Manchester United collapsed In the midst of his form problems at Old Trafford, Antony has been made fun of for “thinking he was a real baller in the Eredivisie”.
For an eye-watering £85 million ($112 million), the 24-year-old Brazilian was signed from Ajax in 2022, with the expectation that his brilliant Eredivisie form would translate to English football. Critics have been quick to highlight the distinctions between thriving in England’s top division and excelling in the Eredivisie, citing his lackluster results in the Premier League.
In his analysis, Dutch football analyst Marcel van der Kraan stated that he thought Ten Hag was probably under pressure because to Antony’s lackluster performances, especially considering the significant cash outlay that was made based on his suggestion.
“Erik ten Hag is praying it will still happen because, on his advice, so much money was spent on this player,” Van der Kraan stated in an interview with talkSPORT. Dutch coaches frequently fall into this trap when visiting England since they have seen Dutch players who have performed rather well.
“Antony was a gifted player back home in Brazil before moving to Ajax. He joins the Eredivisie, which is a lower league. In his mind, he was the best player in the Eredivisie. Yes, you do oppose teams like Go Ahead Eagles and Utrecht. You only get to play three or four major games in a season, and while he did occasionally light up the stadium during those games, it wasn’t very often. When he arrived in England, he realized, “Oh no, I’m up against some really tough competition.”
Van der Kraan feels that Antony’s one-minute goal in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley does not warrant the club’s enormous expenditure for his services.
“In the past, he would scrap a bit as well,” stated the man. He was one of those brazilian street kids that would do that, and he’s discovered that other lads who grew up on the streets in London, Manchester, or Liverpool are just as tough as he is.
“It’s not the kind of path you want to take in your career when you move for so much money if Antony’s playing has declined to the Carabao Cup against Barnsley.”
After more than 1900 minutes on the field in 2023–24, Antony managed just three goals and two assists. He has played just one minute of Premier League football this season, and Ten Hag has cautioned him that he will need to work hard to get back into his starting eleven.