Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes Erik ten Hag failed to bring the best out of Jadon Sancho.
The Red Devils paid £73 million to sign Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in 2021.
The England international failed to shine at Old Trafford and was sent back on loan to Dortmund following his public spat with Ten Hag.
Speaking ahead of the Champions League final, Mourinho fired shots at the Dutchman.
He said (h/t TNT Sports): “As a player, we know his talent. We saw what he can do, there are no doubts about it.
“What happened at Man United – if I look at my own history, sometimes I failed with players.
“Sometimes I couldn’t create the right empathy, I couldn’t understand the player’s DNA and I couldn’t help players grow up in the right direction.
“The majority of times, yes, I did it but on some occasions, I couldn’t.
“I think sometimes we have to learn with experiences, which I tried always to do, to try to understand the nature of the player.
“Sometimes they have the talent but don’t have the mindset you want from a player.
“For sure, the kid [Sancho] made mistakes, that’s for sure, but for sure his manager was not able to get the best out of him.
“Normally, it’s multi-factorial. Normally, it’s not the manager, the player, the family, the agent, the club.”
Sancho did better in the familiar background at Dortmund
The 24-year-old refused to apologise to Ten Hag after effectively calling him a liar on social media.
Ten Hag ostracised Sancho before sending him back to the Bundesliga giants on loan.
The Englishman has shown signs of improvement, but he is still far from his best. He tallied just three goals and three assists in 21 appearances for Dortmund.
He had a golden opportunity to help Dortmund win the Champions League on Saturday, but he was disappointing.
Mourinho is right in his assessment that Ten Hag failed to get the best out of the youngster.
However, the player should also take more accountability for his own performance.
For all the hype before he arrived at Old Trafford, Sancho scored just 12 goals and registered six assists in 82 appearances for the Red Devils.
Multiple reports over the years have stated that he repeatedly turns up late for meetings and is not at his best in training sessions.
When success comes early, young talents must stay focused and remain disciplined to keep doing the right things.
Sancho must go back to the drawing board and scrutinise the factors that have hindered his progress in recent years.
