Alexis Sanchez is worried that he hasn’t shown his best form for Manchester United, and he’s put part of the blame on the fact he hasn’t had the ball enough this season.
Sanchez put in yet another limp performance for United last Tuesday, coming on just before half-time and helping the team go from 0-0 to two down by the final whistle. In total, that means the Chilean forward remains at a total of five goals in 37 appearances for his new club, two in the FA Cup and three in the Premier League (zero in Europe).
It’s a huge drop off from the 30-year-old’s goalscoring form with Arsenal. He got 80 goals in 166 appearances for the Gunners, nearly one goal every two games, compared to just under one every seven games in Manchester. The player himself admitted his form so far is worrying him.
“I would like to have brought more joy to the club,” Sanchez said. “Yes, it worries me because I believe in my abilities as a player, I want to show it.”
As for why he hasn’t been successful so far, the player had a number of reasons lined up, none relating to his own ability.
“I’m a player that, if I’m not in contact with the ball, I lose that spark, and sometimes I want to play in every game. You’re in, you’re out, and I’m used to playing.
“Mourinho is one of the best coaches in the world, in the way that he coaches, how he studies videos, the way he goes about things. But within the group, there was that feeling that you were in the team, then out. Sometimes I didn’t play, then I did, then I didn’t and as a player, you lose confidence.”
So the main issue is Sanchez’s lack of regular game time and the fact he isn’t getting the ball enough. If only there were a big six Premier League team that would start him every game and make him a focal point of their attacks.
Sanchez also called out his teammates for their reaction to going behind against PSG, claiming he couldn’t see the desire for a comeback in their eyes.
“When they scored that first goal, I looked at them [team-mates] and I thought, no, something’s not right. I looked in their eyes and I thought, there isn’t that feeling there [of coming back], I’m not getting it.”
United face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday night in the FA Cup fifth round, and it’s starting to look like a key game if they want to have any hope of lifting a trophy this season.