Man United player Antony has taken aim at critics who have made ‘unfair’ and ‘malicious’ comments about him this season, alleging none of them have ever given him ‘constructive feedback’.
The Brazilian international has had a rough season at Old Trafford this season, struggling for confidence as Manchester United struggle under Erik ten Hag’s leadership.
The Brazilian international winger, who cost United £85 million from Ajax last summer, has yet to score or assist in ten Premier League games this season, putting him under pressure and receiving harsh criticism from former United legends in the TV studios.
In October, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville called him ’embarrassing’ after lashing out at Jeremy Doku during United’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City, and he’s previously faced criticism from Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes.
Antony has now slammed pundits for criticizing him without providing any constructive feedback or sending him letters of support during “a period of turbulence I am going through.”
‘Today, I see criticism coming from former club players and other people in the media, who unreasonably express their opinions and influence thousands of fans, sometimes even when I do not play.
“But I’ve never seen them give constructive criticism, which will help me be a better professional. None of them have ever sent me a message to see how I am feeling, especially during this period of turbulence that I am going through,” he said
The 23-year-old Brazilian winger criticized the “internet court” that was condemning him, saying it was easy to criticize when no one was going through the same difficulties he was.
“I would like to know how these people who make these unfair and malicious criticisms fared in my place,” he said.
He also discusses his “daily battle” of staying in shape, “regaining my integrity,” and “having peace of mind.” Speaking about United’s troubles on the field, Ten Hag’s men have lost six Premier League games, putting them in seventh place in the table, and are at risk of being eliminated from the Champions League. Ten Hag is now under intense scrutiny ahead of their trip to Chelsea on Wednesday night, with Antony admitting the team is “unstable”.
“The season is not as good as we wanted; we are unstable,” he said. “But we lost a lot of injured players, fundamental pieces for Erik Ten Hag’s chess. With the return of part of the squad, we will improve, and results will improve.”
In addition to Neville’s comments, Ferdinand has previously criticized Antony, suggesting the winger is incapable of beating a guy.
“The concerning thing for me with somebody like Antony is that he can’t beat anyone, and for a Brazilian, that’s surprising,” he told his VibeWithFive podcast last year.
“He just doesn’t beat anyone, and I’m sitting there thinking, “Was that always the way?”
“I’ve seen clips of him when he was at Ajax, and he was somebody who used to beat people. I saw [Thomas] Partey, who I wouldn’t put down as like a roaster or a sprinter, absolutely burst past him, and I’m thinking, “Woah, he [Antony] hasn’t got much power in their legs.”
He was also chastised by another United star, Paul Scholes, who characterized him as a ‘one trick pony’ last season.
“Antony, on the other side, doesn’t run in behind. He seems to be a bit of a one-trick pony.
“He’s always cutting inside and either passing back to the full-back or having a shot. You’re thinking he needs to develop a little bit. It’s still early days for him; we know that.”
