[In Rainbows]

Sancho had no dribbling skill in the Bundesliga-

The only thing he would do is beat the high defensive line/offside trap by a single direct take on or by receiving or creating a pass from/for his team mates from a one two that broke the high line that is played only in the Bundesliga.

Then all Sancho would have to do is play a cut back to a striker or take a shot on himself.

It was so obvious that he was going to struggle here compared to what he would always have to do in the Bundesliga.

You say that, but he was averaging around 3 dribbles a match.

From looking at his current stats in the PL, it seems like he's our 2nd best dribbler after Garnacho on a per 90 min basis.

So it's all about desire. However, in the EL his dribbles are lower as he attempts fewer.

1. Garnacho - 2.1 successful dribbles per 90, attempts 5.5 per 90
2. Rashford - 1.8 successful dribbles per 90, attempts 5.9 per 90
3. Sancho - 1.3 succesful dribblers per 90, attempts 2.5 per 90

So it seems like his problem is he doesn't have confidence to do it. No matter what, Garnacho is going to attempt getting past his defender. These stats could also mean that Rashford carries the ball further, but without going past a defender many times.

It's a loss of form too but I think a lot of people understimate just how bad the opposition was in a lot of games when Sancho was at Dortmund. I watched highlights of pretty much every match (too much time), in his final season a large amount of his goals and assists were just in acres of space that you wouldn't even get in the french league. Dortmund that season scored something like double the average PL team does (like 90 goals in 34 games Vs 50 in 38 in the PL).

When I watched him in the CL, e.g. against PSG, he looked a lot more like the version we have. Struggled to beat players, couldn't run past people, that's when the alarm bells were ringing for me.

Then how are/were most players not able to reach his numbers?

It was pretty ridiculous what he was doing in the Bundesliga at his age. You would expect a drop off, but this is beyond a drop off. Is the league difference that far? To me it goes back to desire. Would we as fans find him more frustrating if he attempted more dribbles, but that meant a little more possession losses? I have a feeling that the fans would be more on his side if he did that.

 

[Member 109952]

You say that, but he was averaging around 3 dribbles a match.

From looking at his current stats in the PL, it seems like he's our 2nd best dribbler after Garnacho on a per 90 min basis.

So it's all about desire. However, in the EL his dribbles are lower as he attempts fewer.

1. Garnacho - 2.1 successful dribbles per 90, attempts 5.5 per 90
2. Rashford - 1.8 successful dribbles per 90, attempts 5.9 per 90
3. Sancho - 1.3 succesful dribblers per 90, attempts 2.5 per 90

So it seems like his problem is he doesn't have confidence to do it. No matter what, Garnacho is going to attempt getting past his defender. These stats could also mean that Rashford carries the ball further, but without going past a defender many times.


Then how are/were most players not able to reach his numbers?

It was pretty ridiculous what he was doing in the Bundesliga at his age. You would expect a drop off, but this is beyond a drop off. Is the league difference that far? To me it goes back to desire. Would we as fans find him more frustrating if he attempted more dribbles, but that meant a little more possession losses? I have a feeling that the fans would be more on his side if he did that.

I think you missed my point - it was a very attacking team (double the goals the average PL team scored that season, in 4 fewer games) and against very poor defenses (I encourage you to to watch his goals and assists in Bundesliga in his last season).

He's a good player no doubt, but the circumstances at the time led him to massively inflate his goals and assists relative to what he'd get in the PL, leading to us overpaying on him.

Of course he can get better and especially r.e. his attitude, but his accleeration and ability to beat players from a standing start were a limitation even at Dortmund. It's just the attacking team and poor defenses he played against made his ability look better than it actually is. Opposition and team stats matter a lot.

 

[Yakuza_devils]

Maybe next year when ETH bring in more of his players in to play fluid attacking football, Sancho will be transformed.

I think the way ETH keeps giving Sancho chances and sent him to special trainings alone tell us that he is firmly in ETH's plan. Hope ETH can transform Sancho like he did with Rashford. It's obvious that ETH is still trying his best to help Sancho play to his potential.

ETH is doing the same with Antony. Hope next year will be a big breakthrough for both of them.

This year both of them are doing ok helping the team winning a cup and favorite to finish 4th.

 

[El Jefe]

I don't understand what's wrong. He was so fabulous and exciting in Dortmund.

But even at Dortmund he started having slow starts to the season and really picked it up in the second half of the season.

He clearly doesn't take his fitness seriously IMO. He looks heavy on the pitch and also looks a bit out of shape compared to others in the squad. No surprise he's barely been able to complete many 90min performances since he's been here. The fact he got sent to a training bootcamp mid-season should indicate his lack of preparation. It wasn't only a mental reset ETH also mentioned it was physical.

