Ian Bishop was one of my most favourite Hammers players so when he talks I tend to listen.
And after today’s game against Palace he made a very good point indeed about a David Moyes substitution and this time the entirely ineffective Said Benrahma was not involved.
Instead Bish looked on clearly confused and annoyed in equal parts as the manager decided to sacrifice a striker for a defender at a time when we were looking for a goal.
Moyes makes so many odd replacements that it truly is hard to keep up with them including of course Maxi Cornet in the lazt minute of extra time having decided that Benrahma might prove the answer for 44.
Strange but we are of course becoming entirely used to this stuff from the Scotsman.
Bish, however, wasn’t ready to let him off the hook and made his point about the Antonio subbing in no uncertain terms.
He said: “Confusing taking off your frontman when you need a goal“(A) 4-3 or 5-3 loss makes no difference.
“Take off a defender and lump it in for the last five minutes. The Hammers haven’t played any football anyway. What’s the difference.”
By Hughie Southon