Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag recently gave his honest verdict on Brazilian winger Antony, and his future at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag prised Antony away from Ajax – the club he managed prior to taking over at Man Utd – for a whopping £86M in September of 2022.
His signing came shortly after the club axed Mason Greenwood for an alleged attempted rape & assault , with the Brazilian acting as a direct replacement for him on the right wing.
Despite the winger’s current reputation as a Premier League flop, Erik ten Hag bringing Antony into his ranks at United wasn’t frowned upon at first.
He had proved to be Ajax’s standout player in the 2021/2022 season, helping them to win the Eredivisie title and make it to the Round of 16 in the Champions League.
When Antony came to Old Trafford, he seemed to bring this form with him, scoring goals against Arsenal, Everton, and Man City in his first 3 appearances for the Red Devils.
Sadly for Erik ten Hag and United fans, this form didn’t last, and Antony would go on to secure just one more goal in the Premier League for the remainder of his debut campaign.
His 2023/2024 campaign arguably went even further downhill, with the Brazilian’s attacking contributions being just 3 goals and 2 assists across all competitions.
To make matters worse, Man Utd were facing a staff walkout in October of 2023 after Antony, like Greenwood before him, was arrested due to an alleged assault against his partner.
This, and incidents against Brighton in the Premier League, and against Coventry in the FA Cup, earned the Brazilian an even lower reputation than his poor performances were already doing.
Does Erik ten Hag think Antony has a future with Man Utd?
Recently, Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag spoke on Antony’s performances over his first two campaigns with the club, and whether or not he had a future within his ranks.
The Dutch manager had previously defended his signing of Antony, which had come under much scrutiny after the winger’s short-lived success on the pitch.
“In that first transfer window, Mason Greenwood seemed to be a leading candidate for that position, right winger. Other than that, we hardly had anyone there. Jadon Sancho can play on the right, but his most natural position is originally on the left wing.” said ten Hag.
“So when that went wrong with Greenwood we had to do something there. Number one on the club’s scouting list was Antony. Then one and one is two, right? I had worked great with him for two years.”
“He was the standout player in almost every Ajax Champions League match. So at the time, that wasn’t a crazy choice.”
Erik ten Hag outlined the current position he believes Antony to be in at the club, as they gear up for the 2024/2025 Premier League campaign.
“in the first month [of his time at Man Utd] he certainly showed that potential. He scored three times in his first three games. After that it got harder – last season wasn’t good. But I am still convinced that he has the potential to play at this club.”
It seems that Erik ten Hag is still standing behind Antony as the Red Devils prepare for the start of the season – do YOU think he belongs at United? LET US KNOW BELOW!
