West Ham United manager David Moyes suggested that he is angry with the fact that Michail Antonio has returned so late from international duty.
The 31-year-old Hammers striker has been away on international duty with Jamaica over the past week or so.
Antonio has played three games in six days. He played 71 minutes against Mexico, the full game against Panama and 58 minutes on Thursday night against Costa Rica.
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The former Nottingham Forest ace already looked extremely jaded before he went away to link up with the Jamaican nation team.
And now he will be even more tired, especially after clocking up 11,000 miles in the air. David Moyes clearly isn’t impressed with the situation.
It’s little wonder why, but has he created his own problems?
Moyes had a simple solution to terrible Antonio station at West Ham
The Scot was speaking to reporters yesterday morning ahead of our FA Cup fourth round clash with Kidderminster Harriers at the Aggborough Stadium this afternoon.
Moyes responded when asked when Antonio was due back from international duty with Jamaica, as quoted by Football.London:
“Mic arrives back today at 11 o’clock from Jamaica which is not particularly good and realistically it is a terrible situation. Players are away at the African Nations who clubs have not got but this was an international week and we had Mic away and we get him back around 11 o’clock hopefully.”
Moyes is right. It is farcical that Antonio is returning from international duty 24 hours before West Ham have a match.
BUT…there was a very simple solution to this problem.
The Hammers should have signed a striker in January. Moyes didn’t have to sign a world-class forward, that would have been nice, but he didn’t have to. He could have brought in a backup option on a short-term deal.
Or he could have signed someone like Divock Origi for just £10 million (Dharmesh Sheth Sky Sports).
West Ham desperately needed to bring in more competition and cover for Antonio during the January transfer window.
The fact that Moyes refuses to accept Sully specials is good. We admire him for that. But the debate shouldn’t be who’s to blame for us not getting a world-class striker signing over the line last month.
It should be would we be in a better situation had Moyes brought in an able backup for Antonio either on loan or for a bargain fee? The answer to that question is very obviously yes.
And Michail Antonio’s current situation is evidence of that.
Read also:
£1.2m player’s baffling permanent D-Day exit from West Ham really went under the radar
Evening Standard claim West Ham actually made £60m bid for striker on deadline day
Di Marzio claims West Ham tried to sign £35 million-rated 30-year-old striker
Report: West Ham rejected the chance to sign ‘special’ £220k-a-week player on D-Day
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