"No defender can stop him": Manchester United manager Ten Hag backs struggling winger Antony
Feb 27, 2024
Manchester [UK], February 27 : Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag backed underfire winger Antony ahead of their FA Cup clash against Nottingham Forest.
The Brazilian was brought in by the Red Devils for a hefty price tag of $109 million. In his 44 Premier League outings, Antony has scored just four goals and two assists.
Antony hasn't started a game for the Red Devils since he struggled against Nottingham Forest on December 30.
Ahead of the game, the Dutch manager backed the 24-year-old, who has struggled since joining the Premier League giants, and he is confident that Antony will perform in the future.
"Antony, I backed him for a long time and I know his abilities and he has great abilities, when he plays how I know from the past, he's unstoppable. No defender can stop him because he's one of the quickest players in the first 10 yards," Ten Hag said as quoted from the club's official website.
"So, when he plays that game, then he will perform. I'm sure and I'm very confident he will for the future, and I know, I'm sure he's resilient, he's a character and he will fight back. So, I back him in that place and he is now to wait for his chance and, once he's there, he has to pick up," he added.
Antony has scored just one goal in his last 26 appearances and will be looking to make the most of the opportunity.
He last featured during the 98th minute of the 2-1 defeat against Fulham. The defeat handed United a huge blow to United's top-four ambitions.
The Brazilian could be in contention to feature in their upcoming game on Wednesday after the club confirmed that Rasmus Hojlund will miss the next two to three weeks due to a muscle injury.