Hammer’s Success Story Reflected In BBC Stats

Following Ipswich Town’s visit the words have flowed freely from many pundits who have been quick to praise Julen Lopetegui‘s team for turning around their home form and notching up three valuable points before the break for international football. Both Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer seemed to be positively gushing in their praise at the weekend.

For Michail Antonio to be singled out for praise from Chris Sutton though, is newsworthy indeed. Th ex-Blackburn Rovers forward has been very anti West Ham’s new regime, but he didn’t mince his words when speaking on Radio 5 Live on Monday night about Hammers’ number nine’s performance, and in particular the comment aired that Antonio has now scored the same number of league goals as the combined tally of  all the 13 strikers brought into the club since his arrival in September 2015!

Sutton Said:“Like any position, there is always competition. A lot of the time, when a manager brings someone else in that plays in the same position, you often question whether you are surplus to requirements.

It makes you knuckle down, want to show the manager that you are still worth a place, and fight for your shirt – so that is a great attitude to have.

“He is getting on a little bit now, but he still has brilliant attributes. He gets his team up the pitch, links up pretty well and has an eye for a goal. It is amazing that he is still up there with all of the competition that has come in.

Fair play to Antonio for keeping on proving himself season in, season out.”

Quite, Chris. We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. Glad we agree on something.