Former Manchester United midfielder Gordon Strachan said Antony’s performances remind him of Cristiano Ronaldo when he started at the club.
The summer signing scored ten goals in 40 appearances and set up four more for his teammates in his first season at Old Trafford. But Strachan, who made more than 200 appearances for United in the 1980s, remains unimpressed.
Antony has caught the eye with several skills this season, as Ronaldo often did on his debut for the club. Likewise, the Brazil international was sometimes missing in the final product.
“Well, he has assets,” Strachan said when asked about Antony in an interview with Casinosite.nl. “He reminds me a bit of Ronaldo, although it’s never fun to put another name in the fray.
“He seems to think he is (Ronaldo) but I don’t think he is as good as Ronaldo. There is too much work on the ball.
“I don’t think Antony can get close to Ronaldo, but I think he has to ask himself: ‘Am I doing this for myself or am I doing this for the team?’ for the team, then it’s fine. If you’re doing it for yourself, then cut it out.
“Ronaldo understood it early on and still understands it. We’ve seen some magical things from him (Antony) over the past few weeks, but sometimes when life isn’t great you have to be a good teammate.”
Strachan is keen for Bruno Fernandes to set a better example as United captain too. “We’re talking about a wonderful footballer here, but he’s doing himself a disservice,” Strachan added. “If he could just eliminate acting, he would be one of the most popular footballers in world football.
“Think about it. But he needs people around him to tell him that’s not acceptable. Be a leader. People follow his lead, so do you really want players all the way down to the youth system to follow his lead?”
