Antony’s Importance To Erik Ten Hag’s Man Utd Defies Criticism From Fans

Erik Ten Hag had a clear vision of what he wanted Manchester United to be under his control and Sunday’s Carabao Cup final win surely represented some sort of realisation of that vision. United are once again a force to be reckoned with and the sight of Ten Hag and his players lifting the first trophy of the season proves it.

The turnaround in Manchester United’s fortunes since a disastrous start to the season which saw them suffer defeats to Brighton and Brentford in their first two games has been remarkable. Their Wembley win over Newcastle United came just a few days after a momentous victory over Barcelona in the Europa League. The bigs wins are slowly freely.

Casemiro has changed the profile of United’s midfield since arriving from Real Madrid last summer while Lisandro Martinez has done similar for the defensive unit. However, one summer signing who has faced criticism for his performances this season is Antony who was the most expensive transfer of them all.

Indeed, Manchester United paid the best part of €100m to sign Antony from Ajax with Ten Hag determined to add a right winger to his team. Of course, the pair worked together at Ajax, but Ten Hag’s connections at the Amsterdam club didn’t help United get a cut-price deal on a player many believed they overpaid for.

While it’s true the transfer fee paid by United for Antony set an unrealistically high benchmark for the Brazilian, his performances immediately after the World Cup break were reason for concern. Confidence appeared to be low and opposition defenders looked to have figured out how to play against a decidedly left-footed winger who almost always attempts to cut inside.

Antony has picked up his performance levels in recent matches, though, with his contribution key to Manchester United’s Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle. Ten Hag recognises the importance of having width on the right side which creates space for others in the central areas of the pitch.

The trickery of Antony also gives United someone who can beat an opponent and open up space, whether that is for someone like Bruno Fernandes to get in between the lines or Diogo Dalot to overlap as the full back. Even when the Brazilian doesn’t play at his best, he is the only player currently in the United squad who can perform this role.

Many expected Antony to be a consistent goal-scoring threat for Manchester United and he has just three PremierPINC
League goals to his name this season. The Brazilian is still only 23 and there is time for him to refine his output in the attacking third, but even with his final ball so raw he is a valuable member of the team Ten Hag has built.