Antony delivered another poor performance as Manchester United were dumped out of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag insists he’s ‘a fighter’ after Manchester United’s eighth defeat of the season

Antony, on the other hand, has been chastised for his lack of output on United’s right-wing, failing to live up to his €100 million (£85.6 million) transfer fee since joining from Ajax 14 months ago.

Andy Cole, speaking in the Sky Sports studio ahead of United’s Carabao Cup loss, emphasized Antony’s troubles and said the Brazilian would ‘drive me absolutely nuts’ if they were in the same squad.

Asked if Antony is anywhere near the player he thought he was signing, Ten Hag said after United’s defeat to Newcastle: ‘There is also the team; first, the team is not playing well, and when they don’t bring him the balls, again, I’m also accountable for that.

‘But, obviously, there’s a lot of noise, which reduced his levels. He can do better, but so can everyone else.

‘Antony is also a warrior; he has confidence and bravery, and I am convinced he will deliver the performance that [demonstrates] he is the ideal player for us.’

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Ten Hag has also backed himself to help United recover from their eighth defeat of the season on Wednesday night.

‘It is far below the standards that everyone expects from Manchester United,’ Ten Hag remarked.

‘Right now, we’re in a difficult situation. I accept full responsibility. It strikes me as a test. I am a combatant in that fight, and I must ensure that I share responsibility with my teammates, that we stick together, fight together, and achieve greater results.

‘We have to make things right. It’s my squad, and they’re not doing well. I am accountable.

‘As a team, we are not good enough, and whatever the cause, there is no room for excuses.

‘We have to do things better and elevate our standards because else you never get the correct levels of performance and results.

‘However, I am a fighter. I understand that it is not always going up, and we have had a lot of setbacks this season, but you have to cope with it, and that is never an excuse.’