It has taken a long time for Jadon to play at the stadium.
He played in the FA Youth Cup final for Manchester City at the City Football Academy, but never played a first-team game for the club, and was injured when they were beaten in the away leg of the European quarter-finals.
When he joined Manchester United last July, he hoped his return to City would be acatalyst for the title race.
To some extent, it is. It is a game City cannot afford to lose, as they are in danger of being knocked off the top of the table.
It is a game to watch from behind the back of the sofa for United fans because of the contemptuous manner in which they were dismissed by City in a one-sided contest last November.
It is still a great game to enjoy. It has taken a bit of time but finally he is starting to show why United paid so much for him, and why he was still upset 18 months later.
Although it was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who led the chase for the England man, the fact that he was replaced by the man who had been sacked by the Norwegian was not a bad thing.
When it became obvious that Sancho would be leaving City in the summer of 2017, Rangnick tried to sign him.
Apparently, Rangnick failed. He was aware that the teenager was a special talent because of his research and observations.
It was proved by Sancho at Dortmund. He scored 38 goals and had 45 assists in 104 appearances for the German club, earning him 23 England caps and a place in the Euro 2020 squad.
United fans were looking forward to the impact he would make. There were struggles at first. Rangnick is not surprised by that.
He said that when he moved to Germany, he was unknown. He had a 10m price tag and no history, so there was no pressure on him from the fans.
The person is no longer under the radar. He is a high-profile international player with a huge transfer fee. It is reasonable that he should take time to adjust, even if he is less than nice to himself.
He said in a recent interview that he is hard on himself.
You need time when you arrive at a new club. I have begun to play like I did at Dortmund.
If I keep getting goals and assists, I would be happy, but I wouldn't say it has been a great season for me because I wish I had done it earlier on.
The task of transferring skills onto the pitch in a competitive environment took a little longer, despite the fact that Rangnick saw evidence of Sancho's quality on United's Carrington training ground.
February was a good month, with a couple of goals and two assists. Even if it isn't in the way he would have liked, Sancho has the chance to play a major part in the title race this weekend, even if it isn't in the way he would have liked.
Although he is effective on either flank, the majority of his goals and assists in Germany came from his right foot. It is likely that his starting position is not as important as his state of mind because he has indicated a preference to play on the left.
In an interview with Manchester United's own media, he mentioned his time as a junior atWatford, where he was coached by current United head of academy Nick Cox, for the key to his best performances.
Watford was a lot of fun. He said that he was happy when he was there and that he was the best player he could be.
In tight situations, Sancho loves beating opponents.
He learned how to beat a man one-on-one as a cage footballer.
He jokes that he passes the ball more now than he did in the past.
Some United fans think that he did too much in his first few games for the club, in a kind of risk-averse strategy that is going away from his strengths.
It could be that it was down to having a team-mate.
There must be a temptation to play toRonaldo rather than concentrate on what he is so good at because he is benefiting from having the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at such close quarters.
Some of the lessons learned will not be fully absorbed for a couple of years, as part of the maturing process.
If he had stayed at City, he would have been at the ground that could have been his home for the first time.
He said that he went to the Bundesliga because he felt he was ready to play first-team football.
You have to think you want to be the best. I have a lot to learn, but I believe if I keep working hard and doing the right things, I can be one of the best players.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
