Michail Antonio rages at ‘dumb’ FA Cup development at West Ham United, ‘makes no sense’
Michail Antonio has been left in a rage at the timing of West Ham United’s FA Cup replay against Bristol City, suggesting playing the fixture in the winter break is “dumb” and “makes no sense”.
The Hammers were held by Liam Manning’s side at the London Stadium in the original third-round clash on Sunday (7 January) and will travel to Ashton Gate on Tuesday (16 January) for a replay in the middle of their Premier League break.
Replays have been part of the tradition of the FA Cup for much of its history, but Antonio has suggested that they should be scrapped as he voiced his frustration with the entire schedule of the English footballing calendar.
Speaking on the BBC’s Footballer’s Football Podcast (11 January, 10:30) he said: “I feel like it should be one game done, or if you’re going to play a second game, it should never be in the winter break. The whole point of having a winter break is to not play games.
“You’re kind of contradicting it by putting a cup game in there because the break is in the Premier League. No, a break should be a break. A break from football. Either they should play the one game and if it’s a draw it goes to penalties, or the other cup game should be after the break.
“It makes no sense throwing a game where there should be a winter break. I think it’s dumb. Obviously, I’m injured so it’s not really affecting my body much but it’s obviously affecting the players and I just feel like they constantly get these things wrong.
“I don’t understand it. They decide to put it in January, alright no problem we’ll take the break in January. Then they decide to put cup games there and put the replays in the break!
“Someone try and tell me that’s common sense. Someone tell me who is thinking of these great ideas. It makes no sense.”
Common sense
This replay with Bristol City couldn’t have really come at a much worse time for West Ham as they face a massive injury crisis over the winter break that has seen Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Antonio all sidelined.
It does seem bizarre that the FA and the Premier League have scheduled the footballing calendar in a way that curtails their own winter break to fit yet another game into an already condensed period, just because the original clash was drawn.
Realistically, however, the Hammers could have avoided this extra stress by getting the job done against the Robins in the first 90 minutes. David Moyes’ side didn’t do enough to win the game and that ultimately showed in the result.
Bristol City earned that replay, but now West Ham need to up their game and beat their Championship opposition at Ashton Gate, even if several players in the Hammers squad would have rather seen the game finished on Sunday.
In other West Ham news, Crystal Palace and Brentford have joined the Hammers in a race for a new £20million signing