Sport
Manchester United: Jadon Sancho’s England situation for the 2022 World Cup
Jadon Sancho has recently been left out of the England squad by Gareth Southgate for the Nations League fixtures against Italy and Germany.
The manager has chosen the likes of Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling ahead of the Manchester United winger.
With the selected squad consisting of many centre-backs and full-backs to provide valuable depth towards his favourite 3-4-3 formation, it leaves the midfield and forward area to be chosen with some of the best players missing out.
After United’s most recent win in the Europa League against Sheriff Tiraspol, where the 22-year-old scored to give his side the lead during a 2-0 victory, he responded to the media’s questions regarding his absence from the England squad.
“It is disappointing not to get a call-up but I have to keep working hard and hopefully I do get the call-up for the World Cup,” Sancho advised to BT Sports in the post-match interview.
“I just have to focus on myself and carry on working hard,” he added further to his comments.
Sancho has had a bright start to the 2022/23 campaign, where he has scored three goals in eight appearances in all competitions. Although he hasn’t hit the ground running from the pre-season tour, when he notched three goals in four matches, he is still considered as one of the most important individuals within Erik Ten Hag’s system and one of the best players in the squad.
For sure, he has seemed quite pragmatic and reserved when in possession of the ball. As the side are yet to consistently perform to the highest level of the manager’s expectations, with the team not showing the signs of a high pressing team or of a side that can confidently control possession in each area of the pitch, players like Sancho along with Antony, Diogo Dalot and Christian Eriksen, cannot play to their complete qualities.
When compared to the rest of his team-mates, Sancho has completed the third most successful dribbles (7), fifth most shots (4) and seventh most key passes (5). These are the type of statistics where an attacking winger should be sitting at the top of the figures, like Gabriel Martinelli and Mohamed Salah have been doing so far this season for their respective teams.
The former Borussia Dortmund winger is not the most or one of the most explosive or dangerous attackers in Europe, though, he is smartly effective at combining play with his team-mates and is known to show his skillset and trickery to force the opposition into committing errors and mistakes.
He will be looking to show more intensity and drive on and off the ball, as he will want to ensure his chances of making it for the World Cup are high as possible. Though, the clock is constantly ticking till the major tournament kicks off, as he has around 10-13 matches to show his talent and worth to the England manager.
He hasn’t been amazing, nor has he been horrible. However, he has to show his Bundesliga form once again, when he was showing his creativity, his goal-scoring ability and the balance he provides out on the wing on a regular basis, to leave the England coach with no option but to take him to Qatar.
Overall, Sancho should still be selected by Southgate for the World Cup squad, as he offers a different dimension of possession control and attacking intelligence compared to the other wingers that have been chosen ahead of him.
On the other hand, the coach will be favouriting the players who he trusts and has won over him during his initial period as the manager of England, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount selected despite their poor club form. This makes it difficult for others, no matter how well they perform, they will not be given a proper chance for them to prove themselves.
Every single player dreams of representing their country at international football level and playing an influential role for the side’s potential success on the biggest stages of them all. Without a doubt, Jadon Sancho is surely one of the many players who wants to make a name for himself at club and country level, to be in history with the other greats of the beautiful sport in football.
