Man Utd latest: Graham Potter to recall or sell Jadon Sancho as he would ‘likely’ take job

The media is getting giddy about Manchester United and Graham Potter and what that might mean for Jadon Sancho.

Potter’s wheel
‘Erik ten Hag set for sit-down meeting with Ineos amid Graham Potter to Man Utd talks’ – Mirror.

As opposed to those stand-up, modern, ‘agile’ meetings beloved of marketing and design pr*cks?

This is such a bizarre line to take. As Manchester United manager, you would absolutely expect Erik ten Hag to have talks with new shareholders that are taking over the sporting side of the club. Really f***ing weird if he didn’t.

But this story – based on a line in The Sun because why would the Mirror use their own Manchester United correspondent? – is nakedly just another opportunity to get ‘Graham Potter’ and ‘Man Utd’ in the same headline.

There’s a theme…

Man Utd news LIVE: Ten Hag set for Ineos meeting, Sancho transfer setback, Potter stance on job

And what is Graham Potter’s stance on the Manchester United job? Please do tell…

Graham Potter would likely be willing to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager.

So the ‘stance’ of the out-of-work manager would ‘likely’ be that he would be ‘willing’ to accept one of the highest wages in European football to manage one of the world’s biggest clubs just days after his best offer was apparently from Stoke?

And Mediawatch’s stance on a free Christmas sandwich served with hot roast potatoes is that we would likely be willing to take it. LIVE.

I can speak clearly now…
There are certain phrases that set off Mediawatch’s spidey senses (anything with ‘already’ or ‘amid’) and one of them is ‘has made his feelings clear’. When employed by masters of clickbait, it usually means exactly the opposite.

So here come SPORTBible:

Roy Keane has made his feelings clear on Man Utd appointing Graham Potter as Erik ten Hag replacement

Now the naive among you might think that Roy Keane has spoken about Manchester United appointing Graham Potter as Erik ten Hag’s replacement.

The cynical among you might think that Roy Keane has spoken in the past about Manchester United appointing Graham Potter.

Even Mediawatch did not consider that Keane might actually have simply spoken about Graham Potter in October 2022 when Chelsea were fourth in the Premier League and things were going relatively well.

We would like to actually make our feelings clear on this: It’s risible nonsense.

If it ain’t broke…
Literally seconds after we finished writing that section came this from SPORTBible:

Erik ten Hag makes his feelings clear on Sir Jim Ratcliffe replacing him with Graham Potter

Altogether now: Has he f***.

Harried Potter
Of course, such stories are the result of some frantic Googling about Graham Potter and Manchester United, which leads the Express here:

Graham Potter may instantly undo Erik ten Hag decision after hailing four Man Utd stars

We should have added ‘after’ to that spidey senses list because you can be damned sure that the famously quiet Graham Potter has not been ‘hailing’ any Manchester United stars since he was sacked by Chelsea in early April.

Of course, the quotes in question come from October 2022, just before Chelsea played Manchester United in the Premier League.

And these are those quotes in full. As you read them, remember that this means that Potter ‘may instantly undo Erik ten Hag decision’.

“They have the threats of [Marcus] Rashford, Antony, [Jadon] Sancho and Bruno Fernandes plays a key role for them.”

So just days after Manchester United beat Tottenham 2-0 with a front four of Rashford, Antony, Sancho and Fernandes, Potter named that same front four as their greatest attacking threats. Like any sane person would.

Little did he know that over 13 months later, he would be strongly linked with the not-actually-vacant Manchester United job and those incredibly anodyne quotes would be used to suggest that he would welcome Sancho back into the fold.

Apparently he ‘name-dropped Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, potentially hinting that he could offer the latter a second chance at success at United after his spat with Ten Hag’.

Such prescience. No wonder Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a fan.

Odd then that the same website (actually, the same writer in Alex Turk) put together ‘Man Utd’s potential new-look XI under Graham Potter with three signings and £350m in exits’ just a few hours before, and poor Sancho is still being sold. Along with Antony.

Almost like what Potter said in October 2022 has absolutely no relevance.