Antony sends emotional message to Man United fans after shock January replacement revealed ahead of Premier League restart

Antony sends emotional message to Man United fans after shock January replacement revealed ahead of Premier League restart

Manchester United winger Antony is looking forward to a fresh start when the Premier League gets back underway.

After a two-week break for internationals, the Premier League returns this weekend, with Manchester United away at Everton.

Goodison Park was one of the stadiums Antony scored at last season, early in his career at the club, where he made it three goals in three successive games.

Worryingly, he has scored only Premier League goal for Manchester United since, and none this season.

Antony message to fans
Antony was not part of the Brazil squad during the international break, an outcome which was down to a combination of his poor form, and the allegations against him. The two can be tied together.

But what that does mean, is that the winger has had a much needed break to reset and recharge, ahead of the Premier League resuming.

While many fans want to see Facundo Pellistri involved as a starter this weekend after his international exploits for Uruguay, there is a good argument to be made that Antony is fresher, with no game time or travel time clocked up over the past fortnight

He is determined to kick on, sending a message on Instagram yesterday stating: “Focused and ready to do my best. Always with you, United.”

There is a touch of humility about Antony’s message, reflecting a player out of form. He is making no promises about what he can deliver, just pledging to give his all, which is the kind of effort Manchester United fans will at least appreciate.

It is encouraging to see the Brazilian looking for a reset and ready to fight for the shirt. We need to see him kicking on during a crucial month of fixtures, featuring matches against Galatasaray, Bayern Munich, Newcastle, Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool.

Antony struggles may be mental
Looking back to last season’s game at Goodison is an interesting time. Antony was flying, and Premier League defences had not quite cottoned onto him.

But it also illustrates a time when his confidence was high, and that’s not the case right now.

Gone are the tricks and flicks. And the spins. These have been beaten out of him by the relentless criticism he has received. But we want to see a bit of flair. We want productivity too, but there’s a balance.

It’s clear this has been a difficult start to the season for the winger with off-field issues, and the general malaise and injury issues at United have not helped.

But it’s time to dig in and kick on, so let’s give him our support and see him prove a valuable part of the team, whether he ever lives up to his price tag or not