✍️ Welcome Michail Antonio

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MB
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by MB »

Billy Hunt wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:12 pm Nah, we will make do

That or we can have a poll
Lewandowski?
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Estuary
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Estuary »

Clearly he wasn't "at it" last night, in particular his movement when we didnt have the ball wasn't sharp. But he did far more than just the header. He set up Fornals volley with a lovely lay off header, he set up Rice with a decent pick out after holding the ball up, he played in Coufal more than once, and dropped deep to receive the ball under pressure then linked with runners a couple of times. This is meat and drink to a forward I know, but the idea he did "nothing" is not true.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by johnnyb »

sendô wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:39 pm He needs a rest. Unfortunately him deciding to go and play for Jamaica is costing us in the league. We can all point to it not being his fault the club only has one striker but nonetheless there we are.

I think he needs to be benched against Chelsea.
Only perhaps around another 30 or more games to go this season. We'll be fine with one centre-forward who will be asked to play most of them. Or most likely we won't.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Hockley Hammer »

Estuary wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:46 pm Clearly he wasn't "at it" last night, in particular his movement when we didnt have the ball wasn't sharp. But he did far more than just the header. He set up Fornals volley with a lovely lay off header, he set up Rice with a decent pick out after holding the ball up, he played in Coufal more than once, and dropped deep to receive the ball under pressure then linked with runners a couple of times. This is meat and drink to a forward I know, but the idea he did "nothing" is not true.
I'm glad somebody else was watching the same game as me. It appeared Brighton knew that if they put us under pressure quickly enough our attacking midfielders would try to force passes rather than hold on to the ball and wait - why Lanzini looked so much better than the others. Antonio looks a bit out of sorts, but it doesn't help when his entire supply line have an off-night.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by HammerMan2004 »

-DL- wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 11:56 am We shouldn't be 'making do'. We shouldn't be putting wingers and other forwards in as our main striker as the board and manager allowed our only other striker to leave the club last year, and failed to replace him.

It's this acceptance of 'making do' that gets whatever moron thought having a 32 year old, injury prone, going through a purple patch Antonio as our main striker off the hook.

Making do is using a can of tyre weld rather than having a replacement wheel and tyre. Yarmo, Bowen, and the poor kid Perkins who has played just 15 minutes of first team football against a beaten and down and out Genk are the said tin of tyre weld - so whilst they may do a job, like a tin of tyre weld may do if a screw or nail goes in your tyre, it's a temporary measure, and absolutely hopeless if the tyre goes bang - and the only thing that would suffice is a replacement - but you don't have one, and you're standing by the side of the road in the pissing down of rain, freezing your tits off, just because you were a tight arse and didn't tick the 'spare wheel' box on the options list...
Ozza wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 11:56 am Of course you have to make do as there are no other options, for a team wanting a champions league spot, Bowen or Yarmo up top aren't acceptable
Billy Hunt wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:08 pm Make do ? Are you sure ?

We are making do currently with Antonio as he is our only option, regardless of form, fitness or anything else.

We have zero options to "make do" without him and that is an oversight that is already biting us in the bum
I didn't say being able to "make do" is a good thing. I also didn't say that I didn't want another striker in January.

Point is, it isn't January so we can't buy anyone, and Antonio isn't doing enough. Use the other players available in your squad. Our insistence to not do that is the problem. Not because we haven't bought another striker yet. There are players that can play 30 minutes here and there and, or even a whole game, give the guy a break and we might see an improvement.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Billy Hunt »

HammerMan2004 wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 1:32 pm I didn't say being able to "make do" is a good thing. I also didn't say that I didn't want another striker in January.

Point is, it isn't January so we can't buy anyone, and Antonio isn't doing enough. Use the other players available in your squad. Our insistence to not do that is the problem. Not because we haven't bought another striker yet. There are players that can play 30 minutes here and there and, or even a whole game, give the guy a break and we might see an improvement.
No the problem is we have no realistic alternative, not one, and it's a problem of our own making. We have tried both Bowen and Yarmolenko there. Neither have made a claim for the role and moving Bowen disjoints another position.

Were you a fan of Redknapp throwing Ian Pearce up front as there was no alternative? May as well give Diop a bit of game time leading the line if so
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by HammerMan2004 »

Billy Hunt wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:21 pm No the problem is we have no realistic alternative, not one, and it's a problem of our own making. We have tried both Bowen and Yarmolenko there. Neither have made a claim for the role and moving Bowen disjoints another position.

Were you a fan of Redknapp throwing Ian Pearce up front as there was no alternative? May as well give Diop a bit of game time leading the line if so
Does Antonio currently have a claim to the role? Yarmolenko started against Rapid and scored. He and Bowen both contributed upfront. Is that not more productive than a tired Antonio?

It's a bit silly to try and use Ian Pearce or Diop to support your stance. Yarmolenko is a guy with nearly 50 goals for his country. He isn't going to be here long, why not just use him and give Antonio the final 25 minutes?

They don't need to make a claim to start 10 games upfront. They are there to stop Antonio from looking ****ing shattered.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Billy Hunt »

HammerMