Antony comments sum up Ten Hag’s Man Utd crisis
Robin Bairner
- 2 Nov 2023 07:15 CDT
- 4 min read
Manchester United fans may be bored by ‘dressing room sources’ giving up information on the behind-the-scenes activities at Old Trafford as the club plunges deeper into another season of mediocrity, but it’s easy to believe there is more than a modicum of truth in claims that manager Erik ten Hag is losing the respect of his players.
The Manchester Evening News reports that “some players are starting to doubt Ten Hag”, who has led the club to back-to-back 3-0 home defeats against Manchester City and Newcastle, which have only showcased how far the Red Devils have fallen since their heyday.
MORE: Romano reveals what Ten Hag said to Man Utd stars after Newcastle loss
United have lost eight out of 15 this season and are in apparent disarray, with the signings of the former Ajax boss failing to fire, off field problems and the ongoing Jadon Sancho issue lingering over the club.
The winger was attacked by Ten Hag in August after a poor week in training, with events since then spiralling to such a degree that the only resolution is likely to be one man or the other leaving.
MORE: ‘More goals than Rashford, Garnacho and Antony’ – Greenwood wanted back at Man Utd
Ten Hag talking himself into trouble
One of the reasons for Sancho’s anger is that he feels that Ten Hag is openly critical of him but has favourites in the squad. Reports suggest he is far from alone in feeling like this.
That is why the manager’s comments after the 3-0 loss at Newcastle are unlikely to have gone down well.
“The team is not playing well when we don't bring him the balls and I am also responsible for that,” he said in the defence of €100 million winger Antony.
“There was also a lot of noise and that dropped his levels. He can do better but all the players can do better.
He is brave and I am confident he will bring the performance that he is the right player for us
- Ten Hag on Antony“I’m a fighter and Antony is also a fighter, he has the confidence”.
“He is brave and I am confident he will bring the performance that he is the right player for us.”
Leaving aside the 23-year-old’s off-field issues this season, his performance on the park has not been good enough.
Antony has more yellow cards (2) than goal involvements this season 😬 pic.twitter.com/jwNUZ5nBAF
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) November 2, 2023
While the likes of Marcus Rashford has credit in the bank, justifying his ongoing selection, what has Antony done for Man Utd?
He has yet to deliver a goal or an assist for the club this season, while his total of 10 yellow cards over this season and last is more than the times he has scored.
Of course, Sancho has not done much better at Old Trafford, but he has not been given the protection offered to Antony, and it’s easy to see why that would upset him.
