Alexis Sanchez Manchester United

Why Alexis Sanchez's sluggish start shouldn't worry Man Utd fans

Alexis Sanchez has one goal in 10 appearances for Manchester United. Fact.

Alexis Sanchez has endured a testing start to life at Old Trafford following a high-profile move from Arsenal. Fact.

Alexis Sanchez is a waste of time and the Premier League’s most over-priced contract. Opinion.

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Unfortunately for the Chilean forward that opinion is spreading like wildfire, with critics proving quick to jump on a passing bandwagon after seeing a supposed star show signs of weakness.

Sanchez is an easy target – United are paying him around £450,000-a-week and delighted in their ability to pip ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City to the most sought-after of signatures during the January transfer window.

That decision, which saw the 28-year-old pass up Premier League title success at the Etihad Stadium, was supposed to be an indication of the Red Devils’ ambition and their attraction to the very finest performers on the planet.

Things have not gone to plan.

A man recruited to light the creative fuse in Jose Mourinho’s side has faced accusations of putting out the spark, with the tactical tinkering required to shoehorn him into a starting XI having done more harm than good.

United legend Roy Keane has told the South American that he “has to do better”, while Gary Neville admits that Sanchez “has been disappointing since he arrived”.

Paul Ince has taken things a step further in telling Paddy Power: “Sanchez keeps trying to do things and make things happen, but the more he does the worse the team gets. I’d bet that he probably wished he’d waited until the end of the season and gone to another team. It’s evident, from watching United since he joined, that he doesn’t suit how Jose Mourinho plays football. You could see him fitting in at Manchester City better.”

Ouch.

All of the above comments make valid points about the present but that is the problem – they are all indicative of the short-term thinking in modern football and fail to take note of the bigger picture.

Alexis Sanchez making things worse Paul Ince

Managers bang on about doing early business in summer transfer windows and bemoaning the nature of the winter market for a reason – they want to get players in and have time to work with them before embedding them into the fold.

Sanchez has not had that luxury at Old Trafford. He has been thrown in at the proverbial deep end and had to alter his game to meet the contrasting demands of Mourinho – he is no longer afforded the freedom of being a luxury player in Arsene Wenger’s ball-playing Arsenal side.

To be fair to him, he has started to mould his game – making more recoveries, tackles etc than he has during previous openings at Barcelona and Emirates Stadium.

He will, however, be judged on end product.

Again, though, history suggests that Sanchez can be a slow-burner and his full potential will only be unlocked when afforded time and patience in which to adjust to new surroundings and get his eye in.

You can argue that someone being paid close to half-a-million pounds a week to run around a football pitch should not require an adjustment period, but that is not how real life works.

At Barcelona Sanchez netted just once in his opening nine games, providing just one assist and creating only four chances.

Alexis Sanchez better next season Jose Mourinho

Upon joining Arsenal, he did not find the target until his fifth outing and managed only three efforts and one assist across the first couple of months of his time in north London.

His opening at United would, therefore, appear to be par for the course – with two assists added to his solitary goal.

Mourinho has already suggested that the Red Devils will not see the best of their new recruit until 2018-19, stating: "He came in the worst moment of the season, which is the winter market. I think this was a chance that we didn't want to lose and we made it. But we don't believe a lot in the winter market and, for sure, next season it will be better for him.”

That is the bigger picture.

United will spend again in the summer and part of their recruitment project will be shaped by how to get the best out of Sanchez.

They signed a proven performer for a reason and are not about to write him off after eight weeks – regardless of what others may think.

Form is temporary, class is permanent. Fact.

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