‘He wasn’t anymore the person like he was before’: Erik Ten Hag speaks about Anthony Dos Santos

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Dutch coach Erik Ten Hag spoke about Antony Dos Santos, one of Manchester United’s players, saying that the player ‘wasn’t anymore the person like he was before’ after being accused of domestic violence.

Unlike it happened to Mason Greenwood, Antony was allowed to keep representing the Red Devils after his former partner Gabriela Cavallin reported him in Brazil and England for alleged cases of domestic abuse.

Ten Hag was at a press conference ahead of United’s match against Nottingham Forest recently when an interviewer asked whether the case was why Antony’s performance receded.

‘Not anymore. But definitely it has had [effect]. And so now he left this behind. But for a moment in the season it had absolutely an impact on him. And you could see it in his performance, in his attitude. But now he’s back. Of course it affected him and the process is still going.

‘Now he has to turn the point and to bring his big potential again. And therefore you have to fight and you have to give every day the maximum. And I see in the training he’s doing that. So yes, he will turn the corner.’

In the same conference, Ten Hag pointed out that the player did well during their pre-season matches, summarizing that the case was why the Brazilian was underperforming.

‘It started with that outside case and then he didn’t play like he should be. So pre-season, I think he played very well. He scored two goals in pre-season. But after the first games, when that issue was in Brazil, he came back. He wasn’t anymore the person like he was before. And that did something with his belief.

‘And one of the big skills from Antony is that he’s very brave. So he has to find that and that’s up to him. We will support him, absolutely. All staff, me as a manager, I support him and I have 100 percent belief in him. I know what he is capable of. And I have seen his moments. I have seen that for Ajax.

‘In 82 games, he scored 24 goals and had 22 assists. And he was performing in the Champions League. He was unstoppable. Also we have seen here, in his first three Premier League games, he scored three goals, so he is capable of it.’

Unless Antony’s output changes, new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe might have to sell him.