This week I heard a bunch of people mumble some things about Antony.
Is he good enough? Is he worth 100 million? Why does he always cut to his left foot, and never to his right? Is he Arjen Robben in disguise or something?
This last comment is weird. I mean, I’ve noticed it as well, but only last year at Ajax Antony was known for his ability to drive defenders mad by constantly varying cutting inside with runs wide - from where he could put in a cross for centre forward Sébastien Haller.
So what’s so different now? I’ll tell you: the right back operating behind him.
This year, United has mainly played Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot at right back. And although both players have their uses (for this season at least), they are not of the same quality as Antony’s partner at Ajax, Noussair Mazraoui.
At Ajax, Mazrouai was known for his ability to recognise moments when he should invert and occupy the half space between the right flank and the centre of the pitch, and when he should go for the overlap.
This allowed Antony to basically do whatever the situation called for: shake out some samba to the left, or shake out some samba to the right.
In all honesty, Wan-Bissaka and Dalot, it ain’t quite the same. Not because they’re bad, necessarily, but simply because Mazraoui was that good.
If I was a tactics guy, this is where I’d include a bunch of hard-to-understand graphs and maps, showing you how good Mazraoui was at exactly this sort of thing. But I’m not a tactics guy, more a ‘Dutchman you happened to meet in the pub’-guy, so I’m not going to bother.
You’ll just have to believe me when I tell you Antony + Mazraoui is one of the sickest duos I ever saw at Ajax. Together, those two could play.
If Manchester United want to see Antony perform as well as he did at Ajax, he might need a right back of similar quality behind him. And only then might he be able to justify his price tag.
Let’s hope the new owners agree. And that they’ll be willing to get the cheque book out if need be.
Also: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMYLJEYHL/
Great take and observation!