It’s not so much that he’s the teacher’s pet as it is that he’s the best of a bad bunch for that position.

Sancho offers nothing on the pitch for United. Can’t score, can’t assist, can’t dribble, can’t pass under pressure, can’t cross, can’t get in behind, can’t track back, can’t keep the team shape, can’t pull defenders out of position, can’t press, can’t win the ball back. Antony, at least, does some of those things all of the time, even though his end-product has been beyond laughable for a player with his massive price tag.

Garanacho will probably take Antony’s spot if he keeps going at his current trajectory, but he’s still very raw and doesn’t appear quite ready to be a starter week in and week out. His good games are remarkable, but his bad games are extremely bad. Once he raises his floor, he will start.

I suspect it’s because Dortmund plays a very specific system, and a lot of their players can only succeed by playing in that system. Once they’re asked to do something else, they become completely ineffective.

In general, that’s true of the club, but in the case of Sancho, he’s the one boning us with his inability to do anything of value. Even if we were only paying him in meals and high-fives, he’d still be an utter failure.