Antony has ideal chance to transform Manchester United fortunes and prove Gary Neville right

There is no player that Erik ten Hag needs to get the best out of more than Antony this season.

Manchester United showed huge faith in their newly-appointed manager when they backed him in an £86 million move for the Ajax winger a year ago, which even then felt like a huge risk for a player who didn't exactly blow away the competition in a weaker league.

While it is true that even players with outstanding stats in the Eredivisie aren't guaranteed to find success elsewhere, it felt particularly relevant in the case of Antony, who had only netted 12 goals and notched 10 assists in his final season in Amsterdam.

Adapting to a new league is a difficult task at the best of times, nevermind when you have an enormous price tag on your head and are playing for the most scrutinised side in world football.

Also read: Where United stand with incomings and outgoings

So far, Antony has been unable to deal with the pressure of playing for United on a regular basis, though there remains hope he can turn his fortunes around.

The 23-year-old is still incredibly raw and unrefined, but it is obvious he has an abundance of natural talent. The key to ever fulfilling his potential will be the hard work and application necessary to unlock it.

His first year in Manchester didn't exactly go to plan, yet there were still a few moments of stardust sprinkled throughout what was otherwise a very cloudy sky.

If he goes on to better things this season, then that debut campaign will be looked back on as an essential transition. If his woes continue, it will be further fuel to criticise both him and the manager; further evidence he was never cut out for the role.

Antony can't help the price-tag attached to him and does deserve a bit of slack in that