‘He doesn’t score enough, he doesn’t create’ Andy Cole blasts Manchester United winger

United signed Antony in a €100 million (£85.6m) deal from Ajax last year but the Brazil international has struggled for consistency since linking back up with Erik ten Hag.

Antony has no goals or assists in nine appearances for United this season and Cole, who scored 121 goals in 275 appearances during his playing career at Old Trafford.

And Cole admits he would’ve hated playing alongside Antony in the same United side.

‘He would drive me absolutely mad,’ Cole told Sky Sports.

‘He’s an individual, we all know he’s very left-footed, he’s an individual who never goes to the right-hand side so as a centre-forward, if you’re making a run to the near post you know you’re never going to get it.

‘He’s going to check back, you’re not sure when he’s going to put it in the box.

‘He doesn’t score enough goals for me, he doesn’t create enough chances for his teammates. So you look at that and say, ‘okay, what are you giving?’. That’s what you’re expecting from him.

‘They’ve spent a hell of a lot of money on him, the manager’s backed him and he’s found it really, really tough.’

Cole and Gary Neville also criticised Anthony Martial for his lack of development during his time at United.

‘Sometimes I ask myself the question, when you walk away from a broadcast like Sunday thinking, ‘are we being too harsh?’,’ Neville said.

‘But when you hear that stat that a guy [Martial] has been at the club nine years, a goalscorer that cost £50 million, £60m, £70m, has scored basically 89 goals in nine years and we still can’t get him out the club, I don’t think we are being too harsh. I don’t think we’re being harsh enough.

‘The failings of the football department and recruitment is just absolutely incredible. They’re human beings at the end of the day and no one wants to go on the pitch, play badly and not achieve their standards. Nobody wants to be injured.

‘So I accept all those factors but the reality is there is no way he should still be leading the line at Man United in any competition, even the Carabao Cup. It’s just where the club is at the moment, they don’t have a centre forward apart from Hojlund who I think has real promise but he needs experience alongside him.’

Cole added: ‘It’s a tough one.

‘He’s been here nine years and scored 89 goals. When you play centre forward at a club like Man United, that’s not enough goals.

‘He’s been given another opportunity today, and he could get goals but can he take Man United where they need to be? He’s been here nine years and not done it so it’ll be very difficult for him to do it now.