Probably because Nani is as far back as they can recall, Gordon Hill and dodgy Mickey Thomas would be a mystery to them
Antony: why the concern - use the player performance thread
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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Forget about Nani.
The whinging about Antony isn't entirely misplaced but we are seeing improvement from him match after match. He slotted in a perfect ball to Casemiro and he worked hard. He missed a sitter at the end. But we're seeing a player who's making incremental progress in adapting to the intensity of the prem. All's that left for him to do is develop the right foot to beat the defender on either side instead of checking back to his left foot all the time and we've got a proper winger.
The whinging about Antony isn't entirely misplaced but we are seeing improvement from him match after match. He slotted in a perfect ball to Casemiro and he worked hard. He missed a sitter at the end. But we're seeing a player who's making incremental progress in adapting to the intensity of the prem. All's that left for him to do is develop the right foot to beat the defender on either side instead of checking back to his left foot all the time and we've got a proper winger.
Antony had his best game imo v Reading. No pissing about with the ball and slick passing still went for the shots that sailed over the bar .
He's young and will get better.
He's young and will get better.
Not to mention Willie MorganProbably because Nani is as far back as they can recall, Gordon Hill and dodgy Mickey Thomas would be a mystery to them
So true - don't think I ever saw him play, John Connelly would be another!Not to mention Willie Morgan
He's a new player, in a new league, in a team that is still finding its footing.
It's too early to make a final judgement on him.
It's too early to make a final judgement on him.
He was the best player on the pitch. Pretty much everything he did (excepting a few wayward shots) was threatening and he had his fullback on toast. Looked rapid to me too, I don't get the "slow" criticism - Sancho is a bit slower and more silky. Antony looks to me like Hazard plus work rate, the ball seems glued to his foot. He's a good player that is only going to get better I think.
He can't beat anyone in an one vs one situation, that is the main concern. But he is improving in another aspects tbf.
What is important is where he receives the ball and our transition. If we mess about and are slow he won’t receive it on the half turn and can’t cut inside or make an inside channel pass, you’ll see him just pass it back. If we are quick then we can hurt teams. This has been a problem at United for a long time.
Antony's issues for me are a modern day football issue. ETH likes inverted wingers. If antony was playing on left wing, i think he would have got less criticism as he could put in a first time cross with his left foot. Whereas, when hes on right wing, and beaten his man his relcutance to try a cross with his right foot means he cuts back inside and is somewhat predictable when it comes to crossing. As lee dixon mentioned against reading once or twice.
As someone mentioned in his performance thread he is more of a wide playmaker than a winger. Which is probably part of he reason why garnacho has gained such popularity. Like a old school winger garnacho is direct, goes straight for opposition area and either tries to get a cross in/take a shot or line up a chance for a teammate.
Some how Utd have spend close to €200mil on two wide playermakers (sancho and antony), yet two "homegrown" kids in garnacho and pellestri in their directness are showing the benefits of playing wingers on the natural side of the pitch ie. Left footer on the left and right footer on the right.
Lastly, why cant antony stay behind in training and practise sending in a 100 crosses on his right foot? Would add a different dimension to his game.
As someone mentioned in his performance thread he is more of a wide playmaker than a winger. Which is probably part of he reason why garnacho has gained such popularity. Like a old school winger garnacho is direct, goes straight for opposition area and either tries to get a cross in/take a shot or line up a chance for a teammate.
Some how Utd have spend close to €200mil on two wide playermakers (sancho and antony), yet two "homegrown" kids in garnacho and pellestri in their directness are showing the benefits of playing wingers on the natural side of the pitch ie. Left footer on the left and right footer on the right.
Lastly, why cant antony stay behind in training and practise sending in a 100 crosses on his right foot? Would add a different dimension to his game.
My concern with him is he can't seem to dribble despite looking like he's as skillful as Neymar. I don't think I've ever seen him do step overs and he's not quick enough to cut through players Messi style
How many players have you seen that can cut thru players Messi style?
Don't make it sound weird. I mean just beating players with quick feet rather than skill moves like step overs. Mitoma was doing that todayIs that the case? Weird, I see almost everybody on this forum happy to give him time to improve.
It's not like everyone has already made a decision on Antony and he is either world beater / or not good enough. He still has a lot to prove and that's hardly a controversial statement.
I also think he's adapting to a new league in rather comforteable environment. The team is doing well, we're still in all competitions, Rashford is pulling us through - very little pressure on Antony right now (and rightly so). But the concerns are there. Doesn't mean we're not being supportive.
Maybe I’m taking that opinion from what I see on the match day threads which is admittedly not the best case study. I have seen a few posts which are pretty negative and don’t have a lot to say in support elsewhere on the forum though.
You'll always find a few extreme posts on either side of the fence, match day thread is different realm anyway. Most posts are a reflection of how we are doing, for example Antony was having a good game vs Arsenal but because we were heavily outplayed, the response was largely negative.
