Antony made a big impression on his Manchester United debut, scoring after just 35 minutes in the win over Arsenal.
His trickery also caught the eye, but former Ajax boss Hen ten Cate has warned him that Premier League defenders won’t stand for it.
Ten Cate coached at Chelsea as assistant in 2007/08 and saw the physicality of the top flight in England up close.
He warns Antony has a long way to go before he earns the respect of his opponents which only the very best can command.
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Antony warned by Ten Cate
Ten Cate, who also worked as an assistant at Barcelona, was quoted by FC Update that he believes Erik ten Hag should tell Antony to cut down on the trickery.
He said: “In England he is then sawn off from below his ankles. That is really without mercy.
“As a coach I would definitely tell him to stop doing that. He has to deal with internationally renowned defenders in the Premier League.
“That is very different than a left back in the Netherlands. He is not yet Mbappe or Neymar.”
Ten Cate is right that Antony will be facing a different calibre of defender than he may be consistently used to – but Tyrell Malacia‘s quality shows that ‘left backs in the Netherlands’ can provide some stern competition themselves.
Antony should keep at it
Antony also starred in the Champions League last season, providing four assists in seven games, so the new challenge won’t phase him.
He actually looked very comfortable in the win over Arsenal, and used his trickery and fancy footwork quite sparingly; most of all having an end product.
Ten Cate is right that some defenders may try to rough him up, but Antony is not easily intimidated.
Erik ten Hag knows him better than any other manager, and it’s unlikely he will be asking him to tone down his play anytime soon.
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