Erik ten Hag once called out £82m Man Utd flop for not ‘focusing on football’
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Erik ten Hag once ruthlessly ripped into Manchester United winger Antony during their time at Ajax – telling the Brazilian to focus on his football.
Ten Hag was appointed as United manager in the summer of 2022, bringing an end to a trophy laden five year spell at Ajax, and he soon began his era at Old Trafford by signing former players Lisandro Martinez and the £82million arrival of Antony.
But the relationship between Ten Hag and the Brazilian winger hasn’t been without testing times after the Dutchman previously lambasted Antony for his poor performances and decision making – something that has been scrutinised and attributed to plaguing his stuttering United career.
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Following Ajax’s 2-0 win against AZ Alkmaar in the semi-final of the Dutch Cup in March 2022, Ten Hag publicly called out Antony for his performance and warned him about showboating in the future. The Dutchman said: "He must focus on football. He was a total threat, but he has to convert that into returns and not worry about frills or flourishes.
“He has to play more effectively, because he had chances to make the last pass. It was clear that he was very dangerous and on the one hand I enjoyed him, his speed, his pressure, the threat of his dribbles, but he could also have got more out of his play."
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While current United winger Jadon Sancho hit out at his boss after he was publicly called out for underperforming in training and subsequently dropped for United’s trip to the Emirates and later banished from the first-team. Antony didn’t respond by posting a social media message which called his boss a liar, he instead spoke of his respect for Ten Hag and insisted he would prove his manager wrong by improving on the training ground.
Antony told Dutch outlet De Telegraaf : "Every player under his guidance becomes a better footballer through his training. Since my arrival, he has given me a lot of confidence and believed in what I can do. I am grateful for that. I respect him very much."
The relationship between Ten Hag and Antony led South American football expert Tim Vickery to tell Sky Sports that he immediately thought the Brazilian would join Ten Hag at Old Trafford, he said: “As soon as Ten Hag went to Old Trafford, I thought, 'he's going to take Antony with him', because Ten Hag has done such a wonderful job developing this player.”
Antony is currently unavailable for selection to Ten Hag after it was mutually agreed with the club that he would take a leave of absence following accusations by his ex-girlfriend that he attacked her which are being investigated by police in the UK and Brazil, allegations that Antony denies.
- Manchester United FC
- Erik ten Hag
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