Lopetegui dismayed by Michail Antonio as West Ham United concern emerges
Julen Lopetegui was dismayed by Michail Antonio before withdrawing him at half-time last weekend against Fulham, according to Roshane Thomas.
Thomas’ article for The Athletic [20 September] detailed how Antonio, 34, has now gone seven games without a goal and has shown a “decline in his offensive efficiency” after being persisted with as Lopetegui’s first-choice striker.
This is despite the fact the club brought in Niclas Fullkrug for £27m, and back-up frontman Danny Ings salvaged a point at Fulham last week when Antonio was hooked at interval.
Thomas said: “Against Fulham, it was not hard to read Lopetegui’s dismay at Antonio’s failure to test goalkeeper Bernd Leno or the defensive duo of Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey. The result was Antonio being withdrawn at half-time.
“West Ham have previously considered the 34-year-old to be their first-choice forward, but the decline in his offensive efficiency is a concern. He has not scored in his last seven league games.
West Ham United striker issues build
West Ham have scored five Premier League goals so far this season, but Ings’ last-gasp leveller at Craven Cottage last weekend was the first to be netted by a striker.
That is without considering Jarrod Bowen to be part of that mould, having seen David Moyes’ previous attempts to utilise the captain through the middle as opposed to his best position on the flank.
Antonio is into the twilight years of his career, in the final year of his contract and is separating his domestic season with long trips on international duty with Jamaica.
For a player who has been in and out of the Hammers team due to fatigue and minor injury issues in the past, he cannot be relied upon by Lopetegui for a club with the ambitions they clearly demonstrated in the transfer window.
A fantastic servant who has been in claret and blue since the Boleyn Ground days, operating in defence, attack and in between, Antonio should not be first-choice any longer.
His “last chance saloon” is likely to come against Chelsea this weekend, with Fullkrug nursing a calf problem, but the German must start when fully fit or Lopetegui’s attack will remain with a blunt edge throughout the campaign.
In other West Ham news, Newcastle United have been blocked from approaching a reported Hammers transfer target.
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