During preseason he must have done something right because he looked like the Dortmund version and that was with us playing PL teams. Whatevet he did, he clearly didn't keep it up as it didn't last for long.

Maybe like Hazard his bad habits have caught up to him after making a move.

 

[Bebestation]

With Garanacho injured he is going to have a big chance to find some form.

 

[bosnian_red]

I don't understand what's wrong. He was so fabulous and exciting in Dortmund.

Pressure at a bigger club makes some people go into hiding. Can't play with fear at this level. Confidence is shot too. Extra bit of physicality has an impact especially adapting, but he hasn't been able to adapt.

 

[saivet]

I think you missed my point - it was a very attacking team (double the goals the average PL team scored that season, in 4 fewer games) and against very poor defenses (I encourage you to to watch his goals and assists in Bundesliga in his last season).

Definitely an attacking team, quite shit defensively when I watched them too. Only issue with that stat is comparing a team that finished 2nd in the BL to the entire PL doesn't make much sense. Would be better comparing Dortmund's goals scored for top 6 PL sides instead.

 

[GifLord]

Definitely an attacking team, quite shit defensively when I watched them too. Only issue with that stat is comparing a team that finished 2nd in the BL to the entire PL doesn't make much sense. Would be better comparing Dortmund's goals scored for top 6 PL sides instead.

They are scoring more goals on average despite having less games to play - 34 vs 38 rounds

 

[Bebestation]

His dortmund highlights looks so poor & always kinda did. For me he is the meaning of a stats player.

 

[Strootman's Finger]

With Garanacho injured he is going to have a big chance to find some form.

That's a pretty damning statement in of itself, our 75 mil signing is going to get a chance because an 18 year old kid that was in the youth set up last season is hurt.

 

[Strootman's Finger]

There is a reason why we spent almost 2 years trying to sign him and basically had a clear run at him the whole time. Why was no one else battling us for his signature?

 

[Bobski]

Turned up overweight and unfit in his first season after signing a huge contract, that was a red flag straight away. Looking fairly average at international level another. I know a lot like to blame that on Southgate but he wasn't distinguishing himself at that level at all, even in his Dortmund days.

 

[honirelandboy]

If Sancho and Anthony are going to be our starting wingers we will never win the league. Has to be said.

 

[PoTMS]

Elanga would look world class in the Bundesliga.

 

[Bondi77]

Now that Alejandro is out for a while it looks like Sancho is up for more game time.
This will see if he is up to it or not as we are coming into the crunch time of the season.
Is he going to flourish or flounder.....that is the big question.

 

[kaku06]

I bet he would look world class again in Bundesliga if he starts playing there tomorrow.

 

[Cathy Ferguson]

There is a reason why we spent almost 2 years trying to sign him and basically had a clear run at him the whole time. Why was no one else battling us for his signature?

Because other clubs had superior recruitment processes. Ole was prepared to overpay for English talent and English talent is very expensive in the first place.

 

[Bondi77]

I bet he would look world class again in Bundesliga if he starts playing there tomorrow.

If you have not worked out that looking really good in the Bundesliga means a player is world class then like so many others on here you have learnt absolutely nothing.

 

[kaku06]

If you have not worked out that looking really good in the Bundesliga means a player is world class then like so many others on here you have learnt absolutely nothing.

You misread my post. We both are saying the same things in different ways.

 

[In Rainbows]

Sancho is on huge wages, and the way he's been performing, I don't see how it's possible for him to be transferred. At least not yet. I still have hope for him after looking into his stats. Why do we rate Garnacho over Sancho? It's because of his dribbling and the confidence to make things happen. Well, Sancho actually is the more efficient dribbler. The reason why Garnacho is more likely to create for others or himself is because he attempts more dribbles.

Sancho needs to be more stringently told to attempt more dribbles, no matter if his efficiency goes down. This will cause him to be a more dangerous attacker.

Right now it's not looking too good for his prospects at United with how timid he is.

 

[tentan]

Wouldnt mind if he leaves in the summer. Overrated and hasn't performed at all.

 

[ForeverRed1]

If Sancho and Anthony are going to be our starting wingers we will never win the league. Has to be said.

We should just throw a blank cheque at napoli for osimhen and kvara. Feck it go all out for Harry Kane too.

 

[ClassAct147]

He's like a slower version of Lingard who can't pass, dribble or shoot but matches his lack of desire.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Maybe next year when ETH bring in more of his players in to play fluid attacking football, Sancho will be transformed.

