I went on strike to join Manchester United - now I need Ruben Amorim to try and save my career

When Antony scored just 35 minutes into his Manchester United debut, Erik ten Hag must have felt a feeling of justification.

The former United manager had championed the pursuit of the Brazilian winger, determined to put his own stamp on the club's wide options even though the Reds had spent big on Jadon Sancho the previous summer. However, Sancho struggled for form in his maiden season at Old Trafford, scoring just five goals in 38 appearances, and Ten Hag felt Antony was the answer.

When the Brazilian netted in his first outing in United colours, giving them a 1-0 lead in a 3-1 home win over Arsenal, it looked as though Ten Hag's summer-long pursuit of his former Ajax colleague had been vindicated.

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The Dutchman's case for wanting to sign the 24-year-old was strengthened all the more when he added to the goal he scored against Arsenal by scoring in the subsequent Premier League matches against Manchester City and Everton.

Boasting three goals in his first six United appearances meant it felt as though United had made the right call to back Ten Hag. Antony's early numbers were encouraging and he was still adapting to life in a new country. Patience was the very least he deserved.

Yet many United fans and journalists alike felt the club was paying an astronomical amount of money for a man that had never played in one of Europe's top five leagues. Shelling out €95million up front, with a further €5m due in add-ons, was a huge gamble.

A little over two years on, the gamble has failed to pay off. Antony had three goals in six games