ALEXIS SANCHEZ’S time at Manchester United so far has hardly been a success, but in one game, everything can change.
Especially when it’s a huge match; one that is the most important of the campaign.
Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final with Tottenham Hotspur is exactly that – the last chance for Jose Mourinho to bring home a trophy this season.
Big games call for big players, and while Mourinho threatened to drop under-performing stars this past week, one man he can’t afford to turn his back on is Sanchez.
The Chilean’s commitment and work ethic can’t be called into question.
And while other stars are appearing lazy and disinterested, Sanchez has shown a desire to turn things around.
Our friends at Football Whispers explain why the Premier League’s best-paid player, earning £500,000 a week, must start Saturday’s FA Cup semi against Spurs.
Sanchez’s move from Arsenal has been a misfire so far.
Primarily because United have been unable to find a suitable position for Sanchez in which he can excel.
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The Chilean has cut a frustrated figure at times, and evidently isn’t enjoying his football.
But Mourinho was aware of the problems bringing him in during January would present.
“I am not a big fan of buying players in the winter market because of the period of adaptation especially with attackers,” he said.
“But, he’s obviously improving and getting more comfortable with the team.”
Regardless, Sanchez has plugged away in an effort to make the move work. This has to be admired.
A player that came in on big money, could simply rest on that. Sanchez however, with his attitude, refuses to let it slide.
Mourinho must continue to show faith in Sanchez, and other big stars for that matter. It’s an easy option to sacrifice those high-profile names in an effort to make an example of them, or simply to send out a message.
Backing them, however, can reap great rewards.
Zinedine Zidane this season has been under significant pressure to axe big stars.
They don’t come much bigger than Cristiano Ronaldo but, in the first half the season, the Portuguese superstar was toiling.
Instead he persisted with them and is now in a strong position to retain Real Madrid’s Champions League title, with an in-form Ronaldo at the forefront.
Even when the Portuguese struggled in front of goal, his manager backed him.
Mourinho must do the same with Sanchez.
There are calls for the Chilean to be dropped and make away for Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, but neither of them are in good form.
Martial is a fans favourite, so the calls for him to star are understandable.
Rashford, meanwhile, is a local lad and has shone on occasions this season – most notably in the win at Liverpool recently.
Sanchez’s arrival has put both in danger.
You can’t rule out Sanchez starting with one of them either. Accommodating Martial on the left, for instance, would mean the Chilean could feature from the right.
Sanchez often drifts inside anyway, linking up with central players and unlocking defences.
Antonio Valencia could then drive up the right wing and offer a man over in the space Sanchez leaves behind.
What is often overlooked is that this United team is short on natural creativity since Henrikh Mkhitaryan left the club.
Juan Mata is rarely trusted these days, so it falls on Sanchez to do much of the work.
With 1.9 key passes per 90 this season, the Chilean is doing exactly that.
He already has three assists in the Premier League for United, despite only arriving in January.
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His talents in the final third haven’t quite been used correctly, and it’s important for United to keep giving him freedom as, from a creative point of view, he makes teams tick.
A regular criticism of Sanchez is he loses the ball too often. While he’s been dispossessed 3.35 times per 90 on average, it goes with the territory.
The 29-year-old is a player who tries something different and takes risks. When buying someone in that mould, you must put up with it. If not, go for someone safe, unwilling to try to make an opponent uncomfortable.
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Sanchez’s ambition and positivity must be encouraged rather derided.
If United are to turn things around and end the season on a high, Sanchez must play a part in it. He’s one of few elite players the club has and bringing him into form will only benefit the team greatly.
The test of how much faith there is in Sanchez begins on Saturday against Spurs. Ignoring him in a game of this magnitude could have consequences further down the line.
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