Ten Hag explains why Antony has been struggling this season

Erik ten Hag has explained why he believes Antony is not playing well this season.

Manchester United Football Club have made some pretty bad signings over the last decade or so. As time has progressed under the Glazer regime, the Red Devils have only trended downwards.

Erik ten Hag was hired in part to buck that trend, though even some of his signings have been pretty bad. Perhaps none more so than Antony.

The man from Brazil cost in excess of £80m. For a player so one-footed, that’s a huge fee. The pressure on his shoulders was always going to be immense. Last season, he was steady. This time around, Antony has definitely taken a step back.

In his pre-match press conference ahead of the Spurs game, Ten Hag has explained why Antony has been struggling this season – placing the blame solely on his off-field issues.

Check out what the gaffer had to say in full here:

“I can explain I think it’s very simple. His off field issues stop him playing. First year was okay, the pre-season was very okay, first four games was very good, I’ve seen the game against Spurs back and he played a very good game but from the moment he was out and then he came back and didn’t deliver the performance you should expect from him and he can do so much better.” Ten Hag told the media, including the Manchester Evening News.

Antony has been dealing with some problems with an ex-partner, involving the law. It’s no surprise that he’s struggling as a result, particularly with large portions of his focus set to be on that until it’s all over and done with.

The problem is only magnified when you’re playing for the biggest club in the country. All eyes are on Antony and when you couple that with his massive transfer fee, the pressure can mount up pretty quickly.

Last season, I was firmly of the opinion that United were a better team with Antony in it. This time around, I’m not so sure. I just worry that he’s too one-footed to become a top tier right-winger. He needs to develop that right foot sooner rather than later if he’s to make it to that elite level.

Do you think Antony is good enough for Man United? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.