Sancho is right! Antony is a bigger FLOP than he is
Jacque Talbot
- 25 Oct 2023 13:25 BST
- 4 min read
Antony has returned to Manchester United action but still remains without a goal or an assist to his name this season.
In a game that was picked up by some as one of his better displays, the winger could only muster 0.02 xG against Copenhagen on Tuesday night, all while failing to create a single chance and hitting a shot on target.
If this is Antony at his pinnacle then it does not bode well for the future. The former Ajax player arrived in the summer of 2022 for £ 86 million, and while there is a wide acknowledgment that Man Utd overpaid, it does not justify the head coach, Erik ten Hag, pushing for his signature. There is an argument to make that Antony is the worst value-for-money signing in Premier League history.
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The youngster looks physically incapable of competing in the elite division, is unable to beat his man, often shielding and recycling the ball whenever he gets into close proximity with his man, and is so one-footed and one-dimensional that defenders have a field day when called upon to man mark him.
Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
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Arjen Robben would famously push on with his right foot before inevitably cutting in with his stronger left foot to find the net. He did so well that even though the opposition knew precisely what his next action would be, they were unable to get near him.
Similarly, Antony tries to cut inside and often repeats the same passage of play; however, in his case, he often ends up losing the ball and Man Utd’s move breaks down entirely - he is someone no one fears whatsoever.
Why did Sancho fall out with Ten Hag?
FootballTransfers reported earlier this month that Jadon Sancho felt aggrieved by Antony and that it was part of the reason he fell out with Erik ten Hag, as well as the Dutchman's post-game words following the club’s 3-2 defeat to Arsenal. Marcus Rashford was irreplaceable last season, having netted a career-best of 30 goals in all competitions.
Sancho had no gripe with Ten Hag choosing his fellow England international in his favoured spot at left wing. By default, the right-wing would suffice, Sancho believed, and yet Ten Hag has chosen Antony again and again, regardless of his displays and mistakes. Sancho played 1,699 minutes in the Premier League last season, averaging a goal contribution every 188 minutes.
By contrast, Antony featured in 1,817 Premier League minutes, averaging a goal contribution every 302 minutes. There is something to be said about this, even if it is clear that Antony’s work rate is substantially higher than Sancho’s. The fact is Antony is showing so far that he is not good enough for a club the size of the Red Devils.
He just does not have the talent. Sancho does, however, though he lacks the guile to do anything about it. It looks very likely that Sancho will depart this upcoming January transfer window. And Man Utd must source a replacement for both the England international and Antony during that period.
