da apostaganha： The Brazilian may have got himself on the scoresheet at Rodney Parade, but his glaring flaws are still holding the Red Devils back

da 888casino： "It's about believing, working and NEVER giving up! Honoured to wear this shirt on this special day!!"

Antony's words on Instagram after Manchester United's 4-2 victory over Newport on Sunday were those of a man who felt like a weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders. Erik ten Hag's side survived a scare against the League Two side to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup, and had Antony to thank for scoring the decisive third goal.

It was the first time the Brazilian has found the net for United since April 2023, and the relief poured out of him as he dropped to his knees and celebrated by pointing to the sky. Antony also bagged an assist, and was praised by Ten Hag for his "end product" after the game, which ensured he went home thinking it was a job well done.

But the reality is, Antony still didn't look anywhere near close to an £85 million ($108m) player. Many of United's most promising attacks came to nothing because the former Ajax winger picked the wrong pass, or dribbled down a blind alley with his head down.

He also failed to track the run of Newport left-back Adam Lewis before Will Evans' equaliser, which briefly gave the hosts hope of one of the all-time greatest cup upsets. All this, while Amad Diallo sat freezing on the bench.

Underappreciated talent

Amad returned to United last summer after a successful loan spell at Sunderland, and had his sights set on a regular spot in Ten Hag's lineup, only to suffer a serious knee injury in the final weeks of pre-season. It's been a long road back to fitness for the 21-year-old, who initially moved to Old Trafford from Atalanta in a £37m ($47m) deal in January 2021.

All of the hard work Amad put in with United's physio team eventually paid off, though, as he was introduced from the bench against Nottingham Forest on December 30 for his first competitive appearance in the famous red shirt for two years. United ended up losing 2-1, but not for a lack of effort from Amad, who gave the visitors an injection of pace and quality in attack after replacing Antony in the 54th minute.

It should have been the beginning of a new dawn for Amad. However, a mystery illness ruled him out of United's subsequent 2-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Wigan, and he was also omitted from a 2-2 draw with Tottenham in the Premier League six days later.

Getting back on the substitutes list at Newport would have done little to build Amad's confidence. He deserves a regular run of starts, especially with Antony performing so badly on the right-flank.

One Sunderland supporter took to to voice their frustration, writing: "Here, Amad Diallo – if they're not going to start you in the FA Cup away at Newport County, it really really isn't worth you giving them your time. Come home, come somewhere you are truly appreciated."

Amad reportedly liked the comment, before later removing all traces of the post from his timeline. Erik ten Hag keeps a close eye on his players' social media activity, as Jadon Sancho found out to his peril, and by acting quickly Amad may just avoid an internal punishment.

But no one could begrudge the Ivory Coast international if he is feeling under appreciated. Amad's unique talents are going to waste right now, and he needs to weigh up whether Old Trafford is the right place for him to continue his development.

AdvertisementGetty'It's really simple stuff'

Antony is already destined to go down as one of the biggest flop signings in the history of the Premier League. It's difficult to see what United ever saw in the Brazil international, aside from the fact he had already worked with Ten Hag, who was a fan of his "fighting" qualities at Ajax.

A modest haul of just 13 goal contributions from 67 appearances for United to date only tells half the story. The Red Devils' threat down the right is almost non-existent when Antony plays and opposition defenders are able to push him away from goal far too easily.

The 23-year-old also appears to have no right foot or turn of pace. He can be deadly on his left if given enough space to shoot, but has a habit of running straight into traffic, usually after trying to pull off an unnecessary trick.

"If Antony got on a bike he'd just cycle around in circles wouldn't he?" Guy Mowbray said while commentating on United's win over Newport for . "Because his left leg is brilliant and his right leg is practically not there."

Former England and Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy added: "What I'm surprised is why Antony isn't doing crosses in training on his right foot. Just do some runs, float some up, they don't need to be fizzed in. I was at Fulham with Damien Duff and he was brilliant at that. He'd float some in with his right and cut in when he can on his left. It's really simple stuff."

The fact that Ten Hag is oblivious to how predictable Antony is goes a long way to explaining why United have been so poor as a collective this season. As the old saying goes, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Amad wins training duel

Ten Hag has kept faith with Antony despite openly acknowledging what Amad can bring to his United team in the final third. "He is very ball secure. He can bring a key actions, final passes, score a goal," the Dutchman told the club's official website after Amad's lively cameo against Forest. "And so I think he has some weapons. That is always what you are looking for with offensive players."

Antony doesn't have any of those, and what's more, Amad is equally capable of wreaking havoc with his right foot as he is his left. To make matters even worse, United inadvertently shone a spotlight on the clear gulf in class between the two players in the days leading up to their trip to the City Ground.

A short video posted on the club's official X account showed Amad and Antony taking part in a one-on-one drill designed to test their effectiveness in advanced areas. It proved to be easy work for Amad, who executed a perfect 'flip-flap' to elude his marker before steering the ball into an empty five-a-side net.

Antony also scored, but it took him a lot longer because he let the defender get back at him three times while performing a series of stepovers, and he refused to try and spring clear on his right foot. It was exactly the kind of showboating United fans have become so exasperated with over the past two seasons.

Peter Schmeichel has been among those to voice his frustration, with the legendary former United goalkeeper recently telling South African TV channel : "I really think he [Ten Hag] should rethink Antony's position. He doesn't give much to the team. He frustrates his team-mates. It's really frustrating. He's had an opportunity for a long time, but it's like he's not really understanding the game."

GettyTen Hag fails to stand firm

Negative press has also followed Antony away from the pitch this season. The Brazil international has been accused of domestic abuse by multiple women, including his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin.

Antony was dropped from the Brazil squad after Cavallin went public with her allegations to in early September, and United granted him a temporary leave of absence. He returned to the first team squad by the end of the month after denying any wrongdoing, but police investigations in Sao Paulo and Manchester are still ongoing.

Ten Hag believes the saga has taken a toll on Antony, as he told reporters before United's draw with Tottenham: "I think his off-field issues stop him playing. They have had an impact on him, definitely, so he has to deal with that. So he caused them, so he has to sort them out. We will give him all the support but he has to do better. First year he was okay.

"In the pre-season he was very okay, first four games [of this season] he was very good. But from the moment he was out and then he came back, he didn't deliver the performance we should expect from him and he can do so much better. His end product in Ajax was very high and he could return to that level. The Premier League is more difficult but he's capable of doing that."

Antony didn't come on until the 88th minute against Spurs, and Ten Hag should have named him on the bench again at Newport if he was really serious about prompting a change in the Brazilian. Instead he allowed him to walk straight back in to the United XI, and two goal contributions against fourth-tier opposition is all it took to convince Ten Hag he is back to his best.