Benni McCarthy Explained Why Amad Diallo Didn’t Play Much Under Erik Ten Hag

Benni McCarthy, who coached Manchester United strikers in the past, has shed light on the reasons why Erik ten Hag chose Brazilian winger Antony over Ivorian Amad during their time at the club. McCarthy has pointed out that the form of the 22-year-old player under the direction of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ruben Amorim has brought the focus back to the shortcomings of their Dutch predecessor.

For the sake of providing some background, Antony has made 95 appearances for the Old Trafford squad since joining the club, during which time he has scored 12 goals and contributed five assists alongside those goals. Diallo, on the other hand, has made just 51 appearances but has already established himself as one of their standout players. He has scored 12 goals and assisted on nine others, and he has done so in all of those games.

Amorim, who is 39 years old, is currently enjoying the benefits of the Ivorian hotshot’s brilliance in his most potent form, as evidenced by the fact that he has the most goal involvements of any Manchester United player this season. His upturn in form is perfectly highlighted by his three-goal haul against Southampton, which recorded the eleventh quickest hat-trick in the history of the Premier League.

The difference between their respective performances brings to light the challenging decisions that Ten Hag had to make, with Amad’s skill now coming to the forefront as he makes his imprint. However, McCarthy, who has previously criticised his former business partner’s handling of the Cristiano Ronaldo crisis, asserts that the reasons behind Ten Hag’s choice lay inside his favouritism. McCarthy has stated that this bias was the basis for Ten Hag’s decision. Within the context of Ten Hag’s relationship with Amad, McCarthy sheds light.
Critiques have been levelled against the Dutchman for a long time for selecting players based on their time spent together at Ajax.

On the sidelines, Erik ten Hag is shown.
During his interview on ‘Podcast and Chill with MacG,’ South Africa’s all-time leading goalscorer elaborated on the reasons why Antony was Ten Hag’s primary selection. He is of the opinion that the former manager of Ajax naturally gave priority to supporting the player that he had personally recruited to the club, which is a concerning example of nepotism. As reported by FARPost, he stated:

Because the manager knew Antony from his time with Ajax, he believed that Antony was the best and most qualified player for the position that he desired. This was the manager’s opinion while we were setting up. It was because he was his player that he made an investment in him, and the club had his back. It was only natural for him to show his support for the athlete that he had purchased.