NFL great and Burnley owner JJ Watt insists Erik ten Hag’s public row with Jadon Sancho at Manchester United shows problems behind the scenes – and claims the team lack chemistry

JJ Watt, an NFL great and now minority owner of Burnley, believes Erik ten Hag’s public row with Jadon Sancho indicates deep problems behind the scenes at Manchester United.

Sancho was exiled after accusing Ten Hag of lying about the reasons for his absence from Arsenal on September 3. United lost that game 3-1 and Sancho quickly issued a statement on social media in defiance of his manager after Ten Hag said the winger hadn’t trained well enough.

United later released a statement saying Sancho would train alone due to a disciplinary issue and Ten Hag later said there was “no good culture” at the club when he took over Last year.

Watt, who is enjoying his first season in ownership at Burnley, offered his own theories on the club’s vibe after an 11-year NFL career with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.

Speaking on NBC Sports, he said: “You look at the Jadon situation right now, it’s being talked about (in the locker room), you can’t just ignore it. Given the way this has played out publicly, there must be something going on behind the scenes.

Burnley minority owner JJ Watt offered his theories on Jadon Sancho at Man United

“For a coach to be so open about this situation means he has tried many different ways behind the scenes and it hasn’t worked.

“It happens a little bit (in the NFL) but like I said, if it gets to a point where the coach is speaking publicly, that means it all happened behind the scenes, that people got these conversations, and now it’s boiling up to a whole new peak.

Watt, 34, believes United’s team lacks cohesion this season, after three wins in eight league matches and two Champions League defeats.

“You have the allure and everything it takes to attract the biggest players in the world – it all comes down to it all coming together,” Watt said.

‘That seems to be a bit of the problem, the team chemistry. But I’m also sitting here as a guy who lost 1-0 to them a few weeks ago!’

When asked why Sancho was not selected for Manchester United’s clash with Arsenal at match time, Ten Hag replied: “Jadon, given his performance in training, we didn’t have him not selected.”

Sancho was furious at Ten Hag’s comments and took to social media to say: “Please don’t believe everything you read! “I won’t allow people to say things that are completely untrue. I did very well in training this week.

“I think there are other reasons for this that I won’t get into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time, which isn’t fair!

“All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to the team. I respect all the decisions made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and I am grateful to do it, which I know is a challenge every week. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!’

United face Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, while Watt’s Burnley side host Chelsea.

Burnley are currently 17th, one place outside the Premier League relegation zone.