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

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

The Blues boss said the winger needs to feel “loved” to perform at his best after his standout role in the 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

Sancho settled in Christopher NkunkuThe winning goal came at the last minute and he was awarded Man of the Match despite having come on as a substitute at half-time.

The 24-year-old had not played a minute of football since his late Premier League appearance for Manchester United. Defeat against Manchester City in the Community Shield last month.

Having been frozen by Ten HagSancho joined the Blues on the final day of the match on loan with an obligation to buy next summer.

The England international's impressive first appearance for his boyhood club is already a far cry from his torrid debut. Old Trafford spell.

Maresca praised his performance after the match, saying: “Very happy, very happy for him.

“It was very good, I think Joao (Félix) was very good and Christoph scored but he was also very good.

“I said when we signed Jadon that the reason is that we were looking for another winger like Noni (Madueke). Noni does that on the right side, winning one-on-ones, 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 is good to have both wingers because they can give us these kinds of options.”

Maresca was also delighted with Chelsea Fans inside the Vitality Stadium are already chanting Sancho's name as they believe their new man performs best when he feels the love from those around him.

Asked about the importance a good relationship with fans and staff can have on Sancho's performance, the Italian added: “It's very important. I have the feeling that Jadon is a boy who needs affection.

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“This is what I thought when I spoke to him before he joined us.

“I also know that he wants to show what kind of player he is, but for me, it's just to enjoy football. That's 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 will do good things.”

Sancho had not played in the Premier League since Ten Hag excluded him from the United squad in September 2023.

He was excluded from first-team training after refusing to apologise for criticising the coach on social media.

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

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His return to form in Germany prompted Ten Hag to bury the hatchet in the summer, with the Dutchman declaring that there are no longer any problems between him and the player.

However, Sancho was left out of the first-team squad for the day's matches before sealing his move to west London.

The saga brought to an end what had been a turbulent few years for the 23-cap England international, who was one of Europe's brightest young talents when he moved to the red half of Manchester in 2021.

Sancho arrived just a few weeks after his death. He was racially abused for missing a penalty in the shoot-out defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final with teammates from the Three Lions Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford.

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His preseason was hampered by an ear infection, with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo Also causing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to destroy their game plan.

Sancho, who shone in the Bundesliga playing in central areas with Achraf Hakimi making overlapping runs, suddenly found himself relegated to being a touchline winger opposite the defensive-minded Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Sky cruelly labeled him 007. Germany for failing to record a single goal contribution in his first seven games, and Solskjaer, who had championed his transfer for two years, was sacked in November.

Two Manchester United managers later, and it's a former Etihad manager who has helped him remove James Bond memes after a game at Chelsea.

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