"The damage is already done", "Going down the Ronaldo road" - Manchester United fans react as Jadon Sancho deletes tweet slamming Ten Hag

Jadon Sancho has deleted his tweet responding to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's claim that he had underperformed in training. Fans have given intriguing reactions to the English winger's removal of the post on X (formerly Twitter).

The 23-year-old was omitted from Ten Hag's Red Devils squad to face Arsenal on September 3. The England international failed to even make the bench with his coach claiming he had not reached the level required in training.

He immediately responded to the Manchester United boss with a statement on his X account. He said:

"Please don't believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won't go into, I've been a scapegoat for a long time which isn't fair!"

The post was even pinned to the top of his X account meaning it was the first thing users read when going on his profile. The statement stood for over a week but its removal could be an indication that discussions between the player and manager have had a successful conclusion.

Sancho's future at Manchester United was cast into doubt off the back of his comments. Many fans took the side of the underperforming English winger while others felt it was unprofessional.

The young forward has struggled since arriving at Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 for £73 million. He has managed just 12 goals and six assists in 82 games across competitions. Ten Hag has handed him only three substitute appearances this season amounting to 76 minutes.

His situation mirrors that of Cristiano Ronaldo who left the club last November by mutually terminating his contract. The Portuguese icon had given a damning interview about Ten Hag, claiming to have been disrespected by the United coach with regard to playing time.

One fan namedropped Ronaldo when reacting to the news that Sancho had removed his post:

"And he's going down the Ronaldo road."

Another fan is still disappointed with the player's actions:

"Good but the damage is already done."

Here's how Twitter reacted to Sancho removing his post:

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John Barnes claims Cristiano Ronaldo had a negative impact on Sancho at Manchester United

Both players joined Manchester United in 2021.

Sancho joined Manchester United in the same summer that Ronaldo sealed a blockbuster return to Old Trafford. He took somewhat of a backseat to the five-time Ballon d'Or's reunion with the Red Devils.

The former Dortmund winger never really got going during his debut season with the club. He managed just five goals and three assists in 38 games across competitions and a lack of confidence was a problem.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo played the role of United's protagonist, bagging 24 goals and three assists in 39 games across competitions. It was a disastrous 2021-22 campaign for the Red Devils as a collective as they finished sixth in the league.

Liverpool legend John Barnes claims that Ronaldo had a detrimental effect on Sancho and his England teammate Marcus Rashford. He said after the Portuguese legend departed (via Metro):

"I think Ronaldo had a very negative effect on the players whilst he was there. Just his presence. A lot of the players went backwards because of him and the influence he had. I’m glad Rashford and Sancho will now be given an opportunity to show what they can do."

Manchester United fans were enthused by the prospect of having Sancho play in an attack alongside Rashford. The latter shined last season but that wasn't the case for his compatriot who was even sent for individual training during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.