According to The Sun, Manchester United's big-ticket summer signing Antony ignored manager Erik ten Hag's directives in their humiliating 6-3 defeat at the hands of Manchester City on Sunday. The Dutch manager asked his wingers to support players in the defensive setup to contain Manchester City's intense attacks.
Ten Hag's £85.5 million summer signing started on the right wing for the Manchester derby. The Red Devils conceded four goals in the first half as Phil Foden and Erling Haaland ran riot at the Etihad Stadium.
United did put up a fight in the second half, scoring three goals, but that was just not enough for the day. Both Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks for City. Antony scored the opening goal for the Red Devils, while two more were added by Anthony Martial in the second half.
However, the Brazilian was criticized for not following his manager's instructions and helping Diogo Dalot on United's right side.
As mentioned earlier, Erik ten Hag was constantly telling his wingers from the sidelines to support their defenders during City's counter attacks.
The Dutch manager also insisted on supporting the defenders during their practice sessions before the Manchester derby. However, the Brazilian defied the manager's directives and the defenders could not contain the wave of attacks from Pep Guardiola's side.
Former Manchester United players, including Paul Scholes, took a dig at the lazy players on the wings, including Antony and Jadon Sancho. Posting a picture of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs on his Instagram account, Scholes captioned:
"Anyone remember when wingers used to help their full-backs?"
After enduring a humbling defeat at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez were also reported to have engaged in a heated argument.
Cristiano Ronaldo's exit plan for the winter transfer window will not be opposed by Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag: Report
According to the Sports Bible, Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo will push for an exit in the upcoming winter transfer window after he was not allowed to leave earlier this summer.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has found himself sitting on the bench for the majority of the Premier League matches under United's new full-time manager Erik ten Hag.
Despite being the highest goal scorer for the club last season, Ronaldo is unhappy with the Dutchman's decision and is seeking a way out. Unlike in the summer transfer window, Erik ten Hag is now open to letting Ronaldo leave.
Ten Hag was recently criticized by many United legends for benching Ronaldo against Manchester City and was accused of showing disrespect to a player of his stature.