Congrats, Novak
Defiant; gritty; uncompromising - to me these three are the best adjectives that encapsulates what Novak Djokovic is. In fact, if Djokovic was playing another sport he would've been donned with the title Greatest Of All Time by now. However, he plays a sport with such an incredible history and emotionally charged supporters that he's still not regarded as the best ever. On pure statistics, he's surpassed all.
I fell in love with tennis due to the sheer dominance of Serena Williams and the unbelievable class of Roger Federer. Needless to say, it took me a while to love Rafael Nadal as he assumed the role of Federer's chief tormentor. But for Novak, I just never warmed up to him probably because he's somewhat confrontational and controversial. He doesn't ooze the class of Roger or the guile of Rafael. He is just Novak. With both Roger and Rafa away from the tennis court, I've had to finally truly witness the ingenuity of Novak. And I can say without mincing words that he's a great sportsman, one of the best ever. However, Federer will always be my favourite.
Another Brewing Saga?
For 10 years Antonio Valencia ran roughshod on left full backs, and later, wingers, for Manchester United. For those years he was an embodiment of solidity and consistency. He never had the ability of the man he was bought to replace, but when he left he was respected by all. Since then, the right side of the field has been a problem for Manchester United, defensively and offensively.
Facundo Pellistri, Dan James, and Amad Diallo were exciting prospects expected to rise. None of them did, not yet. Amidst the madness, Mason Greenwood switched to the right and was absolutely awesome. And when United splurged £75M on Jadon Sancho it looked like the right wing position was set for the next 10 years. Two years, 58 games and nine goals is an underwhelming statistics. His continued problem with Ten Hag means his time in Manchester red may end a lot earlier than expected.
Now, to the main point. What the hell is wrong with United's right wing? Mason Greenwood gave an unbelievable amount of hope. His ability to shoot with both feet made him a defender's menace. It was looking very good down there. And, poof! It all ended in an unbelievable fashion. Greenwood's saga coupled with Sancho's form forced United to splash about £80M on Antony.
Agreeably, he was bought for his potential though I can't seem to see anything noteworthy in the dude to cost even half of that price. He won't score 10 goals in a season; I'm not expecting him to have 10 assists. However, he's provided consistency. He shows up every game, does some silly flicks, gets on the nerves of everyone, and runs the yard to help his defender. At least, he's consistent with that. That also may be about to end.
If allegations against Antony happen to be true, United may be about to lose another player to issues outside of football. Greenwood is a huge loss, Maguire too (dude has struggled badly since his issue at the Mykonos). Losing Antony will further exacerbate the glaring issues United has right now. The hope was that a target man like Højlund would improve Antony's form. Well, United may be on another wild goose chase in search of a creditable personnel to fill that one position that has proven more difficult than most to fill in recent seasons. The already bad season may be about to get worse!
