If I’ve read once that we are after a right sided winger since the season ended I’ve read it half a dozen times and it’s time to put this stuff to bed.
Now it may have escaped the attention of those writing the stories but Hammer of the Year, Michail Antonio – is among the best right sided wingers in the Premier League.
Yeah I know it’s hard to remember given that he’s been used all over the park because of injuries but the plan this summer is pretty simple.
We are fully committed to grabbing a striker or two which will release Michail to do what he does best next season – terrorise defences and creating a supply line for the front men.
I get that people may be concerned we are going to struggle to find those forwards but we all know, and the board does too, that it has to be done.
What won’t happen is that MA will be playing in a central striking role unless Slaven Bilic has some sort of relapse into the thinking that saw him believing he was a right back in the making.
Antonio looks certain to be the man on the wing and with Feghouli and Snodgrass available the idea of buying another expensive wide man makes no sense at all.
Disregard all these midfielder stories. I have no issue with journos trying to earn a few quid via transfer gossip but this one makes no sense given the Antonio factor.
Antonios favoured position is left midfield though
Lol not according to Antonio himself Mikey
“The wing is my natural position. That’s where I love to play,” he said. “I’m a player who loves to get up the pitch, I’m a player who loves to score goals. That’s why I play football, that’s why I’ll take the wing all day.”
Glad to hear it! He produced the goods each sn every time, throughout Slavs first season on tge wing an Slav bought Fegoulhi and Tore in and played them both in front of Antonio whilst playing him out of position. I like Slav but that was a slap in the face for MA imo.
As I say I like Slav and I’m behind him, but the jury in my head took some time before arriving at a majority decision…….well let’s face it every premiership manager is effectively on trial each season these days.
Snodgrass will leave. He doesn’t have the pace to be a solution on the wing. If it is true that Brighton are interested in him, cut our losses and let him go. Feghouli has not yet done enough to secure a starting place, though I would keep him as a squad player.
I agree that Antonio must start on the wing, but I would still be after a winger for the other flank this window.
BUT before all of that, get (at least) one proper central striker early this window!!!
Antonio has spent almost the whole of his career as a winger wherever hes been.I prefer him on the right flank but never understood the claims that Bilic was clueless playing him on the left flank as he played on the left side quite a lot for Forest as i recall.It wasnt as if Bilic was doing something that no other manager had done with Antonio before.
…just read some stuff about us being interested in Jurgen who plays on the wing in Mexico (German passport so no transfer issues).
The lad is both skilled and Damm fast (!)
Wouldn’t say no.
Yeah I read that, will see what happens.