Manchester United legend Andy Cole has criticised the playing style of Brazilian winger Antony as he continues to struggle to make an impact at Old Trafford.
Antony joined Man Utd from Ajax last season and initially looked an exciting signing for the Red Devils, though it’s fair to say now that he’s proven a big disappointment, and fans will be starting to doubt if he can bounce back and prove a worthwhile acquisition.
Former United striker Cole is clearly not a big fan of Antony, saying he’d find him a nightmare to play with as a striker, as he’d be relying on more delivery from out wide than he currently offers.
While Antony has shown that he’s a player with great skill and technique, he does have a bit of a habit of trying one too many tricks, and holding onto the ball for too long, without much in the way of an end-product or good decision-making.
Cole clearly doesn’t think much of how Antony tends to play the game, as he admitted he’d be tearing his hair out if he had to play up front and rely on him from out wide.
“If I played with Antony, it would drive me mad. As a centre-forward, if you’re playing with someone like Antony and he doesn’t get to the byline and put crosses in, then you’re going to be pulling your hair out,” Cole told Betfred, as quoted by the Metro.
“Strikers need crosses, especially Rasmus Hojlund who hasn’t scored in the Premier League yet. When Antony cuts in on his left-foot, nine times out of ten he’s going to shoot. The only chances Hojlund’s going to receive from Antony is if the opposition goalkeeper parries any of his shots from distance.”
Cole added that he’s particularly frustrated with Antony because of how much the club paid for him, and how little he seems to offer the team as a whole.
Most MUFC fans will surely find that hard to argue with, though he’s also far from the only big-name signing that’s gone badly wrong for the club in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.