huh?
Is there a way to get more out of Antony?
- Thread starter davidmichael
- Start date
He's mediocre as feck, I'm afraid.
That's what the evidence suggests.
As for the suggestions about using him as a wing-back and whatnot...I understand the desperation, and I share it, I suppose. But - nah. Forget about that, it won't happen and I really don't think there's a grand wing-back hiding there either. Just a run-of-the-mill player we overpaid for in the extreme.
We need better management. We shouldn't overpay in the extreme for someone like him.
That's what the evidence suggests.
As for the suggestions about using him as a wing-back and whatnot...I understand the desperation, and I share it, I suppose. But - nah. Forget about that, it won't happen and I really don't think there's a grand wing-back hiding there either. Just a run-of-the-mill player we overpaid for in the extreme.
We need better management. We shouldn't overpay in the extreme for someone like him.
Yes. Train him to go on the outside down the right more often, even if he then dribbles down the line back to his left foot. And get him to practice shooting every session so he gets his shots on target
Elite at tracking back and top level dribbling only in certain situations. We've got a gem on our hands."Elite at tracking back".
That's a first.
You have to admire some folks dedication to the craft of making arguments no matter how asinine they sound. Truly Elite!
Play him as a RCM just for shits and giggles. Hell even a CM!
And just tickle my fancy and let us see him at CB next to Martinez. “Ball playing CB” who is dirty and has a lot of fight to him
And just tickle my fancy and let us see him at CB next to Martinez. “Ball playing CB” who is dirty and has a lot of fight to him
On a football pitch, no chance.
On the market maybe 20-30m and send a cake aswell.
On the market maybe 20-30m and send a cake aswell.
Yes.
A bit like Valencia in many ways. He does some things really well, but is below par in other areas. I'm not sure what's so hard to see about this?
Some people really struggle with comprehension around here. Where did I say he was constantly leaving players for dead? Where did I say he's been good, even? I literally said that he's not effective enough. But all you can see is someone saying something slightly positive about a player you clearly hate, so you respond like, well, the 10 year old you're accusing me of being. Again you get a
Play him left, at least then he could cross without having to beat a man.... hell right now play him as a 9, can't be worse than Martial
The best place for him is the bench, he will do the least damage there.
Half jesting answer: convert him into a left back
Serious answer: try and sell him and recoup what we can
Serious answer: try and sell him and recoup what we can
Ask him to double in as a server at the cafeteria ? He cannot take a leave for training or matches during his shift. Then make sure his shift coincides with every single match we play. So, now you have a guy that can do a spin with a football while serving at the cafeteria which makes him more entertaining than anyone else there. Plus he cant play real matches and we don't automatically start a man down. Solved !
He is worse than a broken down Martial even when he is in top form Antony got nothing on Martial workrate is the only thing he got on him. People are acting like Martial is some guy who never has shown anything at all at this club and that he’s been kept because of pity.
Biofuel?
Used to play for Sevilla as a right winger originally mate.
Now that Sancho is out for the season loan, Antony will stand alone collecting points as the worst value United signing, ever.
I don't think it could be any worse than what he is producing on the right wing, so it's not the worst idea. I just don't know a scenario that he would play many games centrally.
He doesn't have a bad touch or technique, he just has no dynamism to his play in this league, he can't beat anyone, he can't go body to body with anyone, he doesn't have any killer instinct as a winger that will get between the posts and score. So he's very much blunt as an attacking force. If all you want is someone to link play he could probably do a job, but again, is he ever really going to come in for Bruno who plays every game, is he ever going to be a choice over chucking on Mctominay to break lines? Hard to imagine.
He doesn't have a bad touch or technique, he just has no dynamism to his play in this league, he can't beat anyone, he can't go body to body with anyone, he doesn't have any killer instinct as a winger that will get between the posts and score. So he's very much blunt as an attacking force. If all you want is someone to link play he could probably do a job, but again, is he ever really going to come in for Bruno who plays every game, is he ever going to be a choice over chucking on Mctominay to break lines? Hard to imagine.
