Pablo Fornals has picked a side in the great West Ham United debate by declaring he prefers playing with Michail Antonio up front over Sebastien Haller.
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Haller splits the West Ham fanbase down the middle. Some label him workshy and simply not good enough to adapt to the Premier League.
Others point out that he has been misused by West Ham ever since signing from Eintracht Frankfurt nearly 18 months ago.
Haller continues to polarise opinion
Moyes called on Haller to prove himself in Antonio’s absence and even urged him to ‘smile more’ (Evening Standard).
There was no defending his lacklustre display in the harsh defeat to Liverpool.
And although there was an improvement in Haller’s performance for the 1-0 win over Fulham last time out, he still only registered one shot.
Haller reignited the debate over who is to blame for his failure to fire for West Ham when he scored on his international debut for Ivory Coast.
But until he starts getting among the goals for the Hammers, he will continue to have his doubters.
Antonio has no such problem. He has been West Ham’s form player since football returned after the first lockdown.
Fornals makes it clear he prefers playing with Antonio over Haller
Indeed the powerful winger turned striker makes Moyes’s new formation tick.
Those that argue Haller needs more support feel West Ham do not set their attack up to suit the £45m man’s strengths.
It seems highly unlikely Moyes will pair Antonio and Haller together anytime soon.
Now Fornals, himself subject to debate among fans over his starting spot in the team, has made it clear he prefers playing with Antonio up front (whufc.com).
“We (Fornals and Antonio) are close friends, not just outside the pitch but on it too, where all of you can see how both of us enjoy playing together,” the Spaniard told whufc.com.
Fornals: ‘I just have to find his body’
“I always say that in whatever team I play for, I want to play with a player like Mikey, because for me he makes it so easy to play with him.
“I just have to find his body (with the ball), because if I find his body, I know we will have the ball for a second chance.”
What Fornals comments show is that Antonio’s graft and workrate go a long way with his teammates.
Regardless of where you stand on the Haller debate, it wouldn’t hurt for the striker to throw himself into his football a bit more wholeheartedly.
‘A smile might help you score for West Ham‘
David Moyes tells Haller – Evening Standard
He is a powerful presence and sometimes it looks like he does not use that to his full advantage.
Throw a bit more emotion and passion into the mix and it just might help.
But what he really needs is a couple of goals to kickstart his Hammers career.
And he needs to find them soon before Moyes calls time on it, possibly as early as January.
Let’s hope Haller can get back amongst the goals when West Ham travel to Sheffield United this Sunday where he is expected to start.
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