Manchester United supporters think they know why Erik ten Hag still picks Antony on the right wing despite a poor start to the season.
The 23-year-old is yet to score or register an assist this term and came off for Facundo Pellistri just past the hour mark as United chased a winner against Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
Pellistri would play a vital part in the decisive goal, teeing up Bruno Fernandes in the 91st minute to snatch a 1-0 win late on.
Victory sees United move up to eighth in the Premier League table and eases the pressure on manager Ten Hag.
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What Pellistri's involvement over the weekend has done is increase calls for him to start regularly over Antony, who cost a whopping £86 million from Ten Hag's former club Ajax in 2022.
The pair worked together in the Netherlands and won two Eredivisie titles in addition to the KNVB Cup before Ten Hag decided to take the United job.
He insisted the club signed Antony, who chased the Brazil international throughout the summer.
They paid over the odds to secure his signature, something supporters on Reddit believe is playing a part in his selection methods.
U/Gamersaurolophus kicked off the conversation by claiming: "I think he is starting every game since the past one and half year, and Ten Hag wants him to ball out so that questions can't be asked over his transfer fee over Antony."
That saw u/retrogradeparallax chime in: "Antony was bought because ETH knew him and Sancho wasn’t performing. I’m convinced Sancho is being pushed out to recoup some fees since we managed to get so little for other players. [Jadon] Sancho being younger than other players means we can hope to get a relatively decent chunk of change."
u/ikemenDesu420 then followed up with: "A proper board/DOF would've signed him for £50m and the complaints and expectations would be reasonable at least."
It's not just Antony who has struggled in United's forward line this summer.
Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford have one goal each in all competitions, while Rasmus Hojlund's three goals have all come in the Champions League. Anthony Martial is yet to net this season, and Jadon Sancho remains exiled from the squad.
United have a key game against Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday evening and know victory is required to have any chance of qualifying for the last 16.
Who do you think should start in Denmark on Wednesday evening? Antony or Facundo Pellistri? Let us know in the comments.
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Topics: Manchester United, Antony, Premier League, Erik Ten Hag
Daniel Marland