Stupid club, the same thing every time
21
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 36
- Goals
- 3
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 6
Will be grimly fascinating reading to see who we ignored -and what the motivation was -in favour of ETHs shortlist both summer windows when the post-tenure (or maybe even later this season if results/performances spiral further) leaking to the Athletic happens . I've no doubt some of the accounts will be burnished retroactively to add in players who weren't really on the radar as 'serious' options, but with regards to CM and right forward in particular, I think we'll see ETH's miscalculations and myopia played out along with weakness of club recruitment (as opposed to specific Scouting) system in distributing authority...
Olisie was a club target at RW
Olisie i'd take over Antony every day (and he'd be about 45m cheaper, or roughly the price of an up and coming midfielder with a useful profile in today's market)
For someone who often looks and acts quite arrogant and tempestuous off the ball he's incredibly timid on it. No bravery, no confidence, no aggression. To quote mobb deep this guy ain't no gangster, he's shook
The amount of turnovers yesterday from his weak passes was infuriating
The amount of turnovers yesterday from his weak passes was infuriating
Those fans don't know what they're talking about. Serious clubs don't do that.
ETH's talent ID is very questionable.
I guess we spent so much on him because he’s a natural RW with a left foot. ETH also wanted players who knew his system to help us progress quicker. Antony still thinks he’s in the Dutch league though… we spent an awful lot on him when we could have probably signed another RW and a CM for the same price. I’d of preferred Domenico Berardi who is a RW with a left foot and he would of cost halve the price and probably gave us more…
Awful passer, awful creator, poor 1v1 player and poor carrier of the ball at pace. Also poor in front of goal. But hey we should give him time! (Even though he hasn’t improved any of this in years)
Had hoped he would improve his game here but he's not. Maybe it would help if he lost his spot for a while but somehow I doubt it.
Yeah going through them and it looks like a suspension is coming his way pretty soon which would be the cherry on top of the shit cake that has been his time at the club.
If he scores that chance…
Needs dropping to the bench. C'mon ETH time to be ruthless with your lovechild
I was a big fan of his signing. Jeez, what a letdown he's been. Nicolas Pepe-esque.
Antony brings absolutely nothing to the team. There needs to be a time soon when ETH gives up and accepts that signing him was a big mistake. This cannot go on.
I dunno if that's right, but I'd rather ETH is forced into having to choose from Sancho and Pellistri on that side, as there is no way he's dropping Antony voluntarily.
we get to see his tiger celebration, or whatever it is
He's become a very frustrating player to watch. Reminds me of Depay in that there's some skill there but both are a dead end with the ball - no end product, we just lose possession. The transfer fee for him is starting to seem ridiculous.
He is a massive problem. For every other big signing that didn't live up to expectations, like Sancho, Sanchez, Pogba etc, they had either performed elsewhere or you could clearly see they had the tools, but lacked the output.
Antony has neither performed at the highest level neither does he have anything other than middling skills. It is hard to have any expectations from him, because you can see he just isn't capable.
He grafts I'll grant him that, but he isn't very quick, not a great dribbler in terms of being able to go past people, not a great shooter or passer, doesn't have a right foot and doesn't take great positions in an offensive phase.
Antony has neither performed at the highest level neither does he have anything other than middling skills. It is hard to have any expectations from him, because you can see he just isn't capable.
He grafts I'll grant him that, but he isn't very quick, not a great dribbler in terms of being able to go past people, not a great shooter or passer, doesn't have a right foot and doesn't take great positions in an offensive phase.
But he almost never does
We're still not playing with a proper CF, so my hope is that once we do it prompts more from our attackers.
Antony in particular really needs to improve though. Fine being patient, fine giving him a season to settle, fine pointing out the positives he does bring in terms of carrying and retention, but it's ultimately nowhere near enough as is.
Antony in particular really needs to improve though. Fine being patient, fine giving him a season to settle, fine pointing out the positives he does bring in terms of carrying and retention, but it's ultimately nowhere near enough as is.
And so many here (and elsewhere) lapped up this idea that all the scouts we employ - who one would assume are clearly employed with the necessary qualifications - are all shite and it’s no wonder Haggy decided to sign a deluge of Eredivisie expats.
He should have, in all honesty, since he did manage to create a good angle for the shot. The issue with him is that his technique is lacking. Put Saka in his place and he will find the net more often than not. There's just never enough curl in the shot. Depay has a similar issue when cutting inside. Too much power in the shot, very poor technique. They can both score screamers, but they leave a lot to be desired in that part of their game.
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I'v come to the conclusion that I don't want to watch a player of his style on the wing for us, even if he's playing well. I want to watch a Saka or a Vini jr type player.
One of Ten Hag's key signing's hasn't progressed or improved his game in the last 12 months. One trick pony with a terrible trick at that. You would think the coaching staff would get a hold of him and tell him he doesn't play until he learns to go down the wing. It seems there's accountability for the likes of Maguire, Sancho and De Gea but Antony get's away with murder. How can you justify him playing when it's time to give Sancho a chance?
noticed him bottling a few challenges yesterday, just half heartedly sticking a leg out as the other guy commits and comes away with the ball, guys whole persona is a fraud
My patience is running very thin with him.
It is bad enough that he is a very inconsistent player, but it keeps on getting worse and worse. The upcoming accusations of domestic violence will not help at all neither.
It is bad enough that he is a very inconsistent player, but it keeps on getting worse and worse. The upcoming accusations of domestic violence will not help at all neither.
