Former Manchester United defender Phil Neville believes that Alexis Sanchez is suffering from a lack of confidence at the Old Trafford side, adding that the former Arsenal man needs a series of games. Sanchez has struggled since leaving Arsenal on a free transfer to United back in January 2018.
The 30-year-old, who netted 80 goals in 166 games for the Gunners, has scored a mere five goals in 37 appearances for the Red Devils. And Sanchez’s woes continued in a 2-0 defeat at home to PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday, in which he had a poor game after coming on as a second-half substitute. Neville believes the winger needs a consistent run of games to get back to his best.
“I would have thought Alexis Sanchez [is getting the most stick at the moment],” he told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast. “The two changes didn’t help United, [Anthony] Martial and [Jesse] Lingard going off. There was a 20-minute period after half-time where United really didn’t touch the ball and we didn’t see Sanchez touch the ball in the second half. He’s definitely short of confidence, he’s definitely not the Alexis Sanchez that we fell in love with at Arsenal and he definitely needs to get back to some kind of form.
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“I think he looks like someone now that needs 10, 15 games consecutively playing 90 minutes rather than being taken off. I’m sort of like bereft of any kind of excuse or reason why Alexis Sanchez’s form has dipped so much that at the moment, when you’re looking at subs to come on and make an impact – probably he’s not that one.”
Despite costing United nothing in terms of a transfer fee, Sanchez rakes in a reported £315,000-a-week at Old Trafford. Yet, he has failed to justify his league-high wages in what has been a miserable switch to Manchester. But Neville, who made 386 appearances in 11 years at United, disagrees with those claiming Sanchez’s legs have gone.
“I don’t think he’s gone,” he said. “People are saying his legs have gone, he’s played too much football. I don’t think you just go like that. I think obviously he might have to readapt his game a little bit but I just think it’s confidence, it affects everybody. I think he does need, we’re talking about giving players love under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, maybe he’s now the one that Ole has to work on. Particularly with maybe Martial and Lingard out, he has to now get Sanchez back to some kind of form.”