Ahead of Manchester United’s game against Liverpool, many had Erik ten Hag’s men as favourites to come away with all three points, despite the fixture being played at Anfield.
What happened on the pitch, however, was as far removed as those predictions as humanly possible, with Jürgen Klopp’s side dismantling the Red Devils in a mind-boggling second half of football.
Liverpool put six past David De Gea in the space of 45 minutes, and while a lot of Manchester United players will come under criticism, a lot has been directed to Antony.
There are many reasons for this, starting with the amount the Premier League side paid for him in the summer, which has placed huge expectations on his shoulders that he is currently not living up to.
Despite some aggressive pressing in the first half, making himself a bit of a nuisance, the Brazilian’s end product was non-existent, as all his crosses seemed to hit the first man and his decision making was far below par.
Nico Dijkshoorn for Voetbal International had a bit of a rant at the former Ajax Amsterdam forward, and made it clear something needs to change.
He said, relayed by Soccer News: “A good start: Antony should first be benched for four games and, from now on, forbid him to play a curling ball into the far corner with his left after cutting inside. In that sense, Liverpool’s humiliating slaughter is a blessing. Ten Hag will sense exactly that this is the right moment to sideline the next football with the Jesus disease for good.”
By ‘Jesus disease’, we’re guessing he means some sort of God complex, which Cristiano Ronaldo was guilty of at Manchester United and dealt with accordingly by Ten Hag.
Dijkshoorn added: “Ten Hag has managed to convince his players and the Manchester United management that being ‘an institution’ is of no use. It’s about friendship. About making sense. Running your legs out of your backside for another person because the other person does the same for you.”
As for his previous takes on Erik ten Hag, the journalist admits he may have been a bit too harsh on the Dutchman, who despite this latest setback, is likely to ensure this trend doesn’t continue going forward.
He said: “He’s an oddball. Too plain for Ajax and too plain for Manchester United. Too provincial. I too have made fun of Erik’s deadpan appearances several times on this site. Retrospectively, I am deeply ashamed of so little insight. I understand far too late that Ten Hag has been saving football from certain death in recent years.”
