasn’t quite been the case.
They currently sit seventh in the League table - eight points off leaders Chelsea - with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under pressure.
And Sancho has struggled, with the 21-year-old yet to score or provide an assist in his 11 appearances.
Sancho’s poor start comes at a time when Mason Greenwood has been one of the side’s most consistent and impressive performers.
With the two both young, attacking, and highly talented English forwards, the comparisons made have been endless yet it seems hard to find a system that will allow both to play at their best.
With the club in disarray, can Man Utd solve the Sancho/Greenwood conundrum?
Settling Sancho vs Greenwood loyalty
It can take players time to settle into a new club and league, and it is understandable that Sancho might need time to adapt to his new surroundings.
However, it is fair to say that people were expecting Sancho to have found his groove by now or at least show some encouraging form.
Despite all the talk about similarities between the Premier League and the Bundesliga, the midfielder has looked uncomfortable and at times out of his depth at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Greenwood obviously has experience playing in the Premier League despite his young age and currently seems more adept as part of the starting XI.
Though he was poor - just like the rest of the team - against Liverpool, he has undoubtedly been a bright spark at times this season.
And, while Sancho is a new arrival in Manchester, Greenwood has long been fancied as a future star at Old Trafford and who the club’s hierarchy will want to feature for a long time.
Working around Ronaldo and Rashford
Finding a way to keep Sancho and Greenwood both happy and involved is only complicated by the return of Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford’s recovery from injury.
Solskjaer was widely criticised when he left Ronaldo out and the Portuguese star has largely featured since then, whilst Rashford has impressed on his return.
With Bruno Fernandes also a mainstay in Man Utd’s attack, it is almost impossible to find a system in which both Greenwood and Sancho can fit in alongside each other and the rest of the team’s attack.
Greenwood and Sancho have played in the same starting XI at times this season but Solskjaer has switched away from this in recent matches.
With Ronaldo and Rashford both putting in some impressive performances, it may be difficult to find a balance in which Sancho and Greenwood both fit.
What’s the solution?
Quite frankly, there’s no simple solution to this problem.
For varying reasons people will want both Greenwood and Sancho to succeed, but Sancho certainly hasn’t so far and the likes of Ronaldo are difficult to dislodge.
What only complicates matters is the uncertainty around Solskjaer’s job, with any potential new manager likely to bring their own ideas about the situation.
Only time will tell about how both men fare at Old Trafford, but it may be difficult for both to thrive simultaneously.
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