Erik ten Hag has come out and publicly supported struggling winger Antony.
Manchester United Football Club have had struggles aplenty this season. Injuries have been piling up. Ownership issues (that are now hopefully over with) have made an impact, while there have been some dressing room problems, too. Just ask Jadon Sancho about that…
Another very real concern is the form of Antony. The man from Brazil has had some personal issues to deal with, which has no doubt detracted his attention away from football.
During his debut season, United played better football with Antony in the side, albeit it was clear he’s still very raw. He scored some important goals and played the Ten Hag way. However, he has taken a very obvious backward step…
At the weekend, despite a mini injury crisis in that area of the field, both Omari Forson and then Amad were preferred to Antony. That raises questions about his future. Some media outlets reckon that United are ready to take a huge hit on the £80m transfer fee they paid to bring him in.
Ten Hag, on the other hand, has publicly backed the struggling United star, labelling Antony ‘unstoppable’ on his day, while also stating that he’s confident in what Antony can offer going forward.
When asked about Antony dropping down the pecking order, Ten Hag said:
“I backed him for a long time and I know his abilities and he has great abilities, when he plays how I know from the past, he’s unstoppable.” Ten Hag said to ManUtd.com.
“No defender can stop him because he’s one of the quickest players in the first 10 yards. So, when he plays that game, then he will perform. I’m sure and I’m very confident he will for the future, and I know, I’m sure he’s resilient, he’s a character and he will fight back. So, I back him in that place and he is now to wait for his chance and, once he’s there, he has to pick up.”
It’s now just a waiting game for Antony. He’s not sitting at the head of the table in terms of pecking order, so patience is required. When that opportunity comes his way, and it will, it’s up to the 24-year-old to take it and prove to everyone that he’s more than worthy of regular starts at this club.
I still believe Antony has to develop some sort of a right-foot before we can truly see a top tier player, but Ten Hag isn’t lying when he says Antony is one of the quickest players over a short distance. That’s a valuable asset to have, particularly when on the counter attack.
Is he an £80m player? No. Not even close at this moment in time. Could he be in future? Maybe. I wouldn’t give up on him yet. Heck, due to his wages, I don’t even think United could let him go if they wanted to.
As fans, it’s now our job to get fully behind the ex-Ajax man. He needs our support.
Do you think Antony will get back to his best this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
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