I think the way ETH keeps giving Sancho chances and sent him to special trainings alone tell us that he is firmly in ETH's plan. Hope ETH can transform Sancho like he did with Rashford. It's obvious that ETH is still trying his best to help Sancho play to his potential.

ETH is doing the same with Antony. Hope next year will be a big breakthrough for both of them.

This year both of them are doing ok helping the team winning a cup and favorite to finish 4th.

My only worry is that it may be an atttiude problem. Aside from confidence which I’d obviously a major thing and can take time to regain, his main issue is his lack of physical presence / ruggedness and aggression. He’ll produce a classy bit of technical play but go back to being comfortable just being out there without any real aggression and intensity to want to make things happen.

For me this is what he has to change. It’s fine if he’s not a great in front of goal - he’s never been that and if it comes (he’s only 22) it will. For his age it’s not a big issue. However he needs to go back being close to the player his technical ability suggests he should be and at this level you can’t go through games half baked.

Hopefully either a few good games or next season kick starts him properly. Otherwise we cannot afford such an expensive backup for much longer.

 

[bosnian_red]

Pretty good that he can be among the top of stats like these still despite really not having a good season. The hope is he gets more confidence in his game as he does have really good vision/decision making generally to just make us more dangerous overall.

 

[golden_blunder]

I don't think he needs anything more than a good dollop of aggression and desire.

But you can't beat that into a player.

We could always try beating harder

 

[golden_blunder]

At Dortmund he played with Haaland, who was easy to assist for and secondly probably freed up so much space for players like Sancho to work in

 

[saivet]

At Dortmund he played with Haaland, who was easy to assist for and secondly probably freed up so much space for players like Sancho to work in

He did link up well with Haaland but looking at his stats, it wasn't a case of his assists or creation stats rocketing up. Before Haaland it was Paco Alcacer playing up front for them. Sancho linked up well with him too, though obviously a far inferior player to Haaland.

Bundesliga assists:
18/19: 18 assists
19/20: 17 assists
20/21: 12 assists

Haaland joined in January of the 19/20 season

 

[SAFMUTD]

He did link up well with Haaland but looking at his stats, it wasn't a case of his assists or creation stats rocketing up. Before Haaland it was Paco Alcacer playing up front for them. Sancho linked up well with him too, though obviously a far inferior player to Haaland.

Bundesliga assists:
18/19: 18 assists
19/20: 17 assists
20/21: 12 assists

Haaland joined in January of the 19/20 season

Im tempted to not buy any offensive player from the bundesliga again. The amount of space they have in that league makes the players look great which they can't hardly translate in the premier league where you play against teams with actual defenders.

 

[SAFMUTD]

Lost faith on him already. Enough is enough he doesnt looks interested at all. We should take the hit and cash in whatever we can get.

 

[zaafi]

I don't really think he will ever succeed here. He might somewhere else, but it won't be for us. I was so thrilled when we were signing him, but I'm just bored whenever I see him on the pitch now. Does nothing.

 

[Based Adnan]

Just knew he wasn't going to square it. Offside in the end but there's some shocking decision making in this team.

 

[Stobzilla]

Looked good in the first 20 minutes, picked up nice bits of space and his passes were landing, couple of good link ups with Malacia, he needs an extreme strength and conditioning summer because the technique is there in abundance.

 

[Zoo]

He obviously knew that he was offside. Robbie Savage making a big drama out of is was cringeworthy.

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

At least he showed some glimpses this time. Somewhat encouraging I thought, even if he's set the bar so, so low.

 

[bosnian_red]

Just knew he wasn't going to square it. Offside in the end but there's some shocking decision making in this team.

It's shocking really when you consider that's Sancho. He squares that every time in any normal condition for him. Clearly low on confidence or feels like he needs to score to impress, just needs to play his game, which was always based on good decision making and looking for the pass first.

 

[Nou_Camp99]

Why is his fitness so bad? Makes you wonder exactly why he was missing for 3 months really. Is he a party boy? He often posts pictures with famous rappers and musicians I am too old to be aware of.

 

[PSV]

Thought he did well today, perhaps helped a bit by Elanga being absolutely hopeless.

 

[saivet]

The offside moment was silly and unlike and I think our players need to get into the habit of passing the ball in opportunities like that, even if the game is dead or they know/think they are offside. Other than that moment, thought he played well. Created a few chances and a few decent moments. Betis had pretty much given up on the game though so don't read much into the performance either way.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Started really brightly but as the game wore on he was becoming less and less dynamic and enthusiastic in his play.

Elanga was alot more of a heavily involved sub, though he wasn't great with his decision making.