Giggs and Maradona were heavily one-footed but were able to punish opposition with both feet over a long period of time. Valencia was famously one-footed but could actually put in a decent cross with his right foot from the right side, although he is also famous for smashing balls again and again into the ankles of fullbacks and rarely looked for the shot. Antony almost never even attempts a cross and is the kind of footballer who only looks for the shot and when it's not on gets dispossessed.
Would Anthony break into the first team at a club like Villa or Brighton? I think there's your answer.
Put him in the middle.
Jesus he's already being investigated by the fuzz, there's no need encourage him add an attempted burglary charge on top.
We should be discussing replacing Anthony, not changing systems to get him to do basic stuff like beating a FB 1v1. He came, we saw, he can not conquer....time to move on. Amad and Garnacho are there as options. We need to be more ruthless earlier on, rather than dragging these bad deals on for years. Real madrid just terminated hazards contract and let him go. Arsenal did this to pepe. Barcelona has done the same before as well. We need to get to the point where we release these lousy ballers earlier...and then make sure we NEVER sign such limited players ever again
May be play him on the left, tell him to cut his stupid take ons. Drill him to strictly hit-run-cross simple, hit-run-cross alla Valencia.
Watch him play well when mount or/if amad plays in the cam position.
I’d like to hear how these “top level” skills have translated into goals and assists this season in the league.
What does it say about Ten Hag, who managed him at Ajax, that he wanted him so bad? He knew the player, very well. Stam says he was an average player in Holland! Beggars belief.
Coaching is about maximising your ability but there is a limit. If the level of the player to start with isn't that great to begin with, you're just throwing even more time and effort at him for scant reward.
Daniel James had more to his game that this guy.
Use him as a turnstile so he can actually put his pirouettes to good use.
play him on the left wing.
Valencia had pace to burn and could keep the FB's honest. Antony is not the fastest and cannot cross. He'd be worse on the left than he is on the right.
All the suggestions to convert him to a FB are not going to work either as successful FB's who aren't very pacey, like say Blind or Alonso, have terrific vision, passing and crossing ability. Antony doesn't have that either. He gets frustrated and starts fouling like an idiot when things don't go his way. He'll give a lot of pens and free-kicks in dangerous areas if he played there.
Only thing he has is this "Elite Tracking back" ability and some mediocre dribbling skills. I don't think he can be a success in any of the big leagues with those skills. He'll have to find his way back to the Eredivisie if he has to forge a decent career for himself.
I think he’ll be better on the left
Send him to a weaker league, have a good season, sell.
He doesn't have the decision making to be a good #10, doesn't seem to be the type at all.
If we're speculating about alternative uses, I'd rather think about left wing or left wing back. With his one-footedness, he'd provide something different from the left than he does from the right, which maybe would be for the best considering how little he's providing from the right. And given that his defensive application in many ways is the most consistently good aspect of his game, you'd think he might do something as a full back. But I'm sure there are lots of objections that can be raised to both of those ideas too.
In some ways, you could argue "a Sancho from the right" is just what we need. All of our attackers except Sancho are very direct in their style - we're arguably really missing someone who would rather hold on to the ball and look for the pass.
We don't have much viewing to go on from the left wing position, but from what little there's been I can't really recall bad crossing as a particular problem? I do vaguely remember thinking he actually looked better playing from that side. Not much of a case, I know.
Left back in the changing room!
Just send him back to Brazil hes the most expensive mistake in our history.
So far…….
Antony's problem for me is that he's a poor passer. Can't get away with that anywhere but right up front in the modern game for me. So unless he's suddenly going to become a no.9 then I think he just has to get better. RB is an outside shout because he is good at winning the ball and keeping hold of it, it's just what happens next that is the question mark.
Its a simple one, teach him to cross more wih his right foot. He runs at players and finds himself with a bit of space to cross with his right but instead he cuts back to get onto his left. He's often run a fair way forward by this point and is isolated whilst others catch up so the whole move slows down. One thing in his favour is that he occupies full backs but if he brought the risk of firing in crosses as well as cutting in he would be very dangerous.
The problem is playing Antony on LW will expose his biggest weakness to (contrary to many people's belief it's not passing with weaker foot, it's passing with the stronger one), and will nullify his biggest strength - cutting inside. I don't understand what is the rationale behind this idea.