Liverpool legend, Robbie Fowler has defended Manchester United winger, Jadon Sancho for hitting back at his manager, Erik ten Hag, insisting that the England international has his rights.
Tensions between Sancho and Ten Hag are at boiling point after both men publicly criticised each other following Manchester United’s Premier League 3-1 defeat against Arsenal earlier this month.
Ten Hag had claimed that Sancho had not been in Manchester United’s matchday squad against Arsenal because of his performances in training.
But Sancho dramatically fired back at Ten Hag on social media, saying: “I will not allow people to say things that are completely untrue. I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!”
Speaking on the development, Fowler believes Sancho had every right to hit back at Ten Hag manager.
According to Fowler, Sancho was merely correcting what he saw as something inaccurate about him.
“There are two things that every football club must take into account these days, if they are to do things properly. One is the mental health and wellbeing of players, which is a huge issue in football, and needs serious consideration,” Fowler wrote in his column for The Mirror.
“I don’t think the comments, responses and counter briefing that clearly went on fit into a modern approach to wellbeing for athletes. And that brings me to the second point.
“We are living in a different world now, where everyone has a voice. Even when I was playing, there were very few outlets where a player could respond to criticism of him. Now, everyone has a voice, because social media is omnipresent.
“So if a manager or a club makes serious accusations about a player not behaving properly – in this case Sancho’s attitude towards training – then he not only has the capacity to hit back, but also the right.
“I think the days when the club has all the power are gone, and they have to accept that. If a player believes he has been wrongly accused or smeared, then he has the right and the ability to say so.
“I would not criticise Sancho for responding in the way he did. He was merely correcting what he saw as something inaccurate about him,” he added.
Sancho joined Man United from Borussia Dortmund for £73million in 2021.
