Dimitar Berbatov has urged Antony to refrain from attempting flashy manoeuvres and concentrate on resurrecting his form at Manchester United.
The Brazilian winger has faced a challenging start to the 2023/24 season, failing to score or assist in 11 appearances.
During the recent match at Fulham, Antony’s struggles were evident, leading to his substitution after 63 minutes, a move that was met with both ironic cheers and jeers. Despite Coach Erik ten Hag’s support, Berbatov believes Antony needs to return to the basics to turn around his performance.
In an interview with Betfair, the former Bulgarian international emphasized Ten Hag’s trust in Antony but suggested that the player needs to demonstrate his coach’s faith with hard work rather than attempting extravagant plays.
Berbatov advised Antony to simplify his approach and avoid overcomplicating things, cautioning against attempting flashy tricks that don’t benefit the team when struggling.
“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.
