Ex-Man Utd coach reveals reason Ten Hag ‘persisted’ with £82m flop as one teammate ‘missed out’

Former Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has explained why ex-head coach Erik ten Hag insisted on “persisting” with £82m flop Antony.

Last month, Ten Hag was sacked following Man Utd’s miserable start to the 2024/25 campaign as they sat 14th in the Premier League.

The Dutchman’s debut season at Man Utd was a success, but the 2023/24 campaign was woeful as they finished eighth in the Premier League.

Ten Hag kept his job after winning last season’s FA Cup, but INEOS’ decision to retain the head coach was quickly proven foolish as their woes from 2023/24 carried over into the start of this campaign.

The former Ajax boss failed in several key areas as he could not implement a clear style of play and they made several poor signings.

Antony – who was recruited the same summer as Ten Hag for an initial £82m – has gone down as one of United’s worst-ever signings as he’s not come close to living up to his huge price tag.

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There have been some positives for Man Utd following Ruben Amorim’s arrival, but they are 13th in the Premier League form table as he’s lost four of his nine matches across all competitions.

McCarthy worked with Ten Hag at Man Utd and he’s revealed the reason why the head coach “persisted in playing Antony”.

“Tactically, when we set up, the manager felt that Antony was the best, better player for the job that he wanted because he knew Antony from Ajax,” McCarthy said.

“He was his player, so he invested in him, and the club supported him. So, of course, he had to support the player that he bought, I think that’s why he persisted in playing Antony. It’s because he knew the capabilities when Antony was at his best.”

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While Antony has struggled, Amad Diallo was a bright spark for Man Utd towards the end of Ten Hag’s time in charge and he’s also shone under Amorim.

Diallo has been used in various positions and has comfortably been United’s top performer this season. McCarthy has admitted that he was unfortunate to “miss out” for Antony before he found his way into the team.

He added: “And then you had [Alejandro] Garnacho who was also playing well, scoring goals. [Marcus] Rashford, on any given day, could demolish anyone. And then you’ve got [Rasmus] Hojlund, you spend £70m on bringing him in, so he has to play.

“So someone’s got to [miss out], and unfortunately for Amad, the manager goes with the player he thinks is probably more capable for, for those type of games tactically, defensively and attacking.”