Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag believes domestic violence allegations have affected Antony’s performances this season
ERIK TEN HAG says out-of-form Antony is still struggling with the fallout from allegations of domestic violence.
Investigations are still ongoing in Brazil and the UK over claims, which he denies, from an ex-girlfriend.
Antony was given leave to miss games in September and fight the allegations but has not been able to recover any sort of form since.
Manchester United manager Ten Hag said: “I can explain. I think it's very simple. His off field issues stop him playing.
“His first year was okay, the pre-season was very okay, first four games was very good, I've seen the game against Spurs back and he played a very good game.
“But from the moment he was out and then he came back and didn't deliver the performance you should expect from him and he can do so much better.
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“It has had an effect, an impact on him, definitely so he has to deal with that, he has to sort them out but he has to do better.”
Ten Hag insists the £82million Brazilian winger will eventually prove value for money having proven himself at times last season and when they were together at Ajax
Ten Hag said: “You mention Ajax, I look back at his effectiveness, his end product was higher and also in the Champions League very high.
“He's capable of doing this, key actions, key passes, the crosses, the finishing, it's very high and he should return to that level but Premier League is more difficult and he's capable of doing that.”
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Ten Hag has had different problems with another winger this season in Jadon Sancho who this week returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan having fallen out with the manager.
He did not want to talk anymore about the fall out but only wished him well.
He said: “I hope he's doing well, so I wish him the best of good luck. That's it. I hope he's doing well and he'll be a success.”
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.