Manchester United's €100-million Brazilian winger Anthony sparked controversy in the Europa League clash with Sherif after he performed his signature "Anthony spin" in the first half before making a passing error.
The newly dyed Anthony pulled the ball on the inside of his left foot after receiving the ball on the right, rotated 720 degrees in place, and tried to send a straight plug into the box, but could not find his teammate. The response to the show was clear, with some fans feeling it enjoyable, while others felt it was unnecessary and suspected of disrespecting their opponents.
The British "Daily Mail" reported that Manchester United manager Ten Hag on the sidelines at the time was not happy, sitting in the dugout with an expressionless face and shaking his head slightly. Because the score was still 0-0 at that time, the Dutch coach clearly thought it was more reasonable to play concisely at this time. Anthony's "magic of love spinning in circles" can indeed play a certain role in distracting the opponent, but in fact, he does not do this action, and the effect of direct plugging is similar. Some fans joked: "Manchester United spent 100 million euros to buy a Brazilian compass!"
Ten Hag replaced Anthony immediately after half-time and was asked after the game if the change was due to the Brazil international's showmanship, to which the United boss replied: "It was more or less planned in advance. We took the lead and Martinez already has two yellow cards, so if he dyes more yellow, he will be suspended for the next round, and as for Anthony, if his fakes are practical, I don't think there is a problem. But with him, I will ask more, I want him to run more behind the opponent, get into the box more, defend more and especially dribble more at high speed."
"He should make better use of the gap, so we ask to be more dominant in games like this, and occasionally you can play tricks, which is good, as long as it is functional, as long as it does not concede a goal, as long as it attracts the attention of the opponent. But if it's just to show off, I'll correct him."
Manchester United legends are not so polite, Scholes said: "You can see the manager's reaction and I think it disappoints him. I don't know what Anthony's purpose is, I like players to show their skills or entertain the fans, but in the right way. Does he do this for anyone, does it work for himself, I have to ask him. Even with a 4-0 lead, what are the benefits of doing so? In England, Brazil or any country, we don't want to see that. I love the game and the entertainment, but I don't think it falls into that category, it's more like a clown."
"I don't know, it's ridiculous, it's pure show-off, you see Ten Hag shaking his head, which sums up his thoughts. He couldn't get around many circles, he wasn't entertained, and the score was 0-0 at the time, and he kicked the ball off the line. But that's how he plays, I see him coming at Ajax every now and then, that's his style, but I think he needs to reduce that.'
Another former Manchester United player, Robbie Savage, also said: "I think it's a bit ridiculous because he took two laps and kicked off the line, which was so embarrassing. He had no opponent at his side, and then he missed a pass. If I were the manager, I wouldn't be happy. You can hear the fans and if he wants to win and no one comes close, he can pass the ball as quickly as possible, but he chooses to perform and then the pass is wrong, it's embarrassing!"
Owen Hargreaves said: "You can perform, but the final pass needs to be done well. You can't be bullied, and he is like that. You don't have to play like that at 0-0, even if it's 3-0 or 4-0, you should respect your opponent. But some players want to show off their skills if they are useful. If you lose your last kick, it will be meaningless. Even if you turn in one circle, and turn twice? We all like to appreciate the game, we like it, but better it's useful technique. If he could do that in the bag, I would jump for him, but spin pointlessly, I don't know what he's trying to do. That's his signature and he likes to do it, maybe this time he wants to show the Old Trafford audience. But I don't think England fans like it, you can go around in a circle and dribble the ball instead of idling."