Dimitar Berbatov has urged Antony to stop attempting ‘stupid things like tricks’ as he tries to resurrect his form at Manchester United.
The Brazilian winger has suffered a difficult start to the 2023/24 season having failed to register a single goal or assist in 11 appearances.
At Fulham last Saturday, Antony was hauled off after 63 minutes by Erik ten Hag after another poor performance; this decision was met with a mixture of ironic cheers and jeers.
Ten Hag has attempted to back his signing from Ajax in recent weeks declaring him a ‘fighter’. However, Berbatov is adamant the forward will be able to turn around his form if he gets back to basics.
Speaking to Betfair, the former Bulgarian international explained: “Erik ten Hag likes Antony; everybody knows that because they worked together at Ajax. It’s clear he has a soft spot for him because every coach is like this with certain players.
“Ten Hag is giving Antony his trust. Antony needs to know that every time he steps on the pitch, he needs to justify Ten Hag’s trust, work his socks off to show, ‘yes boss, you’re trusting me, I don’t want to let you or the team down.’
“However, right now, it’s not working well for Antony, so my piece of advice would be to keep it simple, don’t overcomplicate stuff. The moment you start thinking you’re Ronaldinho or [Zinedine] Zidane while you’re struggling in games, you’re going to suffer even more. Don’t try to do stupid things like tricks that are not beneficial for the team.
