da betsul： The manager must continue to demand an apology from the Red Devils' £72 million ($91m) man amid widespread calls for his return

da leao： "Strict lines is what the club asked me because there was no good culture before last season so to set good standards, that is what I did and it is my job to control the 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 so you have to be strong."

Erik ten Hag made the level of discipline and commitment he expects from his players very clear when quizzed on Jadon Sancho's exile from the squad in mid-September. The Manchester United manager's comments came just two weeks after Sancho was dropped for a huge away game against Arsenal, having apparently fallen short of the required standard on the training pitch.

Sancho didn't take kindly to being criticised in public, snapping back at Ten Hag in a now-deleted post on social media that saw him claim he's been unfairly made a "scapegoat". The 23-year-old winger, who completed a big-money move to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021, has not played for United since, and it has been reported that Ten Hag won't welcome him back into the squad until he issues a face-to-face apology.

The Dutch tactician has been criticised by some for his treatment of Sancho, which has been perceived as "harsh", but he insisted he "would not do anything different" ahead of United's 2-1 Premier League win over Chelsea on Wednesday night. It's a tough stance that Ten Hag must stick to, despite the outside noise, if he wants to maintain full control of the dressing room.

United's performance against Chelsea was their best of what has been a largely miserable 2023-24 campaign. The players followed Ten Hag's high-pressing tactics to the letter, and would have won by a greater margin had they been a bit more clinical.

Throwing Sancho back into the mix after such a vital breakthrough would be a huge risk. It would be a different story if he were to swallow his pride, but for now, United need everyone pulling in the same direction in order to properly turn their season around.

(C)GettyImages'Training like a beast'

Sancho has been banished to United's academy facility, and continues to train alone as a result of his refusal to bow to Ten Hag's will. However, according to the , he is not just going through the motions to maintain full fitness, but rather "training like a beast" so that he is ready to make a telling impact when he does get back on the pitch.

The report also claims that several members of the United squad want to see Sancho reintegrated as soon as possible, which suggests he is still a popular figure at Old Trafford. But no player is bigger than the club and the manager's authority must be absolute.

If Ten Hag was to perform a U-turn, Sancho wouldn't learn that lesson, and he could potentially lose the respect of the whole dressing room. He'd also be practically guaranteeing a repeat occurrence in the future.

The extreme measures Ten Hag's taken may well be the only way to provoke a change in Sancho, who was also failing to live up to expectations before the arrival of the former Ajax manager. Indeed, ex-United and Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic lifted the lid on Sancho's ill-discipline in an explosive recent interview with .

"At Chelsea, players acted professionally, they were punctual and were never late for training but at United it happened almost every day," Matic said. "Among the players who would always be late were Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho. The rest of us who were always on time were angry so we decided to form a kind of an internal disciplinary committee with me serving as its president. During one particular season we collected around £75,000 in fines."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesUnited don't need another Rashford

For much of last season Sancho had to play second fiddle to Marcus Rashford, as the United academy graduate enjoyed the best season of his career to date – with 30 goals crashed home in all competitions. Sancho did get a look-in when Ten Hag needed Rashford to fill a central striker role, but he was ultimately second choice on the left-wing, with £85m ($106m) signing Antony deployed on the opposite flank.

United finished third in the Premier League and won their first trophy in five years in the form of the Carabao Cup thanks to Rashford's goals, so Sancho didn't have much room to complain. But part of him must be feeling bitter watching on from the sidelines this season, with Rashford still starting regularly despite a major downturn in form.

The England international had been ever-present in Ten Hag's Premier League line-up prior to the mid-week game against Chelsea, which finally saw him drop to the bench. Rashford only has two goals to his name this season, but even more worryingly, has been almost completely anonymous in all of his 19 appearances across all competitions.

He's been wasteful in possession and sluggish out of it, with United hampered in both attack and defence because of his lack of application. The Red Devils' inconsistency can be put down to a host of different factors, but Rashford's poor performances have held them back more than anything else.

