Signs of Life Outside Old Trafford

In one of the Europa Conference League semifinals, two former Manchester United castaways fought for a spot in the final. While Real Betis went through, thanks in part to a great Antony performance, David de Gea continued to show signs of his old self.

Both players ended their time in Manchester under poor circumstances, but are now reviving their careers.

Antony and de Gea left United with opposite reputations. One spent his time with the Red Devils as nothing more than a meme, while de Gea was seen as a washed-up steward of the club.

The Brazilian winger’s time at United can only be explained by the jokes surrounding him. Erik ten Hag’s transfer, Antony gave the World more jokes than good performances. Since joining Betis on loan, something has been unlocked in him, resembling the player he was with Ajax.

Having spent over a decade with United, de Gea became one of the club’s best players in the 21st century. However, by the end of his tenure, his performances fell apart, becoming a victim of the club’s chaos. A year without a club eventually led him to join Fiorentina, where he has become part of a great Viola side.

Both players left the club during its continued spiral downward, and they suffered for it. Since leaving England, they have found circumstances that have allowed them to thrive.

In his just over two years with United, Antony drew the ire of United fans and the jeers of everyone else.

Despite having been a key part of some good Ajax sides, his adaptation to the Prem was nonexistent.

One of ten Hag’s first transfers, the Brazilian joined the Red Devils ready to fill in on the right wing. With Ajax, Antony combined silky smoothness with decent pace to be a real threat to European defenses. Despite never putting up awe-inspiring scoring numbers, Antony still promised to be an interesting threat on the other side. 

PHOTO: ClutchPoints

For Antony, the issues at United revolve around the club and the moment he joined. It was always going to take time for a more skill-based player to translate to the Prem, but the club did him no favors. United needed him to be a transformative player, able to play a role in the club’s attempted return to the top, a role he was terribly miscast for.

The player did himself no favors, opting to rely too much on FIFA skill moves, never fitting in any sort of offense. After ten Hag found himself on the outs, the writing was on the wall for Antony, and Betis came calling. 

Looking to solidify a spot in Europe for next season, Manuel Pellegrini’s side became Antony’s suitor. After an announcement featuring Twin Peaks references, the winger went and scored on his debut. Since then, Antony scored three more goals and chipped in with two assists, with Betis knocking on the door of the Champions League.

Without a true threat up top, Pellegrini’s possession-based approach allows for his wingers and midfielders to be more expressive. In a league that tends to reward more skilled players, Antony gets more space to operate. Leading him to almost reach the level of performance he had with Ajax.

The Ajax squad, managed by ten Hag, produced an interesting mix of players, none more than Antony.

Not elite enough to be a difference maker on a dominant side, the Brazilian still can be a good player on a Europa League team. 

David de Gea should have ended his career with United. The only positive to come from the post-Fergie years, his departure left everyone unfulfilled.

By the time of ten Hag’s appointment, de Gea still played at a high level, but was not the player who dominated the Prem. Already not a great passer out of the back, he found himself out of the Dutchman’s plans. Instead of completely forcing the Spaniard out of the club, United allowed the player to see out his contract.

After being dumped by United, de Gea spent a year wandering the footballing wasteland. A real possibility appeared that the Red Devils icon would be forced into retirement.

Fiorentina arrived as an interesting suitor for de Gea. Certainly not, at face value, the caliber of club expected for de Gea, they actually seemed to be the perfect match. Having been the runners-up for two straight Europa Conference Leagues, the keeper joined a club on the rise. 

Needing a more top-class keeper, Fiorentina rolled the dice on de Gea. While not the best keeper in the Serie A, the Spaniard still continues to put up well above-average stats. While he still struggles as a passer, the elite shot-stopping ability hasn’t left him in Italy.

One statistic does, however, hint at the truth of de Gea’s revival. His post-shot goal expected goals is rather low, signaling that Fiorentina’s elite defense is responsible for his record.

Raffaele Palladino’s side plays excellent defense, allowing de Gea to face better shots to save, rather than forcing him into more difficult saves like at United. 

If Real Madrid’s fax machine had worked back on that fateful transfer deadline day, the club would have suffered even more without de Gea. With other top European clubs calling, de Gea may have found the best way to end his illustrious career. 

While United reached the Europa League final, two of their scapegoats continue their career revivals. Both Antony and de Gea have found life outside of Old Trafford, and Thursday’s match proved this.

As United attempts to find a way out of its chaos, the two former players continue their careers without that toxicity. 

PHOTO: ClutchPoints