Aheed Abrar
Nigel de Jong pinpoints Lisandro Martinez and Antony for bringing competitive edge to Manchester United
Former Premier League ace Nigel de Jong has pinpointed Lisandro Martinez and Antony for bringing a competitive edge to Manchester United. The duo were signed by the Red Devils from Ajax in the recent summer transfer window.
Erik ten hag reunited with two of his main stars from the Eredivisie. With the Argentine centre-back and Brazilian winger in the gaffer’s team, the Dutch outfit had a fruitful few years.
Speaking to The Daily Mirror (h/t Metro), De Jong, who played at Manchester City for three years, feels Ten Hag has been prudent in bringing in players with a specific attitude to United. The former Cityzen has been impressed by the Red Devils’ recruitment.
“Ten Hag has chosen his players carefully. I can see one thing, he has picked players with whom he can win a war.
“I can see the strategy already. Look at Martinez in the team. He has that killer mentality. Martinez will run through fire for Ten Hag.
“Antony is adding swagger. He too has a mentality what we call ‘over my dead body’.”
De Jong was known to be an aggressive character during his playing career. So he knows a thing or two about players that bring ferocity to the table.
Martinez and Antony have impressed so far at United
Martinez and Antony have seemingly brought the traits that made them successful at Ajax to United. The Argentine centre-back has especially impressed fans with his will and desire in recent games.
The Brazilian winger is another such character, frustrating the opposition with his trickery. The 22-year-old showed his passion for the Manchester-based club when he scored on his debut against Arsenal.
Martinez had a shaky start to his United career. The Red Devils lost against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford. And after the results, some fans were wondering whether the physicality of the Premier League was too much for the Argentine.
However, Martinez has bounced back, and so have United. The Old Trafford side have gone on a four-game winning run in the league. And the 24-year-old has formed a solid partnership with Raphael Varane.
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Having played under Ten Hag previously, Martinez and Antony have evidently fit into the United side straight away. And their attitude on the pitch has appeared to spur on the whole team in crucial moments of the game.
