Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag leapt to the defence of Jadon Sancho after his miss in the penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City on Saturday. Ten Hag and Sancho have been reunited at Old Trafford this season after a falling-out which saw the winger exiled from the first team and sent out on loan in 2023/24.
The pair have now put their issues to one side, and Sancho came off the bench in the Community Shield at Wembley for his first competitive United appearance in almost a year.
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What should have been a celebratory occasion turned sour in the shootout, however, as after a 1-1 draw in regulation time, Sancho was one of two United players who failed to find the net before City snatched victory.
Even so, Ten Hag stood by the 24-year-old during a post-match interview with ITV. "He's a very good penalty taker," he said. "Today he missed, but that's part of the game."
Alejandro Garnacho fired United ahead in the 82nd minute, and their lead was merited by a fantastic performance in which City were exposed to long periods of pressure. But Bernardo Silva popped just before stoppage time to head the reigning Premier League champions level.
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The subsequent shootout heartbreak was tough for Ten Hag to take after witnessing a display which ticked all the boxes. "When the performance is right, we are winning in the game and after the penalty save as well, we lose... yeah, everyone feels this [defeat], it hurts in their stomach," he continued.
"We have to take this. We have to hurt, we have to feel pain now because it will give us motivation to do better. We can take positives out of this, that we can compete with Manchester City and we have to take this belief into the next [game]."
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Despite a return to action and a repaired relationship with Ten Hag, it remains to be seen whether Sancho will still be a United player when they host Fulham in their Premier League opener on Friday evening.
Sancho, who spent time at City's academy before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2017, is believed to be a target for French giants Paris Saint-Germain. Ten Hag, meanwhile, has plenty of wide options including Garnacho, Amad Diallo, Facundo Pellistri, Marcus Rashford and Antony.
