Antony is expected to become the new Robben
From the beginning of the 2022-2023 season, Antony has been one of the most criticized Man Utd players. The majority of mixed opinions believe that the player worth $ 100 million plays monotonously. But Coach Ten Hag disagreed.
"I watched Arjen Robben a lot," he said, referring to the former Dutch player in defense of Antony. "They say Robben has only one trick, but it's an outstanding trick that no one can stop. Of course, if you can dribble two ways, you're more transformative and harder to stop."
When he was still playing, Robben impressed with his dribbling and left-footed shots. The peak of his career was playing for Bayern, from 2009 to 2019. There he won eight Bundesliga titles, five German Cups and a Champions League, including the 2012-2013 treble.
Last night, Antony directly cushioned the ball to open the scoring in the 32nd minute. In the 76th minute, the Brazilian winger continued to shine with an assist for Diogo Dalot to set a 2-0 victory. "Antony understands that as a striker you need the end product, but he has eight goals in all competitions," added Ten Hag. "It's only the moment you leave the ball that you have to make a decision. He has to do it. This match was an example that, with both goals, he made the right decision."
Ten Hag also praised Christian Eriksen, the main midfielder who replaced Marcel Sabitzer. Due to an injury during the warm-up, Sabitzer was unable to play as originally planned. Yesterday was also Eriksen's first start since his injury in January.
According to the Dutchman, Eriksen has a natural talent, in addition to a variety of skills and the ability to read the game. "Eriksen won't start if Sabitzer doesn't have to go out, but when you put Eriksen on the pitch, it's not detrimental to your team," Ten Hag insists. "He proved it."
Man Utd ranked third in the Premier League after the victory against Nottingham. Ten Hag's teachers and students own 59 points after 30 matches, three points more than the fourth ranked team Newcastle and the fifth ranked team Tottenham six points. Winning Nottingham is an important step for Man Utd to win tickets to the Champions League next season. Ten Hag's teachers and students still have the Europa League quarter-final second leg and the FA Cup semi-final, in addition to the League Cup won.
