A recent report covered by The Peoples Person indicated that United have grown tired of Antony and his failure to justify the big money paid for him in the summer of 2022.

This season, the winger is yet to register a goal or an assist. He was booed off by supporters during United’s 1-0 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage after yet another dismal performance.

His replacement, Facundo Pellistri did much more during the limited time he was on the pitch and even registered an assist for Bruno Fernandes’ match-winning goal.

The report divulged that United had proposed a swap deal to Flamengo for 27-year-old forward Gabriel Barbosa with Antony going the other way at least on an initial loan basis.

Fabrizio Romano however put a halt to the rumours of Antony’s exit and relayed that United are hopeful that the 23-year-old will get back to his best soon enough.

This has been backed by journalist Jorge Nicola who apparently spoke to Antony’s staff and questioned them about the player’s future.

A representative speaking on behalf of Antony told Nicola that there is no chance of the Brazil international going back to the South American nation regardless of the club.

It’s understood that United will “insist” on the player after making a huge investment in him. Erik ten Hag also has faith in the former Ajax star and harbours hope that he can show his true quality.

The feeling is that even if United were to suddenly decide to part ways with Antony, they would sell him to a European outfit as they could recoup most of what they paid for him.

As per Nicola, Antony moving to Brazil is a “crazy speculation” that should be “ruled out.”

With regard to Barbosa arriving at Old Trafford in the winter transfer window, Nicola branded such rumours as “absolutely weird.”

This is because the Flamengo man has not been playing well enough to warrant interest from the 20-time English champions in addition to his age which makes him an unattractive proposition for a club like United.

Venê Casagrande also opened up on suggestions of Barbosa completing a move to Ten Hag’s side and said, “This doesn’t make any sense. This is bull.”

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As explained here by The Peoples Person (with a healthy dose of scepticism), the winger was reported by The Daily Mirror to be a target for Brazilian side Flamengo.

The Brazilian giants were thought to be willing to offer Gabriel Barbosa to United as part of the deal. The striker has scored 139 goals for Flamengo in 246 appearances – averaging a goal roughly every two games.

Goals are an area Erik ten Hag’s side have struggled with immensely this season.

Rasmus Hojlund has begun life brightly at Old Trafford with a number of impressive performances, though this positivity has yet to translate into a league goal. This is primarily due to a complete lack of service, however, as well as an over-reliance on the shoulders of a 20-year-old forward with only one year of top flight experience.

Anthony Martial has contributed sparingly in this time, while his namesake, Antony, has contributed the square root of zero. With Marcus Rashford also misfiring, United have looked toothless going forward this season.

Barbosa would, therefore, have made theoretical sense, as a back-up striker to help supplement the attack. But theory is where this idea will remain.

Romano rejected the idea of a potential swap deal, describing how there “absolutely nothing” to the story in a YouTube interview today.

The transfer guru points out the two players share the same agent, believing that coincidence to be the likely source of the rumour, rather than any genuine discussions between the clubs.

Instead, Romano contends, United’s focus is on helping Antony to regain the type of form which saw the club target him in the first place; not to find him a new home.

This may prove disappointing news to the fanbase, however, who appear to be at their wits’ end with the Brazilian winger, following a dismal performance on Saturday against Fulham. 

Antony was substituted in the 63rd minute to a chorus of boos after one of the worst displays by a United player in recent memory (and that’s saying something). His replacement, Facundo Pellistri, ended up providing the assist which ultimately won United the game.

While Antony may not start a game for United again any time soon, Romano’s words indicate his long-term future remains at Old Trafford.

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Amad has not tasted any minutes this season courtesy of an injury he picked up during a pre-season clash against Arsenal.

The Ivorian featured frequently during the tour and looked set to play a big part in Erik ten Hag’s plans for the 2023/24 campaign but his progress was halted by the injury.

United recently provided an update on Amad’s progress and indicated that he is back training on the grass, suggesting a return to competitive action is not too far away.

The Red Devils have struggled for goals this season, with the forwards currently available to Ten Hag barely firing.

In particular, Antony has been far from inspiring this term and already looks like a waste of money. Against Fulham, the Brazilian was taken off and was booed by supporters who were clearly disgruntled with his performance.

