Aheed Abrar
Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United forward and Brazil international Antony “can do better”
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes Antony “can do better” for the Red Devils amidst some underwhelming performances.
The Brazil international was signed by the Old Trafford side in the summer of 2022 from Ajax for a fee rising to £85.51 million. After getting off to an impressive start in a red shirt, the 22-year-old has flattered to deceive in recent weeks.
Speaking to the media via Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag is of the opinion that Antony has done well so far. However, the gaffer does admit that the winger needs to and is capable of doing better.
“I think he is not losing games. When he is playing and the team is winning and that already gives a message of how well he is performing.
“He can do better, I see space for improvement and, for instance – and I think you notice – we want him to be more direct, more involved. But the team is performing better if he is on the pitch and that is a good thing, a good base to build further on.”
The 22-year-old made his debut just a few days after his arrival in Manchester. Ten Hag gave the Brazilian the opportunity to start against Arsenal in the Premier League.
Antony scored on his debut against the Gunners as United won 3-1. Subsequently, the forward went on to score in each of his first three matches in the English top flight.
Unfortunately, the youngster has not been consistent enough since then. His contribution and end product in the final third have left a lot to be desired.
The recent loss against Mikel Arteta’s team in the league was indicative of how the 22-year-old has been performing of late. We ended up losing 3-2 to the table-toppers at the Emirates Stadium.
However, Ten Hag knows the Brazilian very well. The gaffer had signed him for Ajax from Sao Paulo in the summer of 2020, where the forward thrived.
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Therefore, if the Dutch manager has faith in Antony, then the fanbase can have some in him as well. The 22-year-old’s price tag has skewed people’s expectations a bit. Hopefully, the Brazilian will be able to find his feet quickly in Manchester.
