Failed At MU, Erik Ten Hag Remains Bela Antony

Manchester United winger Antony with manager Erik ten Hag. (X/@ManUtd)

JAKARTA - Manchester United winger Antony failed to show his best form this season. But manager Erik ten Hag defended Antony who said the case off the field made his players' performance decline.

Antony has problems off the field. This is what makes the Brazilian's concentration split. Moreover, he had to undergo an examination at the police.

Yes, Antony is accused of physical violence against his former partner Gabriela Cavallin. According to the former, Antony often abused himself between June 2022 and May 2023.

The 23-year-old has clearly denied the allegations. However, he is still undergoing examination.

As a result, Antony had to miss five United matches. He also had to leave the team for three weeks because of the case.

However, despite his case, Antony failed to fulfill his expectations and never showed his best performance at MU.

In fact, the club has disbursed 86 million in funds while bringing him from Ajax Amsterdam.

The price is almost the same as that of Bayern Munich when he brought Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Kane made a maximum contribution to Bayern and became a mainstay on the front lines. Kane once broke Bayern's former striker Robert Lewandowski's goal record. He is also the club's top scorer.

On the other hand, Antony failed at MU. Of the 65 appearances, he only scored eight goals and made three assists. Even in 21 matches, Antony had failed to score or assist.

Despite failing to meet expectations, Ten Hag still defended Antony. The former Ajax coach revealed that the case against the player made him lose focus.

"It's simple, the off-field issues make him lose his playing opportunity," said Ten Hag, who conveyed the fact that Antony actually showed his best performance.

"In the first season, he played well. During pre-season, his performance was also good. Likewise in the first four matches," said Ten Hag.

"For example, during the match against Tottehnham Hotspur he played well. But he was absent and when he returned to play, he couldn't show the best game he expected. But he could actually do better," he said again.

Ten Hag said that Antony was indeed a reliable player. While still at Ajax, his appearance was really impressive. The effectiveness of the game, mature passes especially on cross and impressive finishings

"His final finish at Ajax was very good. It's just that the Premier League level is indeed very high But I'm sure he can handle it," he said.

Antony will return to his first choice when United face Tottenham at Old Trafford, Saturday, January 14 evening WIB.

This match is expected to be a retaliatory event for the Red Devils after losing 2-0 in the first meeting at Tottenham.

Previously, Antony was a puzzle because he missed United's 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup.

However, Ten Hag confirmed that Antony was injured so he could not appear in that match.