Ex-Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has suggested that Erik ten Hag favoured players he'd signed, such as flop Antony, over others with greater potential like Amad during his stint at Old Trafford. McCarthy, who joined Ten Hag's coaching team in July 2022, had a front-row seat to the Dutchman's selection methods. The South African observed Amad, who has made a blistering start to the current campaign, being repeatedly overlooked in favour of Antony, a move that contributed to Ten Hag's declining popularity among supporters and ultimately led to his sacking in October.
Speaking on the Podcast and Chill Network, McCarthy was asked about Amad's limited game time under Ten Hag. He said: "Tactically, when we set up, the manager felt that Antony was the best, better player for the job that he wanted because he knew Antony from Ajax.
"He was his player, so he invested in him, and the club supported him. So, of course, he had to support the player that he bought, I think that's why he persisted in playing Antony. It's because he knew the capabilities when Antony was at his best.". He added: "And then you had [Alejandro] Garnacho who was also playing well, scoring goals. [Marcus] Rashford, on any given day, could demolish anyone. And then you've got [Rasmus] Hojlund, you spend £70m on bringing him in, so he has to play.
