Erik ten Hag’s transfer trend meant that 80 per cent of Manchester United’s starting defence against Southampton – goalkeeper included – were former Ajax players.
One saved a penalty, another scored and a third, Lisandro Martinez, was one of the men of the match. For all the criticism aimed at the United boss, if there was any game to justify this transfer knack it was this one.
Ten Hag has been keen to underline that while his signings have the commonality of being players he’s formerly worked with, it is not an intentional policy. “First of all it is club decisions, none of them is only my decision,” he said in August.
“It is a decision made by more than just one. But, some, you know also players and personalities and it has to fit also in the finance.”
While the aforementioned transfer trend has largely continued with Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, it’s hard to argue that another ex-Ajax player, Antony, would have ‘fit the finance’ under the current regime.
The £85million signing has left fans feeling short-changed with just 11 goals and five assists in 83 matches. Antony remains the second-most-expensive signing in United’s history but can count on one hand the number of minutes he has received this season.
Substituted on for Amad in the 90th-minute at Brighton, he came on in time to see Joao Pedro score a stoppage-time winner for the Seagulls. And to add to the Brazilian’s frustration, the man he replaced that day is firmly keeping him out of the team.
Amad was United’s most potent attacking threat with the team under the cosh before the opener against Southampton. He was involved in the team’s first three openings of the game before Andre Onana’s penalty save inspired a change of the tide, De Ligt heading home a few phases later.
Amad also recorded an assist for Marcus Rashford’s strike. His reward was being allowed to complete a full 90 minutes for the first time in a senior United shirt. More such occasions are bound to follow this season.
“I want to step up this season because I am so motivated and I am so excited,” the Ivorian said ahead of the start of the season. So far, so good.
The attacker only needs another goal to match Antony’s tally for the whole of last season, having already equalled his 2023/24 Premier League count. He is currently making Ten Hag concede defeat regarding the most expensive signing of his managerial career.
Of course, there will be a chance for Antony to come in and react. Amad has not yet completed a full senior season at United, which is one of his objectives for this term having suffered injury for the first half of the last campaign.
Rotation will be necessary and so Antony’s first start of the season will likely come against Barnsley in Tuesday’s League Cup clash, although Saturday goalscorer Alejandro Garnacho, able to play on the right, might want a say on that. But Ten Hag’s little use of Antony up to this point is quite ominous.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been keen to clear out deadwood both in the boardroom and in the playing squad, as seen throughout this year. Some would already place Antony, 24, in that category and there were even speculative links with a late loan to Turkey this summer.
That always seemed unlikely given Jadon Sancho’s departure for Chelsea left fewer realistic right-wing options. But the fact United are planning to bring in a winger within the next few transfer windows is an indicator of what the new regime thinks of the depth of the current stock.
There is still time to perform a seismic U-turn in form but for now, Antony must accept his new role as the back-up to Amad, who is giving Ten Hag little other option.