Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag needs much more from Antony after he answered his critics within the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
The former Ajax winger has come underneath scrutiny for his output since his £82million summer time transfer from the Dutch membership and Ten Hag was pressured to defend him within the build-up to the conflict on the City Ground.
And he instantly rewarded that religion with a formidable efficiency, scoring one and making the opposite as United strengthened their grip on the highest 4.
But Ten Hag shouldn’t be satisified and desires his extra consistency from the Brazil worldwide.
“I defended him. He knows, I know as well, when you are a forward, you need end product,” Ten Hag stated as United moved six factors away from fifth-placed Tottenham. “But already he had quite a lot of end product, he scored in all competitions now, eight goals, first year at United is not bad and still games to go.
“But he has to do it. I can’t say in every game, but many games if you want to be a top-class player and especially in all the competitions.
“In the Premier League, there are a lot of quality defenders and you have to act on a really high level.
“It is a lot about scanning, taking the right decision. There is only a split moment where you have to take that decision.
“He has to step up. Today was an example where, with both goals, he made the right decision.”
Antony opened the scoring within the thirty second minute when he confirmed need to get to the rebound first after Anthony Martial’s shot was saved. He then beautifully created Diogo Dalot’s purpose with an incisive by ball.
Ten Hag added: “It’s so important in top football, the timing, the right moment to bring the pass is huge, it makes every impact, it makes the difference between a goal and no goal.
“The goal he made, he was in the right spot, in the right moment to get the rebound. The second goal was a great team goal, how we built that up, the way Antony did it to bring the pass, and in the right moment. The movement from Diogo was fantastic. It was good to see.”
Forest didn’t have a shot on the right track and at the moment are winless in 10 video games, with Steve Cooper’s job remaining underneath extreme menace after proprietor Evangelos Marinakis’ warning that outcomes and performances “must improve immediately”.
They had been aggressive within the opening half an hour and will simply have been awarded a penalty when a nook appeared to strike Harry Maguire’s outstretched arm.
But referee Simon Hooper didn’t give it and VAR official Andy Madeley selected to not overrule.
Cooper was insistent that was not the explanation his aspect misplaced, however is anticipating a meaningless apology from the PGMOL.
“I am not going to say it is the absolute reason we lost the game but I think it is a definite penalty by Maguire and possibly a second yellow card and could be a game-changer,” he stated.
“I repeat, it’s not the reason we lost, and I won’t hide behind a penalty decision, but I do think it is a really, really, really bad error. One from the referee on the pitch, but benefit of the doubt from that angle and bodies around the high handball. But for VAR not to give it, they apologised last week and are going to have to apologise again tomorrow, which means absolutely nothing.
“But it is happening too many times for me. I’ll say it for a third time, I don’t think it’s your headline why we lost the game, but I don’t think these errors should be happening.
“I try not to be the manager who talks about poor decisions but the Harry Maguire one I am struggling to get my head around it, especially the VAR.
“We are having a tough time with the refereeing department and unfortunately we have been on the wrong end, it’s our turn this week.”