Latest revelations from West Ham’s leading Premier League goal scorer continue to show the ‘old regime’ at London Stadium in a pretty shabby light, with little sense of fairness or decency, pretty much exactly we’d all come to expect as mere ‘customers’ of the hated regime.
There is a sense of thinly veiled anger in Michail Antonio’s book, “Humans not Robots” which is understandable as he lifted the lid on conversations between him and Karren Brady after he’d fought his way back towards fitness. According to footballleagueworld, Antonio was made something of a derisory offer – by football standards – of £5000 a week by Brady once his West Ham contract had expired.
Talk about rubbing salt in the wounds of a player who’d worked his backside off to get over a life changing injury.
Back on the pitch within five months of a life changing injury. Just not the London Stadium pitch,.
This was significantly less than his best mate Callum Wilson subsequently got paid on a pay per game basis, and about half what West Ham were paying their academy footballers. After ten years at the club Antonio effectively had two fingers pointed at him by West Ham’s vice chair who was then, remember, on well over a million a year herself.
Just as bad was Potter’s insistence that Antonio stop turning up to train at West Ham’s Rush Green facilities. As reported by footballleagueworld.co.uk, the conversation went something along the lines of :
“He said, “I think it’s best that you don’t come back in here,” Antonio recalled.
“I told him, “Well I will be, because you guys have a duty of care to me and I know I’m allowed to be here, so I’ll see you tomorrow.” It was an argument and, from that day, we never even said hello to each other, and never spoke again.”
What a sorry state of an affairs behind the scenes: Shabby, low life treatment of one of the club’s best servants. No wonder Antonio is angry. And no wonder the supporters rejoiced to see the back of both Potter and the BS leadership. They brought it on themselves.
Can’t help thinking there should be a path to redemption for West Ham and Antonio. Suggestions? Answers on a postcard.
Not a single scent of accountability.
wow, how was he expected to get by on 5k a week.
after he picked up 75k a week to not play for a year.
maybe he should have thanked the club for paying him millions over the years.
Brady was right, no time for nostalgia.
Didn’t see him play anywhere else last season?
maybe should learn to drive…
Poor man my heart breaks. it’s people who drive like him that destroy lives. Thousands of them it’s only by the grace of god nobody else was hurt. Yet the entitlement in him to rub his nose at £5k per week when he’d scored 4 goals in 35 matches. If your records don’t sell in the music industry you’re dropped no contract. I’d say Brady was overly generous
Invite him back with open arms either in a coaching position, or playing if he believes his fit enough.
And apologise to him for the shameful treatment he received when he needed the clubs support.
Especially after everything his given us all.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that the injury was caused by crashing his car, not for the first time. He was over the hill before that though, let alone after.
Not sura about that, he wasn’t PL level and not likely to be and it was going to take time to get back to fitness what should the club do pay him 2 or 3 million a year to rehabilitate?
The reality is he was out of contract, £260k a year for a year when he would otherwise be bringing in next to nothing seems pretty generous to me.
This mob are disgustng, Michail you deserve so much better than that.
Tough one this…
I think Antonio should have left the club way before his car accident
After such a horrific injury, had he been offered a more lucrative contract, many fans would have pointed the finger at the club for being too soft
As much of a personal insult it would have been for Antonio, the facts were that he would take a long time to recover, without any guarantee that he’d be able to walk, let alone play football again
And… five grand a week is £20k a month… I am sure to a professional footballer, that is chicken feed.
But to the rest of us, that’s nearly a quarter of a mil a year!
Just shows how badly the club has been run. Would he make an good substitute. Who knows but a chat is the minimum the new board shobe looking at.
Sorry much as I loathe Karen Brady and I can see that her offer may have been ridiculously low. But I get sick and tired when we have to show great sympathy for over paid footballers driving high powered cars like a maniac. It wasn’t his first accident he drove his car into someone’s house in the South Woodford area he could have killed someone because of his irresponsible action. You live by the sword you die by the sword
The way we’ve treated Michail Antonio has left a bitter taste. He may have been past his best as a player, but that shouldn’t define how a club like West Ham says goodbye to someone who has given us so much.
This is a player who became our all-time Premier League top scorer, helped deliver a European trophy, and gave absolutely everything for the badge. When he suffered that horrific car crash, if he had still been at the peak of his career, I’m sure the club would have moved heaven and earth to support him. Loyalty should work both ways.
I’m not saying we had to offer him a new playing contract, but we could have shown more compassion and dignity. A coaching role, an ambassador position, or simply handling his departure with greater respect would have reflected the values of a family club.
That said, Antonio also has to accept responsibility. His driving incidents have been disappointing, and as a role model he should set a better example.
West Ham has always prided itself on being more than just a football club. We’re a family club, and families look after their own. Antonio deserved a better ending than this. ⚒️
Antonio didn’t deserve another contract but totally agree with the comments on dignity and respect and an Ambassador’s role is a great shout.
Antonio was one of my favourite players over the past 10 seasons, however, he risked his life/career and West Hams season by driving like a tw**.
Don’t recall him apologise or decline his salary because he had made himself unavailable.
Still, Brady and “shabby” go hand in hand.
Not a great look on either side but a 30 something coming back from a year out after a terrible broken leg and should have been replaced two seasons earlier i cant believe he expected anything. I think allowing him to use the facilities after his contract had run out was fair but offering anything was the issue. Excuse the pun but a clean break would have been kinder. Couldn’t get a contract with Charlton so would have been a huge mistake to renew at any wage.
He was an excellent sergeant to the club, who had he been treated with an ounce of compassion, without doubt would have repaid it tenfold. I hope you never find yourself in need of a supportive environment.