Always a delicate subject to discuss with Hammers’ fans, Mikhail Antonio has played a long and illustrious career at first Upton Park where he started as a right wing back and then onto London Stadium where he has become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Perhaps we just need to face the fact that, at 34 years old, his best years are behind him. It isn’t just his age though, he’s always been a brilliant physical beast to have in the team but the decision to play international football with Jamaica and the excruciatingly long journeys each International break has hardly done anything to extend his West Ham United career.
He signed a contract extension with the club taking his career at London Stadium to 2025, with a further option for one more year if the club chooses, keeping him a Hammer until the age of 36.
Yes – he has been a fabulous servant to The Irons. Yes- I’d have a lump in my throat when he plays his last game. But – looking at the squad now being assembled by Lopetegui, are we satisfied with his goals tally in recent years and that he will stay fit? It is reported by several sources including givemesport.com that Gary O’Neill at Wolves is considering a bid for Mikey. If a sale were agreed now, a fee of maybe £5 million would be generated. In 1 year plus – zero. Time to talks about it.
Is it time to call ‘time’ on Antonio’s 308 Hammers’ appearances before those hamstrings pop one more time? If Ings and Antonio were offloaded then a young, twenty-something striker could be recruited, to say nothing of the £9 million a year-plus that the two take in salaries. Are we certain that Antonio is good enough any more? – Gasp. There, I said it.
I’m only asking. If Antonio’s exit paved the way for Jhon Duran on a loan to buy, how would we feel, Hammers?
Antonio would not command a £5million fee. Anyone who wanted him would want him on a free assuming they’d be offering him a 2 year contract. It makes no sense to get rid of him considering he fills a home grown space and could be a genuine game changer if used sparingly and not flogged to death as he has been the last few years.
It’s irrelevant that he fills a “homegrown” space. We have a squad of 24 at the moment (25 with Zoom),8 of which are homegrown. We can bring in one more player, either homegrown or overseas. If Antonio goes we can bring in two,one of which would have to be “homegrown”.
Yeah I’d keep him. He’s earned it, and I assume would like to finish his career with us. Throwing him on with 10 to go, with balls into the box would scare the crap out of tired defenders.
No argument with that.
Keep him fit is important aspect.
It’s a no brainer…. Antonio is worth every start – or 20 minutes as an impact sub. He still has the ability to give defenders hell with his pace and muscle. As a starter he won’t feature in many successive games….because this is squad rotation for West Ham now……
ps If West Ham signed Duran why would Antonio have to go? Seems like Ings is on his way out sooner than our no. 9
As others have said we should should keep antonio and use him as a sub.Rather him than Ings.
ps If West Ham signed Duran why would Antonio have to go? Seems like Ings is on his way out sooner than our no. 9
Keep him, sell someone in mid field and get Earthy on the pitch!
Fairly certain Antonio has said he doesn’t want to play off the bench this season. I’m easy either way if we keep him or not, but if we are able to get younger and snag someone like Duran, then I wouldn’t be against that.
Basically whatever he wants next in his career, I’d support without hesitation.
I would have sold Antonio and Ings and retained Earthy and Marshall. I feel like this should have been the breakthrough season for Earthy and Marshall. Instead they’ve been sent out on loan. I think Marshall has already scored for Huddersfield.
Clearly the sentiment is to keep him. Riddle me this. But his data (and that is what matters, not sentiment) shows a decline in the past year and a significant one. For those who say ‘well he was out injured’ that hardly helps the case. Why do we believe that next year he will do better than half a dozen goals? That’s a serious question. To keep him he needs a better season than he had last year. Will limiting his minutes improve his goal return? Are there new players around him that we believe will improve his play/opportunities? Is he a better fit under the new manager than he was under Moyes? Will he be better focused this year – his social media career seemed to coincide with a drop in form. Why is he a better backup than Ings in the new set up?
Fans said Antonio was too old 4 years ago. He looked good in preseason. I think even if just bit part, Antonio scoring 8 goals and covering left wing could be more important than £5m.
Every Year for 6 years people say sell Antonio and yet he has been crucial… Hopefully we don’t have to rely on him. But him and Bowen could be #9 again…. I say let him see our contract he has earned it and his versatility and pace is still worth it to me.
