View: West Ham gamble on Michail Antonio has backfired
West Ham have managed just one win in their last five Premier League games in what is proving to be a season-defining patch.
Interestingly, their poor run of form has coincided with Michail Antonio’s form as well, and it is really frustrating to watch.
The 31-year-old is in a crisis of confidence and has managed only two goals in his last 17 Premier League games.
His lack of creativity and zest in the final third is hampering the team’s overall performance as goals have dried up.
Luckily for the Hammers, Jarrod Bowen has stepped up and he is enjoying the form of his life with goals and assists for his team.
However, David Moyes has set his team up with Antonio being the focal point. Back in December, Moyes said (14 December) that Antonio has been “amazing” and “unbelievable” for them.
When he is at his best, West Ham play their best football. They are a different beast and a joy to watch.
At the moment, he is nowhere near that level. He can’t even hit the target from distance and has misplaced passes on numerous occasions recently.
The problem is Moyes can’t drop him, as he has little option but to stick with the striker. The failure to land a striker in January has led to this situation and Moyes deserves a lot of blame for this. He took a big gamble, and he’s paying the price now.
Antonio needs to be dropped for a few games and Moyes may need to change his system and see if it works without him.
In other West Ham news, ‘100%’ – Rio Ferdinand: West Ham ace doesn’t like what is widely said about him