Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole said that playing with winger Antony “would drive me mad.”
The Brazilian wide man arrived in summer 2022 to great fanfare in a big-money transfer from Ajax, and had played under Erik ten Hag where he consistently impressed.
However, off-the-pitch issues this campaign, coupled with more than a year of underwhelming form have led to reports that he could be let go as soon as January, potentially in a part-exchange transfer for Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa.
United have struggled generally at the club, and Cole suggested that he needs to be more direct.
In his time at United, Cole played alongside wingers such as Andrei Kanchelskis, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, so was accustomed to regular balls into the box to attack.
Speaking to Betfred, he thought Antony was far from that ideal.
He said: “If I played with Antony, it would drive me mad. As a centre-forward, if you’re playing with someone like Antony and he doesn’t get to the byline and put crosses in, then you’re going to be pulling your hair out.”
Cole then suggested that Antony might be moved on if he does not improve, adding: “If his form doesn’t improve throughout the season, you never know what will happen. It all depends on how much longer the manager wants to stick with him.”