Paul Scholes has Erik ten Hag theory over Antony gesture after Manchester United hammering

Tom Victor & Amie Wilson
·2-min read
Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes attends the game during the Sky Bet League One match between Shrewsbury Town and Oxford United.
Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes attends the game during the Sky Bet League One match between Shrewsbury Town and Oxford United. -Credit:James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images


Ex-Manchester United star Paul Scholes has had his say on Antony's post-match conversation with Mason Mount after Monday night's 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Antony, the United winger, was seen conversing with team-mate Mount following the match, covering his mouth, and appearing to hold up three fingers - a gesture that has led to speculation about its meaning. Goalkeeper Andre Onana also appeared to be part of the discussion.

Speaking on Optus Sport as a pundit, Scholes speculated on the nature of Antony's apparent frustration. He admitted he was guessing as it wasn't possible to hear their conversation directly, but suggested that the forward's gesture could possibly be expressing discontent with manager Erik ten Hag's tactics.

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He said: "He is saying something to Mason Mount he is obviously not happy with, Mason Mount seems the quietest out of the three of them.

"What's that going to do, I didn't see any of them communicating on the football pitch. That doesn't look good. I don't think that's good for the manager.

"People are obviously talking and saying things he [Antony] doesn't agree with. When he's putting those three fingers up, maybe he's saying we should be having three in midfield, why don't we have three there?

"I don't know, we have no idea because we can't lip read. But there is obviously a problem there and they obviously disagree with something the manager is doing."

Scholes wasn't the only ex-player to ask questions of Ten Hag after the hammering. Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher called United 'one of the most poorly coached teams in the Premier League'.

"That is a fact. That is not an opinion," he said. "That is a fact. The numbers tell you that when you see them bottom of the league defensively... I struggled to see how United would win tonight but I thought Palace would win one or two nil."

"No Manchester United team should be getting beaten 4-0 by Crystal Palace. Manchester United's Under-23 team, if they are at Manchester United, have come through their academy, have been coached and taught to play, I would still not expect them to lose 4-0. I have never been a manager or a coach but I have been a player and I have been coached by top coaches and some of the things that I see are just wrong."

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