Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has asked players not to get discouraged by Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek’s disastrous spells at Old Trafford, hinting the duo could not shoulder the weight of expectations.

Van de Beek and Sancho Failed To Live Up To Expectations At Manchester United

Manchester United spent a handsome £35 million ($44.48 million) to sign Van de Beek from Ajax in the summer of 2020. After a couple of sub-par seasons, Van de Beek joined Everton on a season-long loan. He only impressed in bits and pieces at Goodison Park, and at the end of the campaign, the Merseysiders decided against making a formal offer for him.

On January 1, Van de Beek left United for a half-season loan at Eintracht Frankfurt, with Ten Hag hoping the change of scenery would help the Dutchman regain his best form.

Like Van de Beek, Sancho has also failed to do justice to his lofty price tag. Joining in a £73 million ($92.76 million) deal from Borussia Dortmund in July 2021, Sancho scored 12 goals in 82 games for United before publicly falling out with Ten Hag in September 2023. According to reports, the Englishman will join his former club Dortmund on loan in the coming days.

Ten Hag Believes Sancho & De Beek’s Failure Should Not Deter Other Players From Joining United

In a pre-match press conference ahead of United’s FA Cup Third Round meeting with Wigan Athletic on Monday (January 8), Ten Hag was asked whether Sancho and Van de Beek’s experiences would discourage others from joining the club. Here is what the Dutch tactician had to say (via BBC):

“That is always on those players and how much confidence you have in your capabilities. But I can tell you one thing – the Premier League is tough. Man United, that is tough to play there because it’s easier to play in almost any other team than Man United because the pressure is that high always.

“You have to deal with that. But if you have confidence in yourself, this is the best challenge and this is definitely the best club you want to be at as a player. It depends on player to player, and it depends especially on the character of the player, their personality.”

Having crashed out of the Carabao Cup and the Champions League, the FA Cup is the only trophy United can win this season. It will be interesting to see if they can make a statement of intent with a fine performance on Monday.