It appears as though patience is running out for striker Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United. His form since signing from Arsenal in January has been poor, which is exacerbated by his exorbitant wage packet.
His manager has noticed, as have the fans, who have started to turn on him. Alexis Sanchez has only scored three goals for Manchester United since January. This is a huge drop off from his best years at Arsenal.
Alexis Sanchez has looked sloppy and off the boil. His old traits are still there – the spirit, the work rate, the intensity of personality. However, without end product, running around is just that – running around. As Arsenal fans discovered before now, his famous “work rate” is usually him having to chase back after his own loose passes.
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The last time Sanchez scored a goal was against Swansea on the last day of March. Ineffective against Wolves on Saturday, he was substituted in the 63rd minute of the 1 – 1 draw.
Manchester UTD Manager Jose Mourinho hasn’t given up hope on Sanchez yet:
“He had a good pre-season and he had a good start to the season,” said Mourinho when asked about Sanchez recently. “Then he had a small injury that kept him out and then he came just one day before Tottenham, and he comes into the game with the result 2-0. Let’s see from now. He is committed, he is focused. He works hard. I believe he will improve.”
Truth be told, Arsenal probably got the best years out of Sanchez. They played him into the ground. Add to that, he was playing international football for Chile every summer since he moved to North London. He had this summer off, of course, but fatigue still seems to be an issue. His last 6 months at Arsenal weren’t great, either.
Sanchez’s high-octane style meant that he was always going to burnout at some stage. In his Barcelona days, Pep Guardiola famously shouted “90 minutes” at him when he injured himself running after an opponent. His heart is still in it, but Alexis Sanchez’s body may be beyond recovery at this point.
