Former Hammers hero Michail Antonio has launched a scathing attack on Graham Potter, accusing him of destroying the culture at West Ham United.
It is a sad sign of how far things have fallen at West Ham that Michail Antonio left the club after 10 years in the summer and did not have a parting message for the fans.
Antonio is West Ham’s record Premier League goalscorer but was expected to lose that title to Jarrod Bowen this season.
For the Hammers’ sake, that needs to happen if the club are to have any chance of staying in the top flight following an abysmal start to the campaign.
Worryingly, though, there is every chance Antonio remains West Ham’s record Premier League scorer because there is no chance Bowen will stick around in the Championship.
Brutal Antonio slams Potter for ruining West Ham’s culture
Unpicking the utter shambles that is West Ham right now is no easy task.
In terms of performances and results, the malaise set in under David Moyes in January 2024.
But the regression has continued at an alarming rate under Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter since.
It is now Nuno Espirito Santo’s task to try and turn the sinking ship around and the Portuguese is already seeing just how difficult that is going to be.
While West Ham’s owners are ultimately to blame for everything given they are the ones making the key decisions, it was under Potter that the Hammers really nosedived.
He was sacked as West Ham’s worst ever permanent manager with a woeful six wins in 25 games.
Potter raised eyebrows in the summer by publicly stating he did not feel the club needed to go out and sign an expensive new striker.
That’s despite the world and its wife feeling the polar opposite was an absolute necessity.
Potter also made the decision to ruthlessly release a host of experienced West Ham stalwarts, letting a combined 33 years of experience walk out of the door in the shape of Aaron Cresswell, Antonio, Lukasz Fabianski and Vladimir Coufal.
Potter also axed long-serving and much-loved goalkeeper coach Xavi Valero.
The new Sweden coach then had the temerity to complain West Ham lacked leadership.
Antonio says Potter lost the feel of West Ham after senior exits
Potter brought Fabianski back in what was a rather embarrassing U-turn and there were rumours Antonio might return too.
The Jamaica striker continued to train with West Ham’s Under 21s but all ties were cut recently and he trained at Brentford with a view to earning a contract there instead.
That did not work out because Antonio has revealed he suffered a torn calf while training with the Bees.
When pressed on why things have gone so badly wrong at his old club, the 35-year-old forward did not hold back.
Brutal Antonio slammed Potter for ruining West Ham’s culture.
Discussing why he thinks West Ham have been so bad this season, Antonio clearly pointed the finger at Potter for allowing so many key senior leaders leave at the same time.
“I just feel like they lost the culture,” Antonio told TNT Sports.
“They lost the feel of the club right now. I feel like they need to find that back.
“Obviously confidence is completely down. And one thing with West Ham, they have the quality – the players they have there are quality.
“It’s just finding the people to drill into them into finding the culture, finding a way of playing and bringing them back to who they are.”
Antonio reveals injury wrecked Brentford deal
And Antonio has revealed his plans for the future are now on hold as he recovers from tearing his calf at Brentford.
Confirming a Hammers News exclusive that Antonio was indeed training with the Bees to earn a deal – despite reports from the likes of the Evening Standard that he wasn’t –
“Yeah, it was good to be fair (training with Brentford),” Antonio added.
“It was something that I was trying to get a contract, but while I was training there, I tore my calf, so I’m right now recovering.”
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