Joe Ellis

Thu 22 December 2022 21:10, UK

West Ham United are far from a happy camp at the moment and Michail Antonio is among those not entirely pleased with the situation.

The Jamaican international was a guaranteed starter last season but has fallen to second choice behind Italian giant Gianluca Scamacca this season.

Antonio is far from pleased to be sat on the bench for the start of games and has let David Moyes know just how much he would rather be starting as he was last year.

“No, I’ve not been happy [with game time] I’m someone who wants to play games,” he told the Evening Standard. “I’m never going to settle for coming off the bench and being involved that way.

“That’s something that’s driven me to where I am now. I’m not really about the rotation type of thing — if I’m fit, I want to play. It’s the gaffer’s decision on what he wants to do, but I’m always going to let him know that I want to play.

“Through my whole career, there’s always been competition, someone that wants to take your shirt. Right now, [Scamacca’s] got the shirt. It’s my turn to try to improve and work on what I need to work on to get my shirt back.”

Winger

When West Ham have been so uninspiring in wide areas, it is strange that Antonio has not been given a chance out wide to get both he and Scamacca into the same side.

There is no doubt that he has the pace and strength to be a real menace for full-backs because he has caused all kinds of problems for centre-halves over the past few seasons.

He is the top scorer for the Hammers in Premier League history so he should be making more appearances from the start than he has done this season, even if it means a slightly different position for him to play.

Equally, Moyes could change the whole system for a few games and get both Scamacca and Antonio into the same side as strikers.

It could mean Jarrod Bowen plays as a wing-back in a new-look defence, or as a number 10, but goals have been hard to come by this season so he needs to start experimenting for once.