I remember discussing the impending transfer of Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United, in an atmosphere of deep, unimaginable gloom and there was even a feeling of impending doom.
My friends were somewhat devastated at the prospect of his departure. My own personal feeling was one of relief. The Sanchez saga had been the topic of conversation for two seasons and I suspect his diva-like behaviour had ended any possibility of mounting a serious challenge in the Premiership by eroding the team’s unity.
In his last season, he rarely dug in or made a significant contribution. He had begun to sulk and trudge up and down the pitch, like a grounded teenage girl, when a pass went astray or an opportunity was squandered.
Sanchez almost picked when he played that final term. He was guilty of barely ticking over during that period, clearly on standby, waiting for a huge offer from Arsenal that would never come.
His promise to Guardiola, that he would join City wasn’t worth a damn and when United came calling with a gullible Mourinho, keen to steal Guardiola’s thunder, Pep merely stepped aside, refusing to play by the Chileans rules.
Sanchez wanted a club to pay him what he believed he was worth, a final shot at the big time but he also wanted his considerable ego massaged in the process. Guardiola only massages his Wife, so Sanchez fell into the arms of the nimble-fingered Jose Mourinho.
The United Manager sensed he had put one over his great rival by securing the forwards signature.
He seemed quite pleased with himself, which isn’t unusual and opened a bottle of massage oil, normally reserved for the special occasions and press conferences when the managers head wouldn’t fit through the door.
Off Sanchez went for cash and cups and Arsenal briefly enjoyed a renaissance in form, it was all about football again and in particular, it was all about Arsenal. An expectant Old Trafford thought that the addition of Sanchez would surely put them back in terms with Manchester City. His form for Arsenal three years earlier was at the top end of the superstar bracket and he had managed to portray himself as a sparkling diamond in a bucket of mud.
Arsenal didn’t have the talent or desire to match the Chileans own ambitions and the move to United was perfect for both or so it seemed. Yet, football is a fickle mistress, who writes the ends to stories which we least expect.S he can ruin the seemingly perfect and smite anyone who feels they are better than the game in which they serve.
A handful of games into his United career and Arsenal fans could be forgiven for mocking their former star striker. Sanchez was like a size eight pair of shoes on a pair of size ten feet, constantly giving the ball away in key areas, unable to combine with his teammates the way he had at Arsenal and more worryingly, he seemed to lose his ability to find the net.
If Sanchez had being paid by the goal in that phase of his United career he may well have struggled to buy a loaf of bread. Coincidentally, United’s form dipped and the way in which they played was dissected by the media, leaving Mourinho to explain himself, something he truly hates doing. What had happened to the magical forward, it wasn’t jet lag, he’d only traveled to Manchester, he didn’t even need a vaccination but eight games into his new career and only one goal to his credit, something was clearly wrong.
You could often check out his latest statistics on SKYSPORTS where we learned that he had given the ball away thirty plus times in a single game, more than anyone else in the team. The yellow dots employed by the pundits to indicate his forays forward were slim pickings compared to the red ones during his Arsenal career, which we were shown minutes later. Sanchez had become the pundits favourite subject, the former players carcass to pick over after every game. His career was now defined by a series of underwhelming statistics and suitcase full of coloured stickers.
It wasn’t going to get any better all season, brief glimpses of the Sanchez magic did nothing to enhance United’s credentials. It was a campaign that will be remembered as a series of misfires, one where he struggled to replicate his Arsenal form in any shape or form. Of course, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that Sanchez finally fits into his role and the goals come fast and furious, but on the evidence of this season, the tally of 24 goals in the premier league for two consecutive seasons in 2016 – 2017 seems a long way off.
Incidentally, you won’t be surprised learn that my friends now have a different account of the Sanchez departure. Apparently, they were unconcerned and untroubled. Times move on, attitudes change and form fluctuates. Someone once said ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’ let’s hope that’s true of Sanchez or he may well regret leaving Arsenal and not joining Manchester City.