He got an early yellow and probably didn't want to get sent off.
So someone who’s good
Got to have the punchable face in the league.
Can’t stand him or his style of football.
Can’t stand him or his style of football.
Ha you're slightly more aggressive about it, but agreed he really hasn't pushed on and I've found it difficult to see how we could justify the money spent on him. I don't think tracking back is enough to get a place in the team. Or at least, and I appreciate this is unfair as he did offer much more than this, but if you were to analogise to Park, a somewhat limited attacker, that was fine and worked very well because he was covering for Ronaldo and to an extent Scholes both great players.
I think that's the biggest issues with the team- there i just no balance. You can take a gamble on Anthony and whether he can become a top player (although again question price) if the rest of the attack is already in a good place but it isn't. Bruno/Rashford are erratic players, if you have them then you need the other attackers to be ones who can be effective in their own right and make good decisions (Garnacho, Sancho etc don't do this for various reasons). Similarly if you know you're attack is likely to turn the ball over a lot then you need a midfield and defence who have the physical pace/power to stop counters before they get going, which again we don't have.
No, tracking back definitely isn't enough. I get that forwards players will lose the ball more often than not, it's the nature of their role, but it's got to the point where we might as well just give the opposition the ball instead of give it him to cut inside and run into the defender. I wouldn't mind if he was scoring the chances he got or was getting the odd assist but he's just completely useless apart from helping Dalot or Wan-Bissaka not look so shit. Forward players need to be more than hardworking, there's a bunch of those in the lower leagues we could have signed if that's what we wanted.
Agreed and that's why I come back to the balance or whatever anyone wants to call it. Anthony is clearly a project and in certain situations you could potentially accommodate that (although you'd hoped to have seen more by now) but for us we just can't because the rest of the attack has their own issues and can't cover for his lack of contribution. Then more widely the midfield/defence are suited to a team that is going to give up possession so much.
He isn't "a project". He is playing every game the same way. What he brings to the table is very clear, just as his deficiencies. He's been here one full season and has not improved on any aspect of the game.
Garnacho is a project, because the things he's not very good at can be improved with coaching and game time. This isn't the case with Antony.
Could we not play him in more of a Bernardo Silva type of role?
I don't think he's a winger at all.
I'd prefer him inside and maybe move mount out to RW?
I don't think he's a winger at all.
I'd prefer him inside and maybe move mount out to RW?
You've come to the conclusion that you'd like to see one of the best wingers in the world play for us- one who can go past a man, create, make good decisions, be a goal threat... Yep. sounds like something you should want.
A player of Antony's style, who offers zero attacking threat but is good at tracking back, keeping shape, and a bunch of other vague things that managers seem to rate much more than fans-
he can only be accommodated and compensated for if he has a very very attacking FB behind him who is a real threat,
and if the striker & winger on the other side of the pitch are capable of doing all the attacking themselves.
It's a really odd way to want your team to play if you ask me,
but I guess it can work to some extent. ETH surely thinks it can work,
But I bet he sees Antony as a bigger attacking threat than any of us.
Yeah I keep saying it - the passing is the biggest problem with Antony. Given he doesn’t have the natural acceleration to make an extra yard at will like a Luis Diaz, he has to be more of a link up player. He’s got the ball control and reliability in possession for it but it’s not of much use when the only pass he has is a short sideways / backwards one. No nice drilled crosses, no looping curlers to the back post, no intelligent through balls, just the same sideways pass inside consistently with a few shots interspersed in between. Makes it too easy.
No matter where he plays he needs to be able to pass. His creative passing is horrible. Seems to have no range or control.
They'll help if they keep him out of the bloody team.
What makes you think he can play in a role that links players up, helps control the tempo, and facilitates things for us?
I can't see it in a million years.
Watched the game again and focused on his performance. He lacks technique, don't let the curled shots trick you. Executing a pass with the proper weight, passing angles etc he's rubbish at all of them. Give him the ball and ask him to pick out one of our players while we're on the break and he'll either mess it up or keep hold of the ball until the opportunity is gone.
He barely spots the pass anyway, running full speed until he meets the first defender before cutting in and laying it off to one of the midfielders or passing back to AWB which is quite frankly hilarious.
He lacks the technical excellence that's essential to play for a club like this. Sancho and Amad are lightyears ahead of him when it comes to creating danger in the opponent's half. I don't think he's even better than Pellistri. If #11 was still around Antony would barely feature in the starting XI. He's a squad player, not a starter. Just a nothing player really. If he can't get space to try his signature shot he might as well not be on the pitch. I'd rather try Mount at the RW position, at least he should be able to beat a man and whip in crosses for Højlund. £85m for this guy, really. There are tens of better RWs playing around europe.
He barely spots the pass anyway, running full speed until he meets the first defender before cutting in and laying it off to one of the midfielders or passing back to AWB which is quite frankly hilarious.
He lacks the technical excellence that's essential to play for a club like this. Sancho and Amad are lightyears ahead of him when it comes to creating danger in the opponent's half. I don't think he's even better than Pellistri. If #11 was still around Antony would barely feature in the starting XI. He's a squad player, not a starter. Just a nothing player really. If he can't get space to try his signature shot he might as well not be on the pitch. I'd rather try Mount at the RW position, at least he should be able to beat a man and whip in crosses for Højlund. £85m for this guy, really. There are tens of better RWs playing around europe.