Manchester United are currently in crisis mode, trying their best to overcome the tough situation they find themselves in. The club had some controversies regarding Antony, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and others, damaging their global image.
The Red Devils have had underwhelming performances in recent times, and this has earned manager Erik Ten Hag much criticism. In fact, he has been the target of many news outlets these past few days. However, he has one player who still trusts him to do the right thing for the club.
Antony defends Erik ten Hag from criticism
Erik Ten Hag recently became the victim of some malicious rumors from some media outlets. The Manchester Evening News, ESPN, the Mirror and Sky Sports all reported that the Dutchman had lost his dressing room due to various reasons. Manchester United decided to ban these journalists from attending their press conferences in a bold move.
Despite all the rumors regarding Ten Hag losing the support of his players, one player stood up. And that is Brazilian winger Antony, who himself is having a difficult season.
Antony spoke exclusively on the popular podcast The United Stand, showing full support for his manager. He said, “My relationship with Ten Hag has always been very good since Ajax. He taught me a lot, and I owe him a lot for my professional evolution.”
He also pointed out that difficult times are a part of the game, “Of course, in football, we end up experiencing ups and downs, which is normal. But I like him, and I think he’s an excellent professional, very capable. It can’t be easy to manage such a huge and historical club as Manchester United.”
Antony started the season with a scandal himself, after he was accused of domestic abuse by several women. The club temporarily suspended him while the police were looking into his case. He has also had a poor time on the pitch, having no goal involvements this season.
Manchester United continue to underperform under Erik ten Hag
However, it is correct that Manchester United are massively underperforming this season. Ten Hag had shown what he could do with these players in his first season, qualifying for the Champions League and ending a trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup. His team had genuinely shown signs of improvement.
This second season started off badly right from the start, with it being one of their worst ever. The team is just 7th in the Premier League after losing six games already. They are also in last place in their Champions League group stage, and it seems they could leave Europe early. Also, the Red Devils have simply not played as well on the pitch as last season, with Gary Neville threatening to stop watching them.
Erik may justify himself with the fact that many of his players are either injured or suspended. He has not been able to field his ideal team, though many feel that he already has good squad depth after a summer that has seen many arrivals. While several fans are already ready to move on from him, many still trust in him.
Manchester United will face Chelsea tonight at Old Trafford, and both Erik Ten Hag and Antony will hope for a good win to silence the criticism they have faced.
