West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini addressed the media yesterday after his side’s fine win against Southampton, and publicly admitted that the Hammers fans were right all along.
The Chilean opted to play Michail Antonio up front alongside Sebastien Haller against the Saints yesterday – something the West Ham fans have been crying out for recently.
And it worked an absolute treat.
The Hammers looked threatening all game. And they caused Southampton problems from the very first whistle up until the last.
This now has to be the blueprint for success for West Ham going forward.
Pellegrini admitted to reporters that Haller looked so much better playing alongside Antonio, as quoted by Football.London:
“I think that he (Haller) returns from the first few games in the Premier League ad for different reasons he was not doing his best performance. I also think that paying with Michail Antonio it worked better for him, creating movements and making space. Not only for the goal, he had other chances and he worked well for the team.”
These comments prove that he now agrees with what the Hammers fans have been saying for probably two months.
The fact that he was so stubborn to wait until last night to play two up front, however, has arguably cost West Ham numerous amounts of points already.
Haller looked like a totally different player last night. Antonio’s presence gives the Frenchman more space to operate, and the duo could now help fire the Hammers up the Premier League table in the new year.
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