There have been plenty of moments during Antony's time at Manchester United when it has become clear that he is struggling to make the grade, but maybe the most damning arrived on Wednesday night. Trailing at home to the worst team in the league, Erik ten Hag withdrew his £85million winger with 35 minutes still to play.
It was a decision that was difficult to argue against. There were some nice touches from Antony in the first half, but no end product. It was the story of his time at Old Trafford.
Handed a start in the absence of Marcus Rashford, his number was up and on came Amad, handed another chance to try and rescue United. For the fourth time in just over five weeks, the attacker was given more than 30 minutes at a time when his team were either level or behind.
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Amad certainly influenced the 4-3 FA Cup win against Liverpool on March 17 and only his sending-off for his celebrations of his late winner halted his momentum. He got on for the second half in the draw at Bournemouth, another 31 minutes in the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City on Sunday and now 35 minutes against Sheffield United.
Across those 146 minutes, the aggregate score is 7-1 to United and while Amad can't lay claim to any major involvement in those goals beyond his stunning Liverpool winner, he is clearly contributing more than Antony. He has to move ahead of the Brazilian in the pecking order under Ten Hag.
Amad has now made seven substitute appearances for the club this season, having initially seen an injury delay his use until December. That also set him back after a brilliant season in the Championship with Sunderland last year.
His loan spells at the Stadium of Light and Rangers before that means it is now almost two-and-a-half years since he last started for his parent club, when he played in a much-changed team that drew with Young Boys in a Champions League dead rubber in December 2021.
While much of the attention around Antony focuses on the £85million fee, Amad arrived with big expectations as well. United committed a potential £37millon on a teenager with barely any first-team experience, with around half of the fee paid up-front and the rest in add-ons.
It hasn't been plain sailing for the 21-year-old since moving from Atalanta and he has to be a candidate to be sold this summer, especially if Ten Hag remains in charge. In his time at United he has been ruthless when it comes to selling players around the age of 20 and 21 who aren't quite ready for a first-team role.
The limited action he has given Amad suggests that is his view on the Ivory Coast international, but after a spell as a super-sub being thrown on in desperate situations, he now deserves a start. That is when judgements can be formed about a player and Ten Hag challenged the youngster to keep influencing games on Friday.
"First of all Amad had a very bad injury so for a long period in this season he was out, he wasn’t available," said Ten Hag. "But he returned and needed some time to get back, to get match fit, he needed training and in some areas he needed to catch up.
"So yeah, I think it’s fair now he gets his minutes. He has to keep fighting, set his performances in the minutes he gets - not gets but deserves I think. And from thereon, you get your position in the starting XI."
Antony has had more than his fair share of opportunities and Ten Hag said on the eve of the Burnley game that "there is coming a point where other players will get more chances". Like Amad, Antony did influence the Liverpool game when coming off the bench and his assist for Alejandro Garnacho at Chelsea was a thing of beauty, but those moments have been all too rare.
Ten Hag continues to defend his most expensive signing and insists there is more to come, but it's not arriving just yet. His failure to look like an attacking threat against the Premier League's worst team on Wednesday night was indicative of his struggles and his inconsistency.
With Rashford still absent through injury and nursing his own grievances if his midnight social media post on Friday was anything to go by, Ten Hag has two right-wingers at a combined cost of £122million to pick from. Amad is the right call.
