Antony's 'own personality' is holding him back at Manchester United, says ex-coach Rene Meulensteen, who believes the club should sell him in January.
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United told to 'cut their losses' on AntonyBrazilian has failed to impress at Old TraffordConcerns over 24-year-old's personalityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Antony has flattered to deceive during his two years in Manchester. The Brazilian, bought from Ajax by former manager Erik ten Hag in 2022, has scored just 12 goals in 89 appearances – an outlay that certainly doesn't justify his £85 million ($108m) price tag.
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The 24-year-old's solitary goal this season came from the penalty spot in a 7-0 win over Barnsley in the EFL Cup. New head coach Ruben Amorim will be keen to gain a full evaluation of his entire squad before making any decisions, but former assistant Rene Meulensteen, who served under Sir Alex Ferguson, believes United should offload the winger in January as his personality doesn't "sit very well with some of the other players", among other concerns raised by the Dutchman.
WHAT MEULENSTEEN SAID
“Manchester United might have to bite the bullet and cut their losses with Antony in January, because I don’t think he has the attributes to contribute to what Ruben Amorim wants,” Meulensteen told Lucky Block. “I find it difficult to see where he fits into this team. I think he’s been one of the biggest misfiring transfers in the Premier League in recent years.
“He’s another example of a player who comes from the Dutch league – which I know really well – where you can win seven out of ten games with two fingers up your nose and you don’t have to break a sweat. In the Premier League, you have to be absolutely top class in every game you play.
“I think the biggest thing that has held Antony back is his own personality – he’s got certain characteristics that don’t sit very well with some of the other players. Away from that though, there’s a lack of effectiveness as a player – he’s very predictable in the way he wants to cut in on his left foot. We hardly see any quality assists or chance creation from him and I think we could see him elsewhere by the end of January.”
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?
Antony started in last month's win over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League and he'll likely be in action against Viktoria Plzen on Thursday as Amorim's side, 12th in the league phase table, try to climb the standings.
