Enzo Maresca fires subtle dig at Erik ten Hag after Jadon Sancho shines on Chelsea debut

Enzo Maresca fired a subtle dig at Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag after Jadon Sancho impressed on his Chelsea debut.

The Blues boss claimed the winger needs to feel ‘loved’ to perform at his best following his standout role in the 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

Sancho set up Christopher Nkunku‘s late winner and was awarded the Player of the Match despite only coming on as a half-time substitute.

The 24-year-old hadn’t played a minute of football since a late cameo in Man United’s Community Shield defeat to Man City last month.

Having been frozen out by Ten Hag, Sancho joined the Blues on deadline day on loan with an obligation to buy next summer.

The England international’s impressive first outing at his boyhood club is already a far cry from his torrid Old Trafford spell.

Maresca heaped praise on his performance post-game, saying: “Very happy, very happy for him.

“He was very good, I think Joao [Felix] was very good and Christoph scored but was also very good.

“I said already when we brought in Jadon that the reason why is because we were looking for another winger like Noni [Madueke]. Noni is doing that on the right side, winning one v one, creating chances, scoring goals and we were looking for the same on our left side with Jadon.

“We already have Mischa [Mudryk] there, Pedro [Neto] is playing there but it’s good to have both wingers they can give us this kind of options.”

Maresca was also delighted by Chelsea fans inside the Vitality stadium already singing Sancho’s name, as he believes his new man operates best when feeling the love of those around him.

Asked about how crucial a positive relationship with supporters and staff could be for Sancho’s form, the Italian added: “It’s very important. I have a feeling that Jadon is a guy that needs love.

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“This is what I think when I spoke with him before he join us.

“Also I know he has the desire to show the player he is, but for me, it is just to enjoy football. This is the reason why they play.

“They are happy and want to play football, they want to enjoy football and then because they are good, they are going to do good things.”

Sancho hadn’t featured in the Premier League since he was frozen out of the United squad by Ten Hag in September 2023.

He was ostracised from first-team training after refusing to apologise for a dig at the manager on social media.

Sancho spent the season half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund, with even former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp questioning the treatment of him.

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His return to form in Germany sparked Ten Hag to bury the hatchet in the summer, with the Dutchman stating there is no longer an issue between him and the player.

However, Sancho was then left out of the first team match day squads, before he sealed his switch to west London.

The saga ended what has been a turbulent few years for the 23-cap England international, who was one of Europe’s brightest young talents upon his 2021 switch to the red half of Manchester.

Sancho arrived just weeks after he was racially abused for missing a penalty in a shootout defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final alongside Three Lions teammates Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford.

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His pre-season was hampered by an ear infection, with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo also causing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to rip up his gameplan.

Sancho, who flourished in the Bundesliga dropping into central pockets with Achraf Hakimi making overlapping runs, suddenly found himself relegated to being a touchline winger in front of the defensively-minded Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

He was cruelly branded 007 by Sky Germany for failing to register a single-goal contribution in his first seven games, with Solskjaer, who had championed his transfer for two years, sacked in November.

Two Man United managers later and it’s a former coach from the Etihad who has helped him eliminate the James Bond memes after one game at Chelsea.

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