His replacement, Facundo Pellistri contributed much more and even registered an assist for Bruno Fernandes’ match-winning goal.

Amad Diallo could just be the solution Ten Hag needs. When he returns, a decision must be made with respect to the winger’s immediate future. That is, whether to send him out on loan or keep him at Old Trafford.

Owing to his heroics with Sunderland last term, Amad is unlikely to be short of suitors keen on landing his services.

According to Football League World, Leicester could be a possible destination for the United star. It’s understood that the Foxes retain a long-term admiration for the player and would be happy to have him as they seek Premier League promotion.

Amad’s arrival at the King Power Stadium would reportedly constitute part of a “dream” January transfer window for Enzo Maresca’s side if they elect to pursue the dazzling forward.

As per Football League World, it is highly unlikely that Leicester would turn up their noses at Amad, and could jump at the opportunity to sign the 21-year-old for the remainder of the campaign.

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Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and football pundit Jermaine Jenas expressed his frustration with Manchester United winger Antony over his performance against Fulham on Saturday.

While Man United came away with a 1-0 victory, the team’s performance was largely underwhelming, with the team unable to assert any real dominance over the home side.

Jenas, however, felt that the Brazilian winger was to be held accountable for his performance in particular.

As reported by Express, Jenas slammed Antony for a seeming lack of effort, particularly when it came to his failure to defend against a threatening Fulham attack.

“Everyone on the planet knows what Willian wants to do there, he wants to drop his shoulder, cut in on his right foot and get a shot off,” the pundit exclaimed, continuing, “To just hang your leg out, put your team under pressure like that towards the end of the first half, it’s not forgivable.”

The former Spurs defender didn’t just restrict his criticism to Antony’s lack of defensive desire, however.

Jenas accused the 23-year-old winger of “killing” United’s attacks and having no impact on the game.

“How he has stayed on the pitch as long as he has I don’t know. Poor,” the retired footballer exclaimed.

Despite receiving a barrage of criticism, Antony has received backing from United manager Erik ten Hag.

Following the team’s 3-0 loss to Newcastle United in their Carabao Cup clash during the midweek, Ten Hag reaffirmed his belief in the player, claiming that he is the right player for the club.

While Antony only recently returned to the field following his brief absence amid his legal troubles, pressure is already mounting on the Brazilian to perform.

Considering that Jadon Sancho may no longer form part of Ten Hag’s plans, the likes of Antony and Rashford will need to step up their game in order to pull United’s attack out of the muck.

If not, United may just look to the transfer market in January in order to find a suitable replacement.

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United’s forwards have struggled to find the back of the net this season.

Between Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho and Facundo Pellistri, United have only managed one Premier League goal.

Last term, the Red Devils primarily relied on Rashford’s heroics in front of goal, but the Englishman is currently experiencing a bad patch of form.

He missed United’s game against Fulham due to an injury suffered in training.

Erik ten Hag’s men still managed to win courtesy of a late goal from Bruno Fernandes – a much-needed win that will relieve some of the pressure that was mounting on the team.

Against Fulham, Antony was poor yet again. He barely contributed anything and it was unsurprising that he was the first to be taken off. The winger was booed by fans as he walked from the pitch.

His replacement, Facundo Pellisri did a lot more and even registered an assist for Fernandes’ goal.

According to The Mirror, United have seemingly grown tired of Antony, who was signed in the summer of 2022 from Ajax in a £82m deal. To say the player has not lived up to his price tag would be a massive understatement.

In addition to his consistently poor performances, Antony has had to deal with allegations of domestic abuse brought forward against him by his former partner.

The Mirror reports that United want Flamengo’s Barbosa and have offered the Brazilian outfit Antony in part exchange on a loan basis.

“Barbosa, 27, who has scored 18 goals for top-flight Flamengo this term in all competitions, is available at a discounted £20million as his contract is up at the end of 2024.”

“His club Flamengo are also interested in taking Barbosa’s Brazilian compatriot Antony off United’s hands on loan in part exchange for the forward, who has five goals in 18 caps for his country.”

It’s understood that Ten Hag’s side will likely face competition from AC Milan for Barbosa.

