Antony looks on at Goodison Park

After Manchester United's loss in the Manchester derby, Paul Scholes posted a message on Instagram asking, "Anyone remember when wingers used to help their full-backs?" The caption was accompanied by a photo showing David Beckham and Ryan Giggs embracing while wearing collared Manchester United shirts.

The post seemed to be a criticism of Antony and Jadon Sancho, both of whom failed to provide any defensive protection against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. This was demonstrated when Scholes, using his platform as a pundit for BT Sport, referred to Antony as a "one-trick pony" and doubled down on his criticism of Sancho after the Omonia Nicosia match in the Europa League last week.

After Antony scored his third goal in three Premier League appearances for the club on Sunday night against Everton, Scholes once again pulled out his iPhone. Antony's goal was the third for the club in his three Premier League appearances. After being reminded that he had called Antony a one-trick pony, he posted the following message on Instagram: "Whoops."

If Antony continues to score goals at the rate he is currently at for a team that has very few players who can score goals, Erik ten Hag will not care if Antony is a "one-trick pony" or not. Antony has scored goals against Arsenal, City, and Everton. With his goal against Everton, he became the first United player to score in his first three Premier League appearances. This led him to say that he was "living the dream" in Manchester.

Everton was the opponent for which Antony turned in his best performance since joining the club. Even though he has scored in every Premier League game he has played in, he had an average performance against Arsenal, and Scholes believed that Diogo Dalot was put in a vulnerable position as a result of his poor performance against City. Ten Hag was hoping to see a display similar to the one he saw against Everton, so his performance was measured against that team.

After the match against Everton, Ten Hag stated, "I was quite sure he [Antony] could have an impact right away." "In the first few games, he had good moments and bad moments, but I believe that today he played his best game to this point. Now that you see him falling behind, that is exactly what I anticipated would happen.

"Now that I've seen him play a few more games, I can see that his pressing and his defense have significantly improved. I'm pleased with both his performance and his growth as a player. I am aware that there is still a lot of room for advancement. I am aware that he requires the competition that this club and the Premier League can provide.

It appeared as though Ten Hag shared Scholes' criticism regarding those comments; the majority of supporters did. Antony's performances leading up to the weekend were lauded because he had scored, which is a normal occurrence in football; however, crucial aspects that are non-negotiable in the Premier League were noticeably absent from those displays, which explains why Ten Hag was so pleased with his recent response.

It was the kind of performance that is required from a signing that cost 85.5 million pounds, and it needs to be maintained. Antony, who is 22 years old and is still developing his craft, was extremely eager to sign with United this summer because he is aware of the positive impact that Ten Hag will have on his growth. The elite mentality that is required to reach the very top of the game, whether it be for a player or a club, is to recognize that Ten Hag is essential in both victory and defeat.

Garner battles with Antony. 

Despite the fact that Antony possesses the skills necessary to reach the pinnacle of his sport, Old Trafford has witnessed many players come and go without ever living up to their full potential. There have been talented signings that have fallen short of expectations, as well as signings that have simply fallen short.

Despite the fact that United has recently spent £120 million on right wingers (Jadon Sancho, Amad, and Facundo Pellistri), the position was still one that needed to be addressed during this summer's transfer window. Pellistri, who has been with the club for two years, has not yet made his debut with the first team despite the fact that Sancho has spent most of his time playing on the left side of the field, Amad was on the field for Sunderland's U21s on Monday night, even if it was just for a few minutes, and

Even though it would be unfair to criticize Amad and Pellistri because both players are still young and still learning, and even though Pellistri has actually been included in United's matchday squads for the team's last three games, Amad and Pellistri have not yet vindicated their respective price tags up to this point in their careers.

Amad and Pellistri will hopefully go on to have wonderful careers, but they have not yet made an impact in the first team, and that is what they are judged on, given that they were signed for a combined fee of approximately £45 million, which could have been spent elsewhere. Amad and Pellistri are being judged on whether or not they make an impact in the first team.

Even if we ignore the fact that Sancho was signed to play on the right side of the field, it is still unclear whether he will be successful playing on the left wing. United have spent a lot of money trying to fill the position, and they continued that trend with Antony this summer, despite the fact that he has made a promise to deliver.

Antony has the responsibility of being the lone exception on the right wing, and he needs to continue to deliver strong performances after the Everton match. The young players on that side may eventually come into their own, but Sancho, Amad, and Pellistri have not yet shown what they are capable of.

In the past ten years, Old Trafford has developed into a graveyard for signings, and the right wing position has given the impression that it has been a burden to more players than it has helped elevate over the past few years. The challenge for Ten Hag is to assist Antony in rising above the recent history that they share.

If Antony is successful in the right wing, you can be sure that Scholes will be the first to pick up his iPhone and praise him.