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Sancho’s struggles continue

If there were a week to summarize Jadon Sancho’s problems at Manchester United, it would be the one that just passed. The 22-year-old remains a frustrated figure in Erik ten Hag’s side, as he is a poor fit and a player with no clearly defined role to play.

In the space of eight days, he played three different positions and failed to excel at any of them. He struggled up the middle against Southampton and made little impact in any of the wide roles in the next two games.

Sancho could still have a role to play in the future, but at the moment it’s hard to justify him for a starting role, even when they have few options and he was overshadowed by Antony from the bench.

Ten Hag has worked hard to try to rejuvenate the former Borussia Dortmund striker, and that job is not done yet.

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United miss their main men

United knew for a week that they would be without Casemiro for Fulham’s visit, but would have less time to prepare without star defender Raphael Varane.

They are arguably the two most important players in the United team, and it came as no surprise to see their performance suffer again without them.

United lacked control and composure at the backbone of their team, which not only gave them little fight in midfield, but also saw them noticeably weaker in defence.

It was another game in which the end justified the means, but in their next three games without Casemiro. They won’t be able to directly replace their quality, though they must find a way to ensure they do better without it.

Martinez’s dilemma

Ten Hag has downplayed the suggestion that he could test Lisandro Martinez as a makeshift midfielder in the coming weeks, though he may need to reconsider. He was United’s best outfield player against Fulham, not just because of his immense defensive contribution but because of his creativity from deep inside.

United suffer from a lack of passing masters Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in midfield, and Martinez is second best with his craft and creativity from deep.

Against Fulham, he was the man who most often broke through the lines with his passes, offering an instant attacking outlet whenever he had the ball.

However, the dilemma for Ten Hag is clear. He is also the best defender of him. He not only passes better than most, he also defends better than most.

It still seems unlikely that he will turn Martinez into a midfielder, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t.

reckless red cards

Fulham were the better team for 70 minutes of the quarter-final. Then they lost their minds, two players, their manager and an FA Cup semi-final over a clear hand.

United seemed to have done them a favor by almost wasting a glorious one-on-one situation, but Willian was always going to get punished for his stupid handball on the line.

Marco Silva and Aleksandar Mitrovic saw red for their reckless protests of the decision, and Willian could have had no complaints about his deliberate handling on the line.

Wembley will be Red next month, like the fog that dashed Fulham’s hopes of a famous trip to a favorable semi-final.

United could be rewarded again for their Ten Hag decision

Antonio Conte was not long ago touted as a potential United manager, and the club will be thankful that their lack of planning to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer worked in their favor.

On the same weekend that Conte appeared to signal the end of his time as Tottenham manager, with Mauricio Pochettino the favorite to replace him, United were again reminded they had made the right decision.

Ten Hag is well on his way to a top four finish and has already achieved his goal of ending the trophy drought. The next goal is if he could add another one.

Another trip to Wembley makes another six-year drought seem unlikely.

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