Antony's start justifies Man Utd's long transfer pursuit
Karan Tejwani
- 10 Oct 2022 13:45 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United’s new winger Antony has continued his fine start to life at Old Trafford with a goal against Everton at the weekend as his side beat the Toffees 2-1 at Goodison Park.
The winger, who was the summer’s most expensive transfer following his mega move from Ajax, joined with lots of pressure on his back but he has responded well.
He has scored three goals in his first three Premier League games, becoming the first Manchester United player to do so, having previously netted against Arsenal and Manchester City.
Beyond the goals, it’s easy to see why Erik ten Hag was keen to sign the Brazilian for Manchester United and so far, his decision to strongly pursue him has paid off.
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Antony impressive in early days
Ten Hag wanted to build a squad that was capable of playing football in his way, and that was the reason behind him signing players that he had previously worked with or had knowledge of playing in the way he wants.
The likes of Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen have joined and slotted into the squad almost seamlessly, and the same could be said for Antony, who has done well since coming into the side.
His movements off the ball, combined with his ability to make space and the right runs to link up well with his fellow attacking team-mates are still good – and that’s what made him a success at Ajax.
Manchester United had two offers rejected before having the third accepted for Antony, and it’s clear why Ten Hag was so persistent in his chase for the player.
The manager was full of praise for him after the game: “We have to expect more from him. He needs challenges, that's why he came to the Premier League, he gets it here. He wants to play with the best players, the highest stress factors against the best players.
Antony vs Everton:
75% pass accuracy
55 touches
16 passes in the final third
3 key passes
4 ground duels won
2 tackles won
1 aerial duel won
1 shot on target
1 goal
[@StatmanDave]— utdreport (@utdreport) October 9, 2022
"That's what you see: first weeks, he scored goals, he did good stuff, but also I saw a lot of room for improvement in his game. What I was happy with the goal he made now was out of the moment of getting in behind.
"He has to do that more, to use his space. He has a good dribble, but he needs more variation. In the first game, he was not always that good defending-wise but today he was really disciplined. Good positioning, anticipation, quite an impact on team."
Manchester United have been starved of quality on the right side for several years, and they’ve spent big money to accommodate for that, but often, it hasn’t worked.
Antony could well be the man that fixes that for Manchester United, and considering the start he made, and the potential he has, he could be a great long-term option for the club.
