Erik ten Hag told he 'spent way too much money' on Man Utd flop in put-down

02 November 2023 , 09:17

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Erik ten Hag told he 'spent way too much money' on Man Utd flop in put-down

Manchester United winger Antony has come in for some brutal criticism from Red Devils legend Andy Cole following another dismal display on Wednesday night.

The £85million former Ajax man has failed to justify his huge price tag since making the move to Manchester last summer. In 10 games across all competitions this season, the Brazil international has not registered a single goal contribution for Erik ten Hag's side.

His latest outing came in the dismal 3-0 defeat by Newcastle at Old Trafford. The result ensured United's hopes of retaining the Carabao Cup were over, while the Magpies booked their place in the last eight. Goals from Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall and Joe Willock were more than enough to see off a toothless United who posed precious little threat.

Antony must shoulder a hefty chunk of the blame when it comes to United's attacking woes. To add insult to injury, Cole has explained why he'd have hated to play alongside the Brazilian back in his day as a Red Devils striker.

"He would drive me absolutely mad,’ Cole told Sky Sports. "He’s an individual, we all know he’s very left-footed, he’s an individual who never goes to the right-hand side so as a centre-forward, if you’re making a run to the near post you know you’re never going to get it.

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"He’s going to check back, you’re not sure when he’s going to put it in the box. He doesn’t score enough goals for me, he doesn’t create enough chances for his teammates.

"So you look at that and say, ‘Okay, what are you giving?’ That’s what you’re expecting from him. They’ve spent a hell of a lot of money on him, the manager’s backed him and he’s found it really, really tough."

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Antony had another night to forget for Manchester United

Antony came into the game against Newcastle off the back of a disastrous cameo against Manchester City last Sunday. Despite only coming on in the 86th minute, the winger managed to spark widespread criticism for a petulant kick-out at Jeremy Doku.

Following the full-time whistle, Ten Hag used his post-match media duties to issue a staunch defence of his expensive winger. "Antony is also a fighter, he has the confidence, he is brave, I am confident he will bring the performance that [shows] he is the right player for us," the United boss claimed. Time is running out for Antony to back up his manager's claims before the Old Trafford faithful lose faith entirely.

Josh O'Brien