Man Utd flop mocked for thinking ‘he was a real baller in the Eredivisie’ with Barnsley his ‘level’

Man Utd winger Antony has been mocked by a Dutch football expert for thinking “he was a real baller in the Eredivisie” before moving to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have had a mixed start to the new Premier League season with Erik ten Hag under pressure after losing back-to-back matches against Brighton and Liverpool before the international break.

But Man Utd bounced back from their humiliating 3-0 home defeat to arch-rivals Liverpool with a fairly comfortable 3-0 victory over Southampton after Cameron Archer missed a first-half penalty for the Saints.

And the Red Devils had further success in midweek as they brushed aside League One outfit Barnsley 7-0 in the Carabao Cup with Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Christian Eriksen all scoring two goals each.

Rashford may have had a hat-trick but chose to give a penalty to Antony to get off the mark for the season with the Brazilian obliging as Man Utd moved into the fourth round.

Antony has struggled to make an impact for Man Utd since making the £85m move from Eredivisie giants Ajax in the summer of 2022, with just five goals and three assists to his name in 55 Premier League matches.

And Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan insists that Ten Hag will be “praying” Antony still comes good after convincing the Man Utd board to spend £85m on his services.

Van der Kraan told talkSPORT : “Erik ten Hag is praying it will still happen because, on his advice, so much money was spent on this player. It’s the usual trap that Dutch coaches fall for when they go to England, they’ve seen players in the Netherlands that have done alright.

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“Antony came from Brazil, joined Ajax and in Brazil, he was a big talent. He comes to the Eredivisie which is not on the same level. He thought he was a real baller in the Eredivisie. Yes, you are against the likes of Utrecht and Go Ahead Eagles.

“You only play three or four big games in a season and yes he did light the stadium up a few times in the big games but it’s not a consistent period. Then he came to England and thought ‘Oh hang on, I’m facing really tough opponents’.”

And Van der Kraan insists it is not good enough for Antony to show his “level” against League One side Barnsley after Man Utd paid so much money for his services.

The Dutchman added: “In the past, he would scrap a bit as well. He was one of those Brazil street kids who would do that and he’s found out that when he meets some boys from London or Manchester or Liverpool who grew up on the streets there, they’re just as tough as him.

“If Antony’s level of playing has gone down to the Carabao Cup against Barnsley, then that is not the sort of line you want to take in your career when you move for so much money.”