In the early morning of September 18th, the 3rd round of the EFL Cup will see a compelling matchup as Manchester United will face Barnsley. In the pre-match press conference, United manager Jens Ten Hagel expressed his views on the team's lineup and players' status, especially on Anthony, who has attracted a lot of attention recently.
Tenhag began by recognizing Anthony's professional attitude, "Anthony is giving his all on the field and he is fighting for his place. This is exactly what we expect from every player at Manchester United, professional soccer is like that, you need to earn your place by constant effort and performance." He emphasized that there is healthy competition within the team, which is good for the growth of the players and the progress of the team.
In response to Anthony's recent performance, Ten Hagar said, "Anthony's performance needs to bounce back, and I firmly believe he has the ability to do that. If he can show his strength in the next games, then he is fully qualified to compete with other players for playing opportunities." Ten Hagar has given full credit to Anthony's ability, while also setting the bar higher.
Speaking about Anthony's emotional state, Ten Hag said he understands: "Of course he's upset because he's eager to play and is working hard to do so. But we must also see that other players are doing equally well and are making important contributions to the team. Amad Diallo and Gancho, for example, are very efficient, while Rashford also scored at the weekend." Ten Hagar believes that Anthony needs to work harder in training to prove that he deserves more playing time.
Finally, Ten Hagar re-emphasized the competitive mechanism within the team: "We will only select those players to play who I think are most likely to help the team win the game. The players must understand this and work hard for it. I believe that through competition, our team will become stronger."
As the 3rd round of the EFL Cup draws near, the whole Manchester United team is actively preparing for the match and looking forward to showing their best form in the match. And for Anthony, this is undoubtedly a great opportunity to prove himself.
