Michail Antonio is one of the most honest guys in the game but his comments about Phillipe Coutinho’s position at Liverpool will have raised a few eyebrows this morning.
Without ploughing through all his quotes again he belives essectially that the player should be allowed to leave for Barcelona; that he’s been forced into asking for a move “having done everything properly;” and that his ambition dictates he should be allowed to better himself.
He makes a valid point when saying that clubs will get rid of players when they are not performing thus implying that loyalty is a two way street.
The whole issue of contracts in football is of course now farcical – they mean nothing and we need to get our heads around that once and for all.
But that the Hammer of the Year holds these views having only recently signed a deal which gave him a bumper pay rise is a tad worrying I reckon.
Is it wise that he should be making these remarks at a time when Manu Lanzini is being regularly linked with Liverpool as the Coutinho replacement?
I’m convinced that will never happen but that he is suggesting players should be allowed to move on regardless of contracts seems surprising?
Antonio will have his supporters and detractors on this one but my question is: Where was the West Ham media protection whilst this was going on.
Whether we agree or disagree with his general view on contracts the fact that Lanzini is involved in this scenario suggests that maybe a lid should have been kept on this at such a time.
Whilst all this was going on Slaven Bilic was expressing his sympathy for managers who found themselves confronted with such a situation.
All very strange!
You can’t gag a person from his point of view? He isn’t implying anything else ! He’s right IMO
There’s nothing new in the goings on in football , its just media today is easily accessible?, very good players get heads turned or realise their dreams will not be met at their current club etc. And clubs let players they don’t fancy leave under contract , Snodgrass being in the news at present ?
Surely we all accept this now , money and ambition is a capitalist trait we are all held to embrace, and participate in . what happens happens , that’s the way it is 😉
I wasn’t accusing you of gagging Hugh , just that he’s got his rights to say anything he chooses , unless he is causing trouble then that’s different , he’s said nothing about lanzini .
Unless you know any different I didn’t know there was a lanzini angle , just speculation .
Slav said he’s fine ?
I’m not attempting to gag anyone and I accept -as the piece says – contracts are farcical. I just think with the Lanzine angle it was betteroff not being said
Although he is right about Contracts between Clubs and Players being farcical , now is probably not the best time to express it publicly when you consider all that goes on .
As Bilic says ; players are having Thier heads turned by agents and clubs with total disregard to signed contracts . Player Power has reached a war-like footing . Maybe all Contracts should be limited to 12 months . Hopefully players like Lanzini & Antonio will keep Thier heads well and truly fixed in a forward position .
Put clauses in that would eliminate the breaking of a contract maybe ? Legally you can be prosecuted for breaking contracts but clubs never do because in a roundabout game it suits both parties and doesn’t at the same time, typical football hypocrisy ?
Nothing we say will stop it , 💰💰💰💰
I think he presents a very pragmatic and realistic view. And as far as Lanzini is concerned, it still seems to me that the only people linking him to Liverpool are West Ham fans. IF Coutinho goes, I suspect the Bindippers will be after bigger fish than Manu.
If Barca were trying to buy Coutinho in the cheap like Atletico are with Costa and Marseille did with Payet I might disagree with him but he makes some good points. I think we will find out soon whether there was some insight into things going on within our own club or perhaps even for him personally but in spite of any of that what he says about Coutinho is right, the player tried to do the right thing, even put in a transfer request to make it happen, if a player has the chance to better themselves and make a dream move how can the club stop them especially of they will be rewarded with a huge sum of money in the process.
Lol ok so now youre looking for a story going on with our club from this statement are you 32.All this deep thinking isnt good for you 😊
What about getting Jenna on a contract 32 for the participating in C+H posters physical education 😝😝😝
You can supply the French open university Manuel rads 😂😂
Jenna should defintely get a contract, yes I often think deeply about Jenna Rads which can be embarassing while at work and yes its not good for me especially in open places… maybe I should rephrase that oh well 😀
Antonio is dead right – Contracts are there only to protect the Club’s Investment, to ensure they get a fair price when the player moves on to ‘bigger and better’ things.
You can’t blame the player for wanting to make the most of his talent, the Club would only be too happy to get rid of him if he got injured, lost form or if his face just doesn’t fit!
Just look at the scores of kids that get released every year, never to be heard of again – Football is a cruel business, you just have to read the article in the Daily Mail this morning about Rob Lee and his boys, Elliot and Olly, to get a real insight into how kids get treated!
Said the same thing last week Hammer For Life.If Poo sell Coutinho they are going to have to sign a bigger name than Lanzini to keep their fans happy i reckon.Klopp will want better than Lanzini as well as a replacement imo.
Anyway i aint got a problem with what Ant said,i would rather a truthful player like him than one thats kissses the badge,says i wont leave then f*cks off 2 weeks later 😁
He’s only saying what we all think 😆 They may as well write a contract in pencil on Rice paper for all the use they are 😆😆
Or a poppodom GW 😂😂
True Laz those poppodoms seem to be the easiest things to break 😆😆
Absolutely , Put pen to poppodom lol😂😂
Contracts written on baked matza , you reckon!
Leaving Antonio and contracts aside for a minute, why does Bilic persist in playing a 4-2-3-1 formation with the present squad of players?? It seems daft to me?? Isolates Chicharito, who is no Ronaldo lone-wolf striker, and weakens the midfield; in addition , our holding midfielders are not strong enough.
Please Slav-at least think of a 3-5-2, a 4-4-2, or even a 3-4-3-all improvements in midfield and better scoring opportunities!
3-4-3 would best shot us right now. And Marko would be up beside Chicarito to help Antonio as well
There is no Manu Lanzini involvement. It’s been a story completely fabricated by the media to generate conversation and arguments between fans who are stupid enough to believe them. It’s complete Bolleaux………Lanzini is going nowhere.