The Red Devils don't deserve to be in the FA Cup final, but the £85m ($105m) winger failed to read the room with his classless celebrations
Manchester United survived a scare of monumental proportions at Wembley on Sunday. After inexplicably blowing a 3-0 lead in their FA Cup semi-final tie against Coventry, they were a "toenail" from crashing out of the competition right at the end of extra-time, with VAR controversially ruling that Haji Wright was offside before providing the cross for Victor Torp to tap home from close-range.
It would have been arguably the greatest upset, and collapse, in the 153-year history of the FA Cup, and no less than the Championship side deserved. But United did eventually get over the line, edging the subsequent penalty shootout 4-2, with Rasmus Hojlund coolly dispatching their decisive fifth spot-kick.
Hojlund was understandably experiencing an adrenaline rush as he ran over to celebrate in front of the United fans, but it was more out of relief than anything else. And when the Danish striker turned around, most of his team-mates were rightly too ashamed to go over and congratulate him.
In fact, the only man who didn't seem to have any grasp on just how hollow this victory was for United was their much-maligned Brazilian dud, Antony. He attempted to goad Coventry's heart-broken group of players, cupping his ears after turning to face them in a quite extraordinary display of ignorance.
It's no exaggeration to say that Antony embodies everything wrong with this United team. He's an overrated, overpaid prima donna who offers no real value to the collective cause, and has to be the first out the door when the summer transfer window opens for Sir Jim Ratcliffe's proposed rebuild to properly begin.
Getty'Most shameless flop ever to grace our league'
Antony's antics after United's shootout win didn't go down well with former Crystal Palace star Clinton Morrison, who said on : “But that’s him. That’s him as a player. He needs to worry about his own job instead of Coventry because some of his performances this season show he could be playing in the Championship next season.”
Aston Villa's all-time record goalscorer Gabby Agbonlahor went a step further on , suggesting Antony may be "the most shameless flop ever to grace our beautiful league", before labelling him a "prat" who wouldn't even get into Coventry's starting XI.
It would certainly be a huge surprise if any Premier League suitors came forward for Antony this summer. If the 24-year-old is to be sold, as widespread reports suggest, United will have to accept a major loss on their initial investment, despite the fact he is still under contract until 2027, because they won't have any bargaining power.
United had a three-goal lead against Coventry and were in complete control of the game when Antony came on in the 66th minute, which tells you everything you need to know about the former Ajax attacker. Yes, he is part of a disjointed, confidence-stricken team, but the Red Devils look much worse whenever he's on the pitch.
AdvertisementGettyIncredible lack of self-awareness
Antony scored in each of his first three Premier League games, a feat no other new United player has ever managed, after following Ten Hag to Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer of 2022. That only briefly silenced the critics who had slammed the club for paying way above market value to sign the Brazil international, though, as he went on to finish the season with just four league goals, infuriating supporters with his predictable style of play and lack of end product.
It would have been harsh to judge him after just one full campaign, as it can often take foreign players a bit longer to settle into a new environment, but there has been no hiding place for him in 2023-24. In 34 appearances across all competitions, Antony has registered just four goal contributions, and has yet to find the net in the Premier League.
United placed the Brazil international on a leave of absence in September after he was accused of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin, and since being given the green light to return to action he has struggled to even earn a place in Ten Hag's line up. Indeed, Antony has started only two of United's last 14 games, with Alejandro Garnacho taking his place on the right flank in the majority of those outings.
Despite all of these damning facts, in the build-up to the Coventry game, Antony had the nerve to tell : "My confidence is back through hard work. This despite having gone through a lot, I’ve been through some very difficult moments. Today, I’m turning things around and have been for quite a while now. Importantly, I continue working regardless of the situation.”
Antony's lack of self-awareness is quite staggering. His deplorable actions at Wembley showed that he's living in his own little world, oblivious to the irreparable damage he has done to his career over the last 18 months and the fact he is probably the worst signing United have ever made.
Getty ImagesNo signs of improvement
Antony's most impactful moment as a United player to date came in their thrilling FA Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford, as he netted a stunning 87th-minute equaliser to force extra-time. There didn't appear to be much on when Antony received the ball with his back to goal some 12 yards out, as he was swarmed by Liverpool defenders, but he swivelled smartly before firing a low right-footed shot into the far corner, catching everyone in the stadium off guard.
Although it was undeniably a superb piece of improvisation, Antony's reputation as a one-trick pony preceded him, and Liverpool clearly didn't expect him to let fly from his weaker side. "I have been working silently to evolve and show my football on the field," he said after United's eventual 4-3 triumph. "I have also been training my right foot, to make it better. I know my potential and I know why Manchester hired me."
Unfortunately, Antony has since provided no further evidence of that extra work on the training pitch. It was clearly a one-off, because he's still constantly cutting in on his left foot and wasting promising United attacks due to his reluctance to attack his marker or deliver early balls with his right.
A few weeks later, Antony notched his first Premier League assist of the season at Chelsea with a quite remarkable outside-of-the-foot pass to Garnacho, but it was unnecessarily high-risk given the angle favoured a right-footed cross. Most of the time, Antony's attempts at the spectacular fail.
There has been no real signs of improvement from Antony and it's difficult to see what he could offer to any elite club at this point. He's slow, technically poor and ineffective in the final third; add to that his unlikeable personality and you have all the ingredients of a toxic player, the kind United fans have become all too accustomed to putting up with in recent years.
GettyDressing room full of 'd*ckheads'
"I don’t see character in this group of players, I really don’t," Roy Keane told at Wembley on Sunday. "It’s getting to the stage that I’m almost disliking them. In extra-time Coventry looked like a Premier League team and Manchester United looked like a Championship side."
The United legend was responding to Harry Maguire's claim that the team showed "great character" to progress, which was a poor choice of words, but in line with how the players have generally conducted themselves after unacceptable performances throughout the season. Instead of taking responsibility, there is always a focus on the positives, and empty vows to bounce back in the next game.
It's one of the main reasons Keane and the majority of the United fanbase dislike them. Unlike Antony, Maguire did at least show some humility by going straight over to console Coventry's beaten warriors, but he was as much to blame as anyone for their initial comeback and helps to enable a culture of mediocrity.
Andre Onana was the shootout hero, but his time-wasting attempts late in the game just put United in more danger. Stand-in centre-back Casemiro looked like he didn't care as he lumbered around the pitch, and his nonchalant penalty attempt was nothing short of embarrassing, while Marcus Rashford didn't bother to track back and help defend at any point before his eventual withdrawal through injury.
This United squad is full of arrogant cowards and has-beens, which is why this season has been such a disaster. According to , the club's former CEO Richard Arnold stressed the need for a "no d*ckheads" policy when having input on transfers after Ten Hag's arrival, but the Dutchman clearly didn't get the memo, and now a huge overhaul will be necessary if they are to ever get out of this rut.