That being said, those who would argue that Sancho could do a better job are kidding themselves. Putting the former Dortmund star back on the left ahead of Rashford would just be swapping one piece of deadwood for another.

Sancho has only recorded 12 goals and six assists in his first three seasons at Old Trafford, often looking every bit as disinterested and lethargic in matches as Rashford has over the past few months. United fans have yet to see the explosive, unpredictable version of Sancho that lit up the Bundesliga, and there's a good chance they never will.

United don't need two prima donnas competing against each other for minutes. If Sancho were to apologise to Ten Hag and completely change his attitude he'd have a fair argument to usurp Rashford, but until such a time, it's better that he remains in exile.

Getty ImagesGlowing Garnacho

Argentine teenager Alejandro Garnacho deservedly started ahead of Rashford against Chelsea, and produced another scintillating display, which he capped off with a brilliant assist for Scott McTominay's winning goal.

"I thought he was probably the best player on the pitch," United legend Paul Scholes told . "I know Scott scored two goals and got player of the match but I thought Garnacho was excellent and he went up another level tonight."

Garnacho has looked every inch a future superstar in recent matches, with his stock skyrocketing on the back of a gravity-defying overhead kick in United's 3-0 win at Everton on November 26. Old Trafford hasn't been home to such a promising young talent since Cristiano Ronaldo's early days at the club, and it's not too early to say that Garnacho is capable of following in the Portugal striker's footsteps.

Rashford certainly doesn't deserve to be ahead of Garnacho in the attacking pecking order anymore, and the 19-year-old's rapid rise to prominence has pushed Sancho even further into the background. Uruguay international Facundo Pellistri is also on hand to provide cover in the event of a Garnacho injury, and so there is no urgent reason for Ten Hag to consider bringing back Sancho.

The only issue is, United also cannot afford to keep a £72m asset out in the cold indefinitely. Sancho is still pocketing a reported £250,000 in weekly wages and remains under contract until 2026 – which means something will have to give in January.

GettySerie A or Bundesliga?

Sancho might secretly be thinking he can outlast Ten Hag, who has seen his managerial credentials questioned as a result of United's recent struggles across domestic and European fronts. The Red Devils have a huge fight on their hands to finish in the Premier League's top four, having lost six of their opening 15 games, and they stand on the brink of Champions League elimination.

Even if Ten Hag's side beat Bayern Munich in their final group stage game next week, they will only progress to the last-16 if Copenhagen and Galatasaray play out a draw in Denmark. It's a sorry state of affairs for United, who look further away from a return to the lofty heights of the Sir Alex Ferguson era than ever.

And yet there is still reason for optimism. United are on the verge of announcing a £1.25 billion deal for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS to acquire a 25 percent stake in the club, with the Glazer family set to relinquish control of footballing operations.

A full takeover could be completed down the line, which would see the unpopular American owners finally move on, but Ratcliffe will look to start making his mark immediately. That will reportedly include an overhaul of the club's transfer policy, with Ten Hag to be given one final chance to rebuild the squad.

Up to 13 players are being tipped to leave Old Trafford in 2024, and United are said to be actively looking for buyers for Sancho ahead of the winter transfer window. If the former Dortmund winger hasn't rebuilt bridges with Ten Hag by the turn of the year, his Old Trafford career will come to a premature end, which will be best for all parties concerned.

Serie A giants Juventus have already expressed an interest in Sancho, as per , and United are willing to accept a bid as low as low as £26m ($33m). A fresh start in Turin could hold great appeal, especially as the Bianconeri look like genuine Scudetto contenders again this term, but the club are also still dealing with plenty of off-field issues of their own.

A return to Dortmund might be the best option, with revealing the possibility of a swap deal involving Sancho and Donyell Malen. Sancho could rediscover his best form in familiar surroundings, and United would get another promising youngster in return to cushion the blow of writing off their initial investment.