Antony returns to scene of his best and worst Manchester United moments with major questions to answer

They belt out Mull of Kintyre loud enough at the City Ground to cause ripples in the Trent. At Manchester United, Antony is treading water.

The last time Antony started against Premier League opposition was at Nottingham Forest on January 30. When his number was up early in the second half, an audible contingent of the United supporters in the Bridgford Stand cheered.

It happened to Antony nearly two months earlier at Craven Cottage, another quaint ground that backs onto a river. Antony is in need of a liferaft. One of the last questions asked of Erik ten Hag during his press conference at Carrington on Tuesday afternoon was, "Is Antony really one of the quickest players over the first 10 yards?"

"Ten yards he is very quick," Ten Hag stated. The reporter politely opined that Antony actually seems to lack pace. Ten Hag doubled down on his assessment. "I know the stats, maybe. But he's not showing it."

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It was pointed out that pace is a natural release that would be difficult not to express. Ten Hag offered examples of "the goal against Arsenal, the goal against Everton. Two things where he was very quick. I said on the first 10 yards, I don't think there's almost a player quicker than Antony." Ten Hag had also described him as "unstoppable"

Antony's goal on his debut was a one-on-one laid off by Marcus Rashford that required precision, rather than penetration. The Everton example - Antony's third goal in his third Premier League appearance - was valid. He reacts with alacrity as soon as Bruno Fernandes regains the ball and outsprints Vitaliy Mykolenko to run onto Anthony Martial's threaded pass.

That was on October 9 2022 and