Jadon Sancho is struggling under the pressure of his £73million move to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund, claims interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
Rangnick has spoken to Sancho after the England winger was left on the bench at Aston Villa last weekend in favor of teenager Anthony Elanga.
Sancho’s 23 games for United have produced just two goals and no assists, and Rangnick believes he has found it hard to come to terms with the pressure and expectation of moving to Old Trafford last summer for such a big transfer fee.
‘It’s a different league and he is playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world. It’s also got to do with a lot of the things up here in his head,’ said Rangnick, who confirmed United have switched permanently to a 4-3-3 formation that suits wingers more than the 4-2-2-2 he used. after first taking over.
‘It’s different if you come as an 18-year-old, unknown talented English boy to Borussia Dortmund. From then on, you can only improve. You can only make a success out of that.
‘The level of expectation was a lot lower compared to situation where you come to a club like Manchester United for a high transfer fee with a high level of expectation.
‘Everyone expected from him that he would be one of the best players in the team. This is psychologically and emotionally a more challenging situation than the one at Borussia Dortmund.
‘These are exactly the kind of steps that he has to make to become a top player for the next 10 years at this club. We can give guidelines. We can give him a helping hand and show him we are trying to accompany him and give him all the necessary assistance that he needs, but in the end it’s up to him to take the next steps.
‘Whenever I see him train, he’s one of the best players in the sessions. But it’s not only about training at the highest possible level. I said that to him the day before yesterday: confirm the performances you show in training when you’re playing on the pitch.
‘With those kind of creative, offensive players it’s all about confidence, being aware of how good they can be, then showing it in front of 75,000 – or 45,000 at Villa Park.
‘He has the ability to do that, there is no doubt about that. But now we have to develop him into that kind of player and the same kind of performances that he has shown at Borussia Dortmund.’