Joe Cole’s Advice to Manchester United: Antony is Unable to Adapt to the Premier League; Red Devils Should Sell Him While He Still Has Value

Since the curtain has risen on the new season of the Premier League, Brazilian winger Antony has found himself in a very awkward situation at Manchester United. Up until now, Antony has only made two appearances for Manchester United this season. In the second round of the league, he came off the bench for eight minutes in Manchester United’s 1-2 loss to Brighton. In the third round of the EFL Cup, he started and played the full game in Manchester United’s 7-0 victory over Barnsley, scoring a penalty. Apart from that, Ten Hag has not given Antony any opportunities.

As we all know, during Ten Hag’s tenure at Ajax, Antony was one of his trusted players, which was the main reason why Ten Hag requested the club to spend a huge sum to sign Antony after taking charge at Manchester United. However, after joining Manchester United, Antony did not perform as expected. Last season, he made 38 appearances for Manchester United, starting 21 times, scoring three goals and providing two assists. This season, Antony has been marginalized by Ten Hag even further.

Regarding this, former England star Joe Cole expressed his opinion: “Antony is a very talented player with excellent technique. However, he clearly cannot adapt to the Premier League, especially the physicality of the Premier League. He can achieve success in the Eredivisie, but not in the Premier League.” Joe Cole then added, “I don’t think Antony will have any impact on Manchester United’s starting lineup this season, nor will he help turn things around for the team. For Antony, he should strive to adjust his state to leave Manchester United, perhaps joining another league would be more suitable for him. Of course, for Manchester United, while Antony is still young and valuable, they should seriously consider his future.”

On September 26 at 3 am, Manchester United will face Dutch team Twente in the Europa League group stage. Whether Ten Hag will give the Brazilian winger Antony an opportunity remains to be seen.