By CandH’s top blogger Allen Cummings
Making comparisons has always been a staple diet of football debate.
Comparisons are made between clubs, managers but most of all between players – frequently from different eras. It’s all subjective of course because times and circumstances change – so many of the comparisons are difficult to justify – or take seriously!
Just the other day Michail Antonio was being compared to one of West Ham’s true footballing legends – Sir Geoff Hurst.
That’s a bold statement indeed – and one you might not necessarily consider twice.
But when you learn the person making the claim was none other than our World Cup Winner himself, then it’s a claim that needs to be taken seriously.
Hurst was talking to the Evening Standard’s Ken Dyer, on the day he helped unveil the magnificent new bronze statue of Hurst, Bobby Moore and Martin Peters, to commemorate West Ham’s European Cup Winners’ Cup final victory in 1965.
Praising the contribution Michail had made to the current team’s remarkable transformation, Hurst pointed out: “Ron Greenwood converted me from a struggling midfield player to a successful striker (one who remains the only man ever to score a World Cup Final hat-trick of course), and David has done something similar with Michail Antonio, changing his from a wide player to a central striker who is scoring lots of goals. Michael is fantastic and it’s important we keep him fit.”
That’s some accolade from the man who wore our No.10 shirt all those years ago, for the man who now wears our No.9 shirt with such distinction.
We shouldn’t forget of course that former manager Slaven Bilic attempted a conversion of his own with Antonio a few years ago – moving him in the opposite direction to right back.
Thankfully that little experiment was abandoned – while Moyes’ experiment has worked incredibly well and continues to reap benefit for Antonio and the Hammers.
It’s not just Michail’s goal-scoring which has improved – his hold-up play, his ability to bring others into the game, his strength and running off the ball causing defenders and defences all kinds of headaches – and at the same time benefitting his team mates .
All those attributes have blossomed under Moyes’ guidance. Michail Antonio is now right up there with the very best strikers in the Premier League – just the way Hurst would have been if he had been playing today.
Micky will no doubt be flattered to be compared to someone of Hurst’s stature and ability – even more so because it’s Geoff Hurst himself who is saying it!