Antony hits back at 'malicious' Manchester United critics and former players

Manchester United forward Antony has slammed pundits and former players who have made 'unfair' comments about him, insisting none of them have given him 'constructive criticism' to work on.

The Brazilian forward has endured a difficult start to the campaign and is yet to score a goal or register a single assist in his 14 competitive appearances so far.

It is sometimes unfair to judge a player too harshly on their goal contributions, but it is fair to say more is expected from a player who cost the club £85 million a year ago.

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Gary Neville labelled him 'embarrassing' after kicking out at Jeremy Doku during the 3-0 derby defeat to Man City, while last season he was labelled a 'clown' by Paul Scholes.

Antony has now hit back at his critics and has, in turn, criticised them for not offering him any support during his difficult transition period to the club.

"Pressure has always been with us for those who play in big clubs, especially regarding United," he told The United Stand. "My life has always been very challenging, and I have had to go through many situations that many cannot imagine. I grew up in a hostile place, where eating, having a good house, having the internet, and access to a good education were a privilege; I would say that for us on the 'favelas,' all of these were a luxury few people could have. This was a period in which I learned to deal with pressure and challenges. The pressure of life!

"Today, I see criticism coming from former club players and other people in the media, who unreasonably express their opinions and influence thousands of fans, sometimes even when I do not play. But