The goalscorer feels he has a point to prove in Europe following his previous spell with Inter Milan which saw him only net once in 10 Serie A appearances.

James Nursey adds that David Moyes’ West Ham explored a move for Barbosa in January last year but nothing materialized.

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Heading into the game, pressure was mounting on Erik ten Hag and his players to get back to winning ways after a number of poor results.

Ten Hag started Andre Onana in goal, with a defensive four of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Diogo Dalot ahead of the Cameroonian.

In midfield, Christian Eriksen started as United’s deepest-lying man with Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay alongside him in the middle of the park.

Rasmus Hojlund led the line with Antony and Alejandro Garnacho on either side. Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 1 – 0 win against Fulham.

Raphael Varane’s peculiar exclusion

In yet another game, Varane was left out.

Amidst suggestions of rifts in the background and dressing room unrest, it was reported that Varane is one of the players who may be unhappy with Ten Hag.

It was relayed that the Frenchman was not amused by the manager’s decision to leave him out of the game against Manchester City in favour of Evans and Maguire due to “tactical reasons.”

Varane did not feature vs. Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. United claimed that he was ill and that was the sole reason for his absence.

Conflicting reports relayed that the World Cup winner did not train and was not satisfied with his ongoing situation with respect to lack of game time despite being fit.

It was therefore surprising when the team sheet came out for the Fulham game and Varane was on the bench again.

It’s puzzling that Ten Hag gave the nod to Maguire and Evans once more despite Varane’s presence.

On more than one occasion across the 90 minutes, Maguire had to come off for treatment but even then, Ten Hag did not opt for Varane.

Not to say that Maguire and Evans have done anything particularly wrong when they’ve started together but few will disagree that Varane offers much more and is easily the better defender when in top shape and injury-free.

Varane only came on int the dying embers of the game for Garnacho, to ensure United got over the line.

United struggling to create enough clear-cut goalscoring opportunities

A noticeable theme of the game was just how much the Red Devils struggled to fashion enough goalscoring chances.

With the exception of McTominay’s disallowed goal in the opening 45 minutes, United barely created anything for the rest of the half – something that extended into the second period.

Most of United’s chances came about through trying long-distance efforts that frankly, didn’t trouble Bernd Leno who was mostly comfortable throughout the game.

Ten Hag’s men had a lot of possession but it’s disappointing they could not do much with the ball up until Fernandes grabbed the late winner.

United had Eriksen and Fernandes on the pitch, arguably two of the Premier League’s most creative midfielders but even then, chances were far between each other.

As has usually been the case, Hojlund cut a very frustrated and lonely figure up front. The Dane did not have much to pounce on.

He was visibly angry when substituted.

During the game, the away fans could be heard chanting “attack attack attack” in an apparent effort to get the players to speed things up.

United’s forwards have struggled to put the ball into the back of the net this term and while this has been down to poor finishing, another primary reason is that they’ve not been presented with enough opportunities to score.

This is something Ten Hag will undoubtedly be keen to sort out if he is to be successful in retaining his job as manager of the 20-time English champions.

Antony extremely poor again

Antony was easily United’s poorest performer against Fulham.

The Brazilian contributed next to nothing when he was on and it was hardly a shock that he was the first to be taken just minutes after the hour mark.

It has usually been said that Ten Hag’s continued selection of Antony and his favouritism for the player is one of the players’ major gripes with the Dutchman.

Consistently this season, Antony has failed to justify his inclusion in the starting XI and already, he appears to be another player United have wasted big money on.

Even Facundo Pellistri who only played a few minutes managed to do more than Antony did. The Uruguayan registered an assist for Fernandes’ goal.

It’s telling that when the 23-year-old came off, United fans cheered in response to the change made by Ten Hag.

There's a Brazilian winger on the pitch United could/should have signed: Willian in 2018.
United fans cheered as Antony was substituted. He has been abysmal again. #mufc

— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) November 4, 2023

If United are to be a successful team going forward, they can no longer rely on Antony – clearly a very limited and one-dimensional player not suited to playing at this level.

The post Three things we learned from Man United’s late win vs. Fulham at Craven Cottage appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Manchester United’s dismal start to the season continued last night, crashing out of the Carabao Cup to Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

The visitors comfortably swatted United aside by three goals to nil, exacting revenge for last year’s defeat in the final of the same competition.

