RYAN GIGGS believes Erik ten Hag’s public criticism of Jadon Sancho was a “last throw of the dice” by the Manchester United manager.
The Dutch boss has struggled to get the best out of the £73million winger since he took charge 14 months ago.
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But the England ace is still struggling to live up to his huge price tag since signing from Borussia Dortmund in summer 2021.
Ten Hag called out Sancho for his performances in training in the wake of last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Former Wales manager Giggs said: “It seems like it was the last throw of the dice. Let’s call him out publicly and see how he reacts.
“From the outside you don’t know but it looks like Ten Hag has tried everything with Sancho.
“When he first came to the club, I was a fan.
“I thought that he could get better, could improve, which he’s not really done in the short space of time he has been at the club. It just hasn’t happened.
“Ten Hag has sent him away to get fit. He has tried him in different positions.
“For me, calling him out publicly is probably the last straw or the last try to get the best out of Sancho.
“The player can react and think ‘right, I’ll show him and show the manager what I’m capable of’ or he can sulk and probably won’t get anywhere.
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“It’s up to Sancho now.”
Former Manchester City trainee Sancho, 23, claimed his training performances were fine in a social media post on Sunday — implying another reason for his omission.
But Giggs — who spent more than two decades as a United player — says how players conduct themselves at Carrington is vital.
He told the Webby and O’Neill podcast: “I know a lot has been made of his training.
“Training at United — from my experience as a player — was harder than the games.
“You have to have the performances in training to get yourself on that pitch on a Saturday.
“He has got to improve, that’s the bottom line. Because you have got a manager who won’t settle for it. If it’s true that his training performances haven’t been good enough, you’re not going to play.”
United’s players are believed to be rapidly losing patience with Sancho after more than two years with him and Giggs believes they need to take him to task if he is not putting a shift in on the training ground.
Giggs, 49, insisted: “The players have got to take responsibility.
“If it’s true that he’s not pulling his weight they have to call him out to make sure he does perform.
“But there is only one person who can change it. You can only get it back on the training pitch.
“Build your fitness, confidence, physicality — do everything you can.
“Don’t give the manager any excuses to call you out.”
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