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.

"So someone's got to [miss out], and unfortunately for Amad, the manager goes with the player he thinks is probably more capable for, for those type of games tactically, defensively and attacking."

McCarthy, 47, left United in the summer after his two-year contract expired. At the time, Ten Hag was under intense pressure but kept his job after unexpectedly leading the team to glory in the FA Cup at the end of last season.
McCarthy accused Ten Hag of favouring players he'd signed over other stars like Amad (
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(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images))

But a poor start to the 2024/25 campaign made his position untenable, and he was dismissed after the club registered their second-lowest Premier League points tally after nine games, with 11 points. His replacement, Ruben Amorim, immediately recognised Amad's ability, and has used the Ivorian, 22, in every game since his arrival.

The young winger was the chief architect in United's dramatic 2-1 win over Manchester City earlier this month, after winning a penalty to set up the equaliser before scoring the winner himself in the dying embers of the game. Ever since, he's arguably been the first player on United's team sheet under Amorim and is expected to start today (Boxing Day) at Wolves.

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