Erik ten Hag made seven changes from the Derby defeat to City at the weekend with Brazilian winger Antony rewarded for his petulant cameo on Sunday with a starting place last night.

The forward, along with his teammates, didn’t do much to repay the manager’s faith, producing a powderpuff display and piling the pressure on Ten Hag.

As reported by Metro, the manager was quizzed on the form of his former Ajax player and tried to defend the underperforming winger.

“There is also the team, first, the team is not playing well, when they don’t bring him the balls, again, I’m also responsible for that,” said the boss.

Ten Hag then admitted Antony isn’t playing at the level he can and urged him, and his teammates, to regain their form.

“But, obviously, also, there’s a lot of noise and that dropped his levels. He can do better, but all the players can do better,” he said.

The boss then praised the winger’s personality and has backed him to get back to his Ajax form and make his mark at Old Trafford.

“Antony is also a fighter, he has the confidence, he is brave, I am confident he will bring the performance that (shows) he is the right player for us.”, he added.

Ten Hag also took responsibility for United’s alarming form at the start of his second season in charge, promising fans he will do all he can to reverse the fortunes of his underperforming side.

‘It is below the standards everyone expects from Manchester United – it is not good enough by far.
At this moment we are in a bad place. I take responsibility for it. I see it as a challenge.

I am a fighter and I am in that fight and I have to make sure that I share the responsibility with my players and that we stick together and fight together, and get better results,” said Ten Hag.

United face a massive week upcoming, with a trip to Fulham for the early kick-off in the Premier League on Saturday before travelling to Denmark to face Copenhagen in the crunch Champions League group game, next Wednesday.

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(A score of 6 is around average)

Andre Onana 5- Gets low points for being the goalkeeper that conceded two but in reality, he was left helpless by the defence for both.

Diogo Dalot 2- His game screams “fatigue” at the moment. Had a torrid time in both attack and defence. Made makeshift fullback Miguel Almiron look like a dynamo on his flank. Was relieved by Ten Hag at half-time, off for Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Harry Maguire 4- Was indirectly responsible for Lewis Hall’s goal as his header fell to the player for the second goal. The “renaissance” talks were always premature, the last two games have proved it.

Victor Lindelof 3- Restored to his natural centre-back position but there was no improvement in form to show for it. The whole defence looked at sea every time Newcastle attacked and he didn’t help.

Sergio Reguilon 4- Can’t really be directly blamed for any goal but was signed as an emergency third option and has played like one. United need more.

Casemiro 3- Got his customary booking early in the first half and picked up right where he left off pre-injury. He might actually be done at the top level, at least in a deeper position. Subbed off at half-time.

Hannibal 3- Could say he was “eager to impress” but in reality, was just plain poor decision-making as he pretty much dared the referee to send him off throughout his stint.

Mason Mount 4- Tested the goalkeeper with a sighter from long range but doesn’t look like a £60 million player right now, let alone a United No. 7.

Antony 2- Can’t really say anything about Antony that hasn’t been said already. His bad performances are like clockwork at this point. Biggest blot on Erik ten Hag’s recruitment at United.

Alejandro Garnacho 4- Ran fast and hard, but no quality in the final third. Showed why he’s rarely trusted to start games, especially when teams give no space in behind.

Anthony Martial 2- Rasmus Hojlund will feel no threat for his place anytime soon. Anonymous display from the Frenchman and ideally, should be one of his last appearances for the club.

Substitutes:

Aaron Wan-Bissaka 6- Provided crucial thrust and overlap on the right when he came on. If he keeps up the encouraging signs, it will be a huge boost to United.

Sofyan Amrabat 3- In competition with Casemiro to see which defensive midfielder is in worse form. Dispossessed for Newcastle’s third.

Rasmus Hojlund 6- He’s the crowd favourite at least but the predicament he finds himself in is too much for his 20-year-old shoulders.

Marcus Rashford 5- Body language is a perennial problem with him. No attacking impact or impetus after coming on.

Bruno Fernandes 5- Missed a good chance to at least open United’s account but nothing going right for the United captain right now.

