Erik ten Hag's bold approach could have grand payoff when Manchester United face Barcelona

Erik ten Hag has already achieved some great things in his short time at Manchester United but his deft and unorthodox handling of Jadon Sancho may just be the most impressive.

The steely and unwavering approach to dealing with the sulking Cristiano Ronaldo certainly runs it close but in contrast to the hardened approach that required, Ten Hag has been patient, delicate and supportive with the way he spotted an out-of-sorts player and completely turned his fortunes around. The Dutchman is just as capable with the carrot as he is with the stick.

While most of the talented players Ten Hag inherited last year improved tenfold under this guidance pretty quickly, Sancho's struggles continued. United failed in three attempts to sign the thrilling forward before they eventually got their hands on him, at great cost too, but it was looking increasingly as though it was a wasted endeavour.

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Sancho was nowhere near the player that was so devasting in Germany, who got 50 goals and 64 assists in 137 games for Borussia Dortmund and looked destined to be one of football's next great stars. His confidence was shot and he was completely off his game.

The World Cup break came at the perfect time. A player of Sancho's calibre should have been in the squad and it speaks volumes that there was no protest over his omission. While the blow may well have stung, it was a great opportunity for the 22-year-old to focus on getting his body and mind right.

Heeding Ten Hag's advice, Sancho travelled to the Netherlands to train with coaches the manager recommended to get back to optimum fitness. He missed the warm-weather training trip to Spain as a result but it all appeared to