Man Utd summer signing Antony has divided opinion since he arrived from Ajax for €100million.
Antony has scored in back-to-back United matches (Image: 2023 Man Utd FC)
There is a divide at Man Utd surrounding their most expensive summer signing. United paid Ajax €95m up front, with €5m due in possible add-ons, for Antony as Erik ten Hag looked to add some samba style to a rather one-dimensional attack. He has certainly given them plenty to talk about.
He scored on his debut in a victory over Arsenal and followed it up with goals against Manchester City and Everton, yet for some, he still doesn’t score enough. He has brought Old Trafford to its feet with outrageous skill, yet has also been labelled ‘a clown’ for needlessly showboating.
It is easy to see both sides of the argument with regard to Antony’s first few months at United, though that doesn’t make dissecting it any easier.
To start with, there is the quantifiable stuff. If you boil down his contribution to goals alone, then it doesn’t seem so bad: five goals in 16 appearances across all competitions.
But stats can often be misleading and divert attention away from the main topic at hand, and putting the ball in the back of the net hasn’t always been enough to make a performance great.
Despite scoring early on in wins over Everton and Charlton in the past week, the 22-year-old failed to do much more in the games afterwards, and since arriving, he has been a moments player rather than a player who performs at a high level throughout a match.
The very fact that Antony was starting against Charlton was in itself a hint towards where he currently stands in a United shirt, given that it was a night on which most key players were rested ahead of the upcoming Manchester derby.
Some supporters will point out that United’s lack of attacking options made it certain at least one of their strongest front three would start, though it was still the former Ajax forward who played rather than others.
On the subject of numbers, Antony’s colossal price tag continues to be used against him. The player cannot be held responsible for his fee, and if Ten Hag thought it reflected a fair deal, then it is on the manager to justify it as much as it is on the winger.
Regardless of how much he cost, there is a valid case to be made for expecting more from the Brazil international when he is on the ball and wishing for a greater influence on matches as he gradually adjusts to life in England.
That brings us to the qualitative nature of his time at the club. Antony has not only had to make the sizeable step-up in scrutiny from Ajax to United, but he has also had to do so while adapting to a new way of life in new surroundings.
It was notable that even Casemiro needed a few weeks before he got up to speed in a United shirt, and that is no different for his compatriot, who has only been playing in European football for two-and-a-half years.
Antony also tends to get a lot of unfair criticism for being somewhat predictable with his desire to cut inside onto his favoured left foot, though it is not really a problem when it has already brought him so much joy this season.
Another thing that works against him is his overall style of play. Antony is not your typical wide man who dribbles past opponents with a burst of speed, but instead relies on his technical ability to beat full-backs.
Due to his lack of acceleration, he frequently cuts back on himself, appearing to end an attack abruptly when, in fact, he is preserving it by selecting a pass to a teammate.
That depends on what the manager wants. Ten Hag’s entire philosophy revolves around a methodical, measured approach to receiving passes in space, with lots of movement off the ball. That is exactly what Antony has done so far in a United shirt.
Ten Hag also expects his forwards to be defensively disciplined, leading the press when in possession and dropping back to assist a full-back when needed. Again, these are two things the former Ajax man has done a lot of during his time at the club, and they help to explain why he is so highly regarded by his manager.
For a player whose trademark piece of skill is a full 360 spin, it’s rather apt that we end by going around in circles.
Antony’s individual brilliance means he is always a threat for United, but as they look to transition into a team that wins by sheer dominance rather than moments and fine margins, there can be no ignoring that he will need a more consistent output to match.
Some of the criticism he has faced so far has been hugely unfair, though there is certainly some that is relevant as he settles into life at his new club, and a price tag does not matter if he is worth it in the eyes of the manager.
Antony isn’t a problem for United yet, and he might never be.
source: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/
