Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has defended the club’s decision to exclude Jadon Sancho from the main squad following his outburst against the Dutchman.
Sancho has been training away from the first team since the Red Devils’ 3-1 defeat to Arsenal after Ten Hag criticized him for his performance in training.
The England winger has since denied that he was disrespectful to Ten Hag, but the manager has insisted that he needs to set “strict lines” at Old Trafford.
“It’s about team construction, the group dynamic,” Ten Hag said in his pre-match press conference ahead of United’s clash with Brighton on Saturday. “But it’s about the team, the team is above everything else.
“In that team, anyone plays their role and anyone is different. There are different characters and you have to manage those characters. But the team is always above everything else.
“The club asked me, because there was no good culture before I entered last season, to set some standards. So it’s my job to control the standards.
“Of course, it’s never been someone making one mistake, it’s a whole process before you come to a certain outcome about strict lines. Staff, players, or whoever, if there is a structure to cross lines, you have to be strong, absolutely.“
Ten Hag has also said that he expects Sancho to apologize for his outburst, but the winger has refused to do so.
