Former Manchester United star Louis Saha has criticised Antony for being too ‘predictable’ and urged the attacker to come out of his comfort zone to turn his fortune around at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag made signing the Brazilian international a top priority when he arrived as Man Utd manager last year. United signed Antony from Ajax in a whopping £85m deal last August, and he enjoyed a promising start to life in the Premier League by scoring three goals in his first three games.
However, things have gone south for him since as he has only managed to score a solitary goal in his last 31 league appearances. So, he has come under fire for his recent struggles and ten Hag has also been criticised for his decision to purchase the Brazilian for such a huge fee.
Now, former Man Utd striker Saha has criticised Antony for being too ‘predictable’ and cast doubt as to whether the South American has a long-term future at Old Trafford.
The ex-forward said things just aren’t working for Antony right now and suggests he needs to come out of his comfort zone to bring more ‘diversity’ to his game if he wishes to turn his fortunes around at Old Trafford.
Ex-PL star urges Antony to come out of his comfort zone
Saha also says that Antony needs to feed Rasmus Hojlund from the wing in order to help the centre-forward score goals but, the winger hasn’t been able to do that.
When asked whether Antony has a long-term future at Man Utd, Saha said:
“I don’t know. It was a really tough introduction to the Premier League for him. He was able to score a few goals, but now the defenders are aware of his game and read him very well. He has no joy because he’s predictable and as a striker, when a winger is cutting in and putting in a cross, they provide types of balls that are really hard to read and connect with.
“You need crosses that are hit with pace in between the defenders and the goalkeeper and that’s not what Antony is providing. Manchester United now have a striker that’s looking for those types of crosses but Antony isn’t offering those options. He needs to do the right things for the team, regardless of whether he likes to do them or not.
“I, like many other fans, have been really patient with Antony, but now he has to bring more diversity to his game and come out of his comfort zone. If he doesn’t come out of his comfort zone, then what he’s doing currently isn’t going to work for this team.”
Antony is a talented player and might be able to turn his fortune around going forward. However, if he continues to struggle over the coming months, then it is highly likely that Ten Hag will be forced to sell him next year.
