It is no increasingly possible to dismiss the possibility that Manchester United, and especially Erik ten Hag, may have a problem on their hands in Antony.
His first two Premier League performances of the 2023/24 season, against Wolverhampton Wanderers and, more recently, Tottenham Hotspur, are legitimate causes for concern, and the criticism leveled at him by supporters is more than justified.
Ten Hag named Antony to the starting XI in both games, and he failed to justify his inclusion in both confrontations.
The Brazilian, like many of his colleagues, was unimpressive against Gary O’Neill’s troops and failed to give a fair account of himself.
He has been accused of being a one-trick pony due to his over-reliance on his left foot, and this was on display last Monday at Old Trafford.
For a long time, his inability to use his right foot has been a cause of aggravation for supporters.
Antony’s first impulse is to be to get the ball out to his left side, sometimes at the sacrifice of more evident beneficial plays.
As a result, United’s attacking phases frequently break down with him.
Aside from that, his decision-making is weak, and it appears that he frequently makes the wrong choice at critical occasions.
It’s not uncommon for the Brazilian to take a shot when he would be better served simply transferring the ball to someone who is more open and in a better position to put the ball in the back of the net.
Similarly, when United is on the counter-attack, Antony has a habit of slowing that phase of play down in favor of a backward pass or even transferring the ball to his left foot, thus putting his side on the back burner.
The 23-year-old occasionally shows either a hesitation to take his man on when there is a valuable opportunity to do so or fails to get past a defender when he tries.
Some of these flaws were visible against Wolves and were carried over into his performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when United were defeated by their Premier League rivals.
Antony started as part of an attacking trio that included Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho for the second time this season.
His two opponents were also far from outstanding, but it was the Brazil international who stood out for how bad he was. According to the MEN, he is United’s equal worst player. The same flaws that held him back last season are holding him back this season.
Facundo Pellistri’s productivity during the 15 minutes the Uruguayan was on the pitch may have highlighted his poor performance against Tottenham.
Even worse, from the perspective of a United fan, it appears that Antony is a sure starter no matter how terrible he plays – a reoccurring trend that appears to have continued from last season.
Ten Hag appears to believe that the winger is unquestionably one of the first names on the squad sheet, despite the fact that he is currently providing very little on the field. Picking him for the next game would be a bad idea.
It’s difficult to imagine Pellistri or Jadon Sancho not being an upgrade. They should, at the very least, be given the opportunity to demonstrate what they are capable of if given the same opportunities as Antony.
Antony should be pushed for a starting spot. Antony may gain from increased competition in the long run. At the present, it appears like he lacks conviction in whatever he does – a condition of affairs that could have been caused by his ease with the assurance that he will start games no matter what.
Ten Hag has repeatedly stated in public that everyone must earn their spot at United. It’s time to put his words into action and drop Antony as the team looks to get back on track against Nottingham Forest in a week. Allow Antony to claw his way back into the team via hard effort and merit rather than being granted a berth on a silver platter.