MANAGER ERIK TEN HAG 2: The losses are piling up, and the excuses are shrinking. Newcastle walked to Old Trafford with second-stringers and had United feeling dizzy. Doesn’t get one because at least there was rotation in the starting XI. Otherwise, there’s no structure and identity to United’s play at the moment. The clock is ticking now.

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Speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports Football, Cole was asked how he would feel if he was the centre forward in a team with Antony on the wing.

The treble-winning striker is obviously not a fan of the former Ajax star.

“He’d drive me mad,” Cole said.

“He doesn’t score enough goals. He doesn’t create chances. You don’t know what he’s going to do.”

“He’s so left-footed.

“If you’re a striker making a run at the near post you know you’ll never ever get the ball.”

Antony has been selected for United tonight as they attempt to get their season on track by reaching the Carabao Cup quarter finals.

He has increasingly come under fire from Man United fans who are frustrated with his lack of support for the current United centre forwards.

As discussed by The Peoples Person yesterday, Antony and Marcus Rashford only managed 56 crosses in the whole of last season in the Premier League.

Rasmus Hojlund’s ability to get off the mark in the competition has been put down to this lack of service by pundits such as Ruud Gullit and Rio Ferdinand.

Cole’s comments clearly indicate that he is in total agreement.

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Players such as Marcus Rashford and Antony have come in for some stick from the likes of Ruud Gullit and Rio Ferdinand for not providing a proper service to Rasmus Hojlund, who is yet to get off the mark for United in the Premier League.

Before Hojlund, Cristiano Ronaldo seemed constantly frustrated by the lack of service provided to him.

As noted here yesterday, Rashford himself seems to perform better when not playing alongside a traditional CF. When a number 9 like Anthony Martial is deployed, there is more positional fluidity and Rashford seems to revel in that freedom.

Both Rashford and Antony have often been accused of being selfish players, more intent on cutting inside to take the shot themselves rather than putting in a cross for the striker to pounce on.

Could there be a very simple explanation as to why this is the case?

Rashford is a right footed player playing on the left wing. Antony is a left-footed player playing on the right wing. This plain fact means that their natural instinct will be to cut inside on their strong foot rather than reach the byeline and cross with their weaker foot.

The same could be said of Jadon Sancho, a right footer bought by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to play on the right wing but being deployed – until his exile – by Ten Hag mostly on the left.

Fans have often observed that Rashford does not seem as effective on the right as on the left, but to the naked eye, it would appear that he is far more likely to attempt a cross than to cut inside when deployed in that role. Perhaps some persistence playing him in that position would allow this aspect of his game to develop and as such, a better service would be provided to the central men.

This might come across as an old-fashioned approach to the game and the role of a winger is much more fluid these days than simply putting a good cross in. Much more emphasis nowadays is placed on the full backs to put in the crosses from the overlap. Liverpool have exploited this tactic perfectly with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson both in the top 10 PL crossers last season. Another full-back, Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier tops the list.

Nonetheless, if a winger is too one-footed, his game becomes too predictable and too easy to defend. The likes of Bukayo Saka at Arsenal and Jack Grealish at Manchester City also play the reverse wing to their stronger foot, but are arguably much stronger with their weaker foot than Rashford and Antony.

Looking at the Premier League’s crossing stats for both this season and last, Bruno Fernandes is United’s top crosser. In 2022/23 he was 19th in the PL rankings for number of crosses, this season he is fifth – possibly due to the proportion of games he has played in the right wing role.

Diogo Dalot is second for United this season and Christian Eriksen third. Rashford is fourth for United and only 77th in the PL overall for crosses delivered. Then comes Mason Mount before we finally find Antony in 108th position.

Last season, Bruno was again by far United’s most frequent crosser. Luke Shaw came second, but was only 38th in the league, then came Eriksen and Dalot, before Antony, in 125th place. Rashford was a shocking 148th.

Between them last season, Rashford and Antony totalled 56 crosses. Compare that to Trippier, who managed 393 on his own.

Luke Shaw is obviously a big miss for United in this area so far this season but it is still an issue. If switching Rashford and Antony’s sides seems too drastic, would it not be worth at least trying to have them alternate for sections of the game?

All stats from Premier League.com

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