A manager should know how to handle the individual player in terms of personality. Ferguson would never have publicly trashed a player who six months ago had severe depression. And I would in no way call ETH supportive in this matter.
He could have dealt with Sancho internally if he was unhappy with his performance in training. It is a lack of situational awareness to direct such harsh - public - criticism against an employee, when you as a boss know that the person has just been ill with severe depression. What reaction did ETH expect?
Ferguson not only publicly trashed players, he trashed referees, reporters, opposition managers nobody was safe, SAF was a great manager but lets no be under any illusions that he was a saint, or even a particularly nice guy. In addition this couldn't have happened under SAF because the player would have had no way to immediately blurt out his gut reaction.... and lets be under no illusion if Sancho was under SAF he would not have been given half the leeway he has been and if he had come out publicly against SAF, he would have been out of the door faster than sh!t off a shovel (with a football boot in his mouth)
ETH did not publicly trash Sancho, he was asked why he was not in the squad and answered he hadn't trained to the level he required, Sancho would have already been aware of this, if it was a shock to him then I would say that is Sancho's problem right there on a plate, if anything I read more between the lines that he was embarrassed about his previous extended absence for mental issues having been made public, and his behaviour now is more of a reaction to that than this, it has bottled up, I would have more sympathy if this is the case but either which way his reaction is so disproportionate and ill conceived, the problem with social media is that is gives a very loud megaphone to people who really should not have one.
From my experience as somebody who has Managed staff for several decades, you can only bend so far so often, then comes a time when you run the risk of being dictated to by a team member and that is extremely damaging to the whole business, heard the expression give him an inch and he will take a mile? some staff are like that, by all accounts Sancho has received extensive support and special treatment as an individual since ETH has been at the club, in order to address the issues that Sancho has around his attitude, timekeeping etc. but there comes a point where it has to be shut down, that point was reached
And lets face it if you accept that Sancho turns up late, larks around and does not put enough effort into training then why do we give a sh1t if his feelings are hurt? he makes a load of money for kicking a ball, I know that doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings etc... or that he should take everything in his stride... but as somebody who has worked hard since leaving education often doing jobs that really don't float my boat, if he cannot appreciate what an opportunity and privilege he has it is an insult to every hard working person that buys a ticket, a shirt, pays a tv subscription, and everyone that escapes their own miserable lives for 90 minutes every weekend.... all he has to do it make the effort