I saw him in the USA recently, full of energy looked good. I’d keep him to shake things up on the 60 – 80 minute mark. He’s a handful especially when defenders are tired.
As an impact sub, yes keep him. As a starter, no. He’s been a superb signing for us. And I know loyalty is an honourable trait. But to be successful you have to progress and that means finding better players to succeed your current ones. That time has come re Antonio.
He might surprise us and fit into Lopetegui’s way of playing and if he does then good on him. But if he doesn’t it’s an opportunity missed to progress.
On his day he is unplayable and troubles the best teams too. Keep him. But he may need to be on the bench at times. He has to handle that.
I wouldn’t panic over Antonio. With the signings we have made he will get better support and will have a better season than last year. His finishing might not be clinical but he is still a real handful for defenders and at least he is proven in the premiership. For me he is still a starter ahead of Fullkrug
I would definitely keep Mikey for one season
I don’t understand where this story that he was “originally” a right back comes from – when we signed him his favorite position was a wide left attacker – for us he often played as a wide right attacker
In his second season Bilic tried him as a right back having been impressed with how Nathaniel Clyne performed for England at the Euros – as a short lived experiment that didn’t work
West Ham United is a business not a rescue or rest home. Antonio is a man, an athlete operating in what is possibly the toughest league in the world, (something USA will never have – sorry, I’ve been watching the Olympics and just couldn’t help myself) and he is under contract. Forget the sloppy sentiment because that will all take care of itself, and instead focus on getting rid of Danny Ings who has done nothing for West Ham at a cost of £6.5M a year. They all know that 32 – 36 is when they have to start thinking about becoming a pundit, that is why they get more in a year than most of us get in a career. Give him a testimonial and say thanks, then move on, we owe them nothing more.
Oh dear.
He’s not the club’s leading all-time goalscorer is he?
Vic Watson, Geoff Hurst, Jimmy Ruffell, John Dick?
Just a little more attention to grammatical and statistical detail would be great.
Premier League goal scorer?
(I haven’t fact checked this).
If any club offered any money for him now take it…..football is a ruthless business,no room for sentiment.
If because we kept him,he was blocking us the chance to move forward and become a better team by signing a better younger player that would be disappointing.
Take off your rose tinted glasses as well here, for every good game he’s had there’s 10 anonymous ones,he needs 10 chances to score 1…..his best performances now for quite sometime have been on his podcast,I’d get shot asap and be very comfortable with it
Antonio for me is the most underatted players in the league and apart from injury hardly had any of those games where he needs hooking as he has his shovel foot on that day. I think mix and match him as starter and impact with Herman the German.
No point in getting rid unless we are getting juran in but then for me it’s Ings that goes. I actually think even Ings off the German could work with so many pacy players around them like Summerville, Kudos and Bowen.
“club’s all-time leading goalscorer.” . So Geoff Hurst (188), Tony Cottee (131) were just a dream 🤔. Yes he’s been a great servant but let’s not go over the top please.
‘premier league’ – how did those words not come from my keyboard? D’oh
I think Martin meant all time premier league top scorer.
We want to be a top six club at least if not regular Champions League qualification. I don’t see too many of those clubs with old players up front in their squads with declining stats.
I think we need to put bit more respect on his name. Like you said he joined the club as a right wing back an has found himself as our striker. Clubs top prem scorer! Looks sharpe this summer so we have to use him wisely. Hopefully the load can be shared with fulkrug
I find it funny that there has been a lot of Moaning about Tim and Jlo buying players over 30 yet here we are with most wanting to keep a 34 year old striker!
No room for sentiment here..if someone wants him and pays cash then move him on he will be remembered as a true hammer
Massive player for us. Been reliable when our big money strikers haven’t, and always gives his very best.
If we had a premier league proven striker in their prime then maybe Antonio would be best to move on. I genuinely believe he’ll adapt and compete for a spot under Lop.
As long as he gets game time and is rewarded with starts when in form, I pray that’ll keep him happy and hungry.
Time to go. He can’t play for us and Jamaica. And he’s got to stop that pathetic podcast with his chum. Embarrassed us so many times last year.
