Man United captain Ruben Amorim recently sparked a scandal between himself and Antony's agent Junior Pedroso. Amorim said Antony's current success at Real Betis is partly due to the lack of physical competition in La Liga compared to the Premier League.
Almost immediately after this statement, Junior Pedroso criticized Ruben Amorim and said that the head coach of Manchester United "deduce the value of La Liga and Spanish tournaments".
It is clear that Antony's form at Real Betis and Man United is two completely different extremes. The Brazilian striker has scored three goals and provided two assists for Betis since joining in January on loan. Meanwhile, at Man United, he scored only 12 goals in 96 appearances.
"Antony is currently playing very well in Spain, but I think most of the factor comes from the lack of physical competition there" - Amorim shared.
"I don't agree with Amorim's argument. That statement is no different from undermining the value of La Liga and Spanish football. Obviously, in the past, Antony did not have enough confidence to show off his talent.
" Of Amorim's 15 games in charge at Manchester United, he has only used Antony for nine, for a total of 252 minutes. How can you evaluate a player when you don't have enough time to prove his worth?
Obviously, this has nothing to do with physique or fitness, it is in the context of Antony having to endure unreasonable management at Man United. Many players are not successful at Man United but play well at other clubs, which makes us wonder whether the problem really lies with the players or not?" - Junior Pedroso shared.
Currently, Antony's contract with Man United is valid until June 2027 with the option to extend for another year. With the current situation, Antony does not seem to be going until 2028 in a deal with The Red Devils. Even when returning to Old Trafford this summer, Antony is not in a hurry to participate in the pre-season with the team and will wait for a decisive decision from Real Betis.
In Amorim's way of operating and using personnel, Antony is considered redundant. Man United's right wing has Amad Diallo, so Antony is not considered the main double. Not to mention that Antony's playing style is somewhat monotonous compared to Amad, which is not suitable when Man United needs a breakthrough to create an advantage.
In addition, in the very strong cleaning of forces from INEOS, people like Antony are at the top of the list and have to pack up early due to receiving high salaries but contributing little. Man United now only hopes Antony will play well at Real Betis so that this La Liga team can buy a break in the summer, which will be good for all three sides.
