'I get angry!' Man Utd legend criticises €100m flop Antony

James Shearman

• Updated: 25 Jan 2024 22:58 GMT
• 3 min read

Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has criticised €100m signing Antony.

Erik ten Hag signed the Brazilian from former club Ajax last summer and he had a difficult debut campaign.

He scored eight goals and provided three assists, showing signs of promise, though he generally struggled over the course of the season.

However, having been expected to improve in this his second season at Old Trafford, the winger's form has taken a turn for the worse.

In fact, he is yet to register a single goal or assist in 22 appearances in all competitions.

Were he an 18-year-old academy product, this would not be such a big deal, but it is an abysmal effort from a €100m signing at the age of 23.

Dimitar Berbatov is not the first, and he certainly won't be the last, to demand more from Antony.

And, with Jadon Sancho quickly returning to form on loan at Borussia Dortmund, Erik ten Hag's decision to keep faith in him instead.

Dimitar Berbatov criticises Antony

"In a way, I sympathise with Antony because he obviously has talent, and I can see he does try sometimes. He looks angry and frustrated when he plays and because of this, he tries to do stuff and overcomplicates things, loses the ball and then becomes even angrier," Berbatov told Betfair.

"Antony needs someone on the pitch to show him where to run, how to run and when to release the ball. If he can't find the answers on his own, he needs a coach, a friend, an agent, his dad, to give him advice. He should even start to watch videos on clips of some right wingers who have been there and done it. After that, if he can't perform then it's clearly not going to work out.

"For me, watching as a fan, I get angry when I watch him because it's frustrating. I don't want to compare him to anyone because every player has difficult spells. If Antony can't get out of his, then he needs to go. If a season is too short to judge someone then Antony deserves a little more time because it's not fair. If he corrects his errors, then he will be good for the team.

"He needs to be mentally clever first and foremost and you need to know how to take criticism. If Antony's performances aren't up to the standards by the end of the season, I imagine he will look for somewhere else to go. The coaches at Man United need to give Antony advice. Then it will be up to him to understand it. That's it."