If he’s not satisfied being a squad player and sulks and causes a bad atmosphere, then he shoukd move on.
Been a good servant but not a legend in any way. Got too big for his boots and every time he did that he had a run of bad games. When he was on it he was unstoppable and the amount of goals he’s scored was something I never imagined he’d do, so good on him for that. Moyes spoiled him. He won’t get that under JLo.
We have been selling players past their peak since the club was born…..even the great Bobby…..why are people thinking different now?
Keep Antonio and get rid of Ings! He is better suited to the way we play and still can cause problems for defences. If used as impact sub and also as a starter on occasion so Fullkrug don’t get burnt out it could work out well.
Take the money and invest it in a younger more prolific goal scorer. Think his best days are behind him! He has only scored more than ten goals in a season 6 out of the 16 he has been with us, surely we expect a better return from our forwards?
I wouldn’t panic over Antonio. With the signings we have made he will get better support and will have a better season than last year. His finishing might not be clinical but he is still a real handful for defenders and at least he is proven in the premiership. For me he is still a starter ahead of Fullkrug
I think Antonio still has a lot to offer especially with our new midfield set up, last season he only really had Bowen as his 1st assisted player but now qe are much more attack looking he surely will score more goals.
Maybe I am biased but I really don’t want to see him leave, he has given us great service at West ham so let’s see him stay and support this great player…..
I’d get shot of Ings even tho he’s a likeable guy. Can’t sell- then loan him out even if we have to sub some of his wages it’d be better than keeping him.
My other point is, dare I say it, suppose the new boys don’t hit the ground running? Time to bring on Mikey sometime during the 2nd half.
I wonder if the person who questioned why antonio would be a better back up than ings has ever watched west ham?
Which would be me. Ings did not fit the Moyes system. He might fit Lopetequi’s. Antonio was very much part of the Moyes approach. Perhaps you have missed that the playing style of the team is going to change? Expecting that we will continue to allow the opposition plenty of the ball and rely on counter attacks? Go find the Four Two Four video on Fullkrug, explains very clearly why he was signed. He isn’t a better Antonio. He is very different player than Antonio and with better data in every category. Like link up play, key to a team playing higher up the pitch with more possession. Or are we going to change the way we want to play to ‘accommodate’ Antonio’s weaknesses? Ings is no superstar, but he might be a better fit.
Great to see that the balance of opinion is in favour of keeping Antonio. He remains a very significant threat to opposing sides at the top and in support of our attack. Hamstring failure is a thing of the past having been sorted with the proper diet. He will not let us down as a starter in the team. Fullkrug will benefit from being eased into action with our new side in the Premier League. Hopefully, Fullkrug can do that quickly. With Antonio, we can take some time and also see if the new players can manage. Remember Haller and Scamacca? We were highly grateful to have Mikhail Antonio to help out then. We need him now and he might be a revellation in the new squad. Just like watching us beating Norwich (Antonio 4) every week.
COYI
If he doesn’t want to play off the bench then he should go and then we get some coin and bring in a younger striker.
Don’t think any player wants ‘to play off the bench’. When Fullkrug gets injured/upset then we might be looking for a forward to fill in for a couple of months. Better to have the quality that is Mikhail Antonio available to slot right in than looking to find a short term international in January at considerably more than £5 million. Filling in with Josh King or our ‘store’ forward will not do the rest of the team justice.
Keep Antonio and treasure him. He can do more than one job, too.
COYI
Antonio can make a difference, but he’s got be told that it’ll only be from off the bench.
Also he cannot play for Jamaica again, he’s never been the same since he started. What on Earth did he think he was gonna win?
And definitely get rid of Ings he’s hopeless.
Don’t think he ever thought of winning any trophies with Jamaica. England came calling once but that was it and so no chance of being an international with England. Many teams would have jumped at the opportunity to have Antonio in their line up. England management prefered young boys that had been through their system. Jamaica called and the big man answered their call. Whyever not ?? Winston Reid used to play for New Zealand FFS and nothing ever made of that.
COYI
We need a squad. He can still a job for us but it’s going to be as part of a squad, not as a starter week in, week out.
Hopefully he will buy into it.