MY ACCOUNT
Manchester United have wasted plenty of money on flops in the nine years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
But it looks like the Red Devils have spent wisely on Antony after his quick start to life at Old Trafford.
Ahead of their home clash with Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League tonight, we turn the spotlight on the Brazilian winger.
Record breaker
Antony’s equaliser in the 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday evening means he has already broken a United record.
Despite all their success since 1992, nobody had ever scored in each of their first three Premier League appearances for the club.
The 22-year-old opened the scoring in the 3-1 win over Arsenal, smashed in a stunning strike in the derby defeat at Manchester City and calmly slotted beyond Jordan Pickford at Goodison Park.
Reaping the rewards
Though Antony’s move to Old Trafford only happened at the end of August, it was rumoured to be in the works throughout the summer.
Erik ten Hag was keen to take the winger with him from Ajax to United — and that meant the trickster spent the summer readying himself for the switch.
He said: “Training is very different but I’d prepared for it mentally. I knew how intense it would be as I’ve always followed the Premier League.
“I knew how intense the games were and have prepared and trained a lot to be at 100 per cent as soon as possible.”
It is clear he is already reaping the rewards of his due diligence.
Shutting out the noise
Though he scored at the Etihad, reports after the game suggested Antony had ignored Ten Hag’s instructions to track back and help out Diogo Dalot defensively, leaving team-mates incensed.
On top of that, ex-United players slamming the current crop is a regular occurrence these days and Paul Scholes took aim at Antony following last Thursday’s win at Omonia.
Scholes said: “He doesn’t run in behind. He seems to be a bit of a one-trick pony. He’s always cutting inside and either passing back to the full-back or having a shot.
“You’re thinking he needs to develop a little bit. It’s still early days for him, we know that.”
His display against Everton and calmness in front of goal suggest Antony will have no problem shutting out the noise and focusing on his game.
Learning on the job
That is not to say that he has been perfect.
Ten Hag referenced the fact that he had not carried out the duties expected of him at City after the Everton game.
He said: “In the first game, he was not always that good defending-wise but today he was really good, really disciplined.
“He had good positioning, good anticipation, so he had quite an impact on this team’s performance.”
Bright future
Everything Antony has done at United so far indicates he is a quick learner and the right fit for the club.
With Jadon Sancho still struggling in a red shirt and Anthony Martial unable to stay fit, there is no reason to suggest he will lose his spot in the side.
If he can take Ten Hag’s advice on board and keep providing a goal threat, Antony can quickly establish himself as an Old Trafford favourite.