Anyway, I don't see a problem with fans comments on Antony right now. He's getting plenty support. The criticism is there but this thread shows that people have valid concerns (repeatedly the same points are being made) and that's it.
Still better than this over hyped winger
I mean. Fair enough. Instead of comparing him to a player with some of the same tendencies, let's shoot for the star.
Ronaldo at 22: 50 goals and assists in 4.154 minutes (83,1 minutes per G/A).
Antony at 22: 6 goals and assists in 1.510 minutes (251,7 minutes per G/A).
Based on my projections (and I'm rarely wrong) I think he's going to end up having a way worse season than Ronaldo at 22, but there's still some time to go.
I already see major improvements in his play. He will cement himself as an important United player. I’d say he has already done more than Sancho to suggest he will adapt to United’s more progressive style of play
To me it looks like he was given a stern telling off after doing that spinny thing in the first half of a Europa League game and was quietly punished by Ten Hag.
Since the season resumed he's been told to focus on the basics but slowly to bring his qualities into the game, when the moment allows for it.
I may be completely wrong of course but it's what it looks like to me. And fits Ten Hags MO.
Since the season resumed he's been told to focus on the basics but slowly to bring his qualities into the game, when the moment allows for it.
I may be completely wrong of course but it's what it looks like to me. And fits Ten Hags MO.
The Caf loves to shit on Nani. Even now.
Clueless.
Clueless.
No there's just some perspective, he wasn't a great player and nor was he a bad one, just average
I love how Casemiro was propping him up to the fans. Love guys like Antony who get hammered by 'fans' and the media right out of the gate.
Would love Antony to be be as average for us as Nani was for nearly two years before that horror Carragher challenge.
Quietly confident he'll slowly improve and be a good player for us due to his technique. I am not convinced I see a world beating talent in the player no matter how much adaptation is allowed for. Which is probably going to mean he is always a fixation for fans and media due to the price tag.
Hopefully he's strong enough to cut through all that nonsense and deliver good performances for us. He can definitely play a part, I think we just overpaid but he's clearly a good footballer.
Hopefully he's strong enough to cut through all that nonsense and deliver good performances for us. He can definitely play a part, I think we just overpaid but he's clearly a good footballer.
22 year old lad who's come from the eredivisie. give him a chance and trust the gaffer ffs.
Just to point out that Garnacho is actually right footed- he's just so adept with his left and can easily go on the outside, which makes him such a threat, and perhaps more so than Antony.
I agree with this you can see a players profile from their competencies / habits. Sancho plays like he should be in Bruno's position but when he first arrived at Dortmund he was far more direct. Essentially it's almost like he will have to undo some of what he developed well at Dortmund in order to the fit the demands of the team more astutely.
United's midfield is a strong factor aswell, it consists of a strong defensive orientated individual and a ball distributer in Eriksen. With no box to box to progress the ball through the midfield into the final third, the demand is on the wingers to open the spaces in wider areas.
Yes Antony is more of a wide playmaker than a winger. And that is fine, Rashford, Garnacho and Pellistri are different. Sancho is also a playmaker, but can do it centrally.
Creativity is needed in our attack and Antony is becoming a bigger part of that every week.
Creativity is needed in our attack and Antony is becoming a bigger part of that every week.
I never get the hate towards Nani. What I would give to have a 25 y.o Nani in the squad right now.
I would love to know what he's like in training regarding whether he tries to go past the full back on the outside. If he's not having much joy there how is he going to do it in a match?
The Reading full back showed him outside every time and I can't remember Antony going for it even once.
The Reading full back showed him outside every time and I can't remember Antony going for it even once.
He's starting to show substantially more end product than his earlier games. He's improving and that's all we can ask for.
EtH coached him at Ajax! Looking at the general success of all the players brought in by EtH from other teams, I have no doubts that Antony will be a success.
https://www.transfermarkt.com/premi...ttbewerb/GB1/saison_id/2010/altersklasse/alle
The way "average" works is that he'd have to be unbelievably poor the other seasons to even out being the best player in the league one season and that's just not the case. Outside of this season he had another 2/3 good ones as well.
Nani might not be a legend, but he was a great player for us. His end was a bit shit, but between injuries and Moyes, what to expect.
Also, for what it's worth: Outside of Nani's final season all of his seasons not only eclipse but completely outshine Antony's season so far.
ahhhh yes, the Hazard who constantly beat players averaging the most dribbles each season versus a player who can't beat a man 1 v 1. Very apt comparison
The huge outlay on Casemiro and Antony was the straw that broke the camel's back as far as Glazer ownership wasn't it?
Well IF it leads to them actually going so be it
I take no notice of stats, I watch the performances, stats have no context to the game situation
Messi is a catch-all but I was expecting him to what Mitoma has been doing for Brighton atleast. He doesn't seem like a guy who can get past 2-3 defenders with skill.
Antony is pretty damn tough mentally; misses a shot or makes the wrong pass, and the young man immediate shows up to get the ball and go for it again. You'll never see Antony get scared and hide from the ball, unlike Sancho. This mentality will serve him well down the line.
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