'It's not normal!' - Erik ten Hag urged to force 'predictable' Antony into fixing glaring weakness because misfiring Man Utd winger is 'too stubborn to change'

Antony, who is United's second-most expensive player of all time, has no goals or assists this season in all competitions and has been frequently criticised by supporters and pundits for his lack of impact. And former United striker Saha believes it is manager Erik ten Hag's duty to get him firing.

“There is a bit of stubbornness in the way Antony plays. When you have a predictable style, you have to change it up. Whether it's him, his manager or even his entourage, everyone can see he needs to change something," Saha told Paddy Power. “But Antony isn’t willing to change. The manager [Erik ten Hag] keeps playing him right wing and he [Antony] is sticking to the same thing. I’m sorry, at some point, it becomes the responsibility of the manager because it’s not normal!"

Antony scored in his first three matches after signing for United in August 2022 from Ajax, where he had played under Ten Hag. But defences soon started to work out his style of play and blocked him from cutting in from the right wing on to his left foot and firing at goal. Saha believes switching wings could work in his favour. “Maybe he could try playing him on the left and getting him, with his magic left foot, to cross the ball in-between the goalkeeper and defender, let’s see what happens," the Frenchman said. "They have a striker who is willing to commit in that area and they will have a better chance of those weak crosses or half a shot that he attempts from the right."

Saha went on to suggest Ten Hag may need to take drastic measures in training, adding: "It’s difficult to understand how many more games you need in that configuration to see that if this formula isn’t working for Antony. If he [ten Hag] still wants to keep Antony on the right wing, I would force him to only train with his right-foot for two weeks. That will introduce a bit of diversity to his game, and he will control the ball with his right foot without thinking about it. He might even cross with his right foot and when he’s struggling on his left, he can do a dummy and go on his right foot. That’s what his game needs: diversity. Until he understands that, he’ll keep struggling in the Premier League. He needs to be forced to do things that he isn’t comfortable with, it's got to be an obligation."

Antony missed United's 2-0 win at Wigan in the FA Cup due to injury and is unlikely to return in time for Sunday's Premier League match at home to top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur.