Michail Antonio paid tribute to under-pressure West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini after the Southampton win, The Telegraph reports.
Pellegrini’s job is under scrutiny with West Ham floating just above the drop zone. He had only managed one win since September before the 1-0 victory against Southampton on Saturday.
Antonio played a key part in the win, causing problems all afternoon with his pace and power. The 29-year-old was involved in the build-up to the goal and had a second goal ruled out by VAR.
Popular Hammer Antonio dedicated the win to Pellegrini. He said “we did it for him” and added that the determination shows that the players still back their manager.
Michail Antonio on Manuel Pellegrini
After the game, Antonio said (via The Telegraph): “We showed that we are behind the manager – we’ve got the grit and the fight to do it for him. We showed that he hasn’t lost the dressing room.
“A good manager doesn’t put pressure on his players. A good manager allows you to play with freedom and confidence. That is something he said to us: ‘Just go out there and play as well as you know you can.’ And I felt we did that and we did it for him.”
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