Erik ten Hag played Jadon Sancho as a number 10 when the Englishman came on in the second half of the Carabao Cup second-leg against Nottingham Forest and in this article, I will explain why Sancho playing there can benefit both him and Manchester United.
The United number 25 was making his first appearance for the club since the 1-1 draw with Chelsea back in October, and he got a rousing reception from the Old Trafford faithful, which shows just how much the fans will support him.
With the fans on his side, I think Sancho playing in the number 10 role will allow him to express himself more and show his creativity, because during his Borussia Dortmund days, he notched up a remarkable 64 assists during his four years in Germany [Transfermarkt].
This one felt good.@Sanchooo10 ❤️#MUFC || #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/hNiDxeoHMV
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 1, 2023
Another reason as to why I think it makes sense to play Sancho as a number 10 at times is because it allows United to have a back up option for Bruno Fernandes, who predominately plays in the position that Sancho occupied last night and with so many games coming thick and fast, the 22-year-old’s ability to play as a number 10 can allow Erik ten Hag, the luxury of rotating Fernandes, which could be a risk, given how important the Portuguese is both in and out of possession.
During the opening months of 2022, Sancho hit a purple patch under Ralf Rangnick, where he was arguably one of United’s key performers in February and March, and during that period we saw the England international’s creativity, and one thing that was noticeable was the fact that he likes to play with runners ahead of him.
Think of the pass that he made for Fred to score against Leeds United at Elland Road last season and that is one example as to why United could do with Sancho playing in the hole in some matches, because not only does it allow him the ability to be a free man, roam and create opportunities for his team-mates, but it also reduces the pressure on Bruno Fernandes to create, given that Christian Eriksen is now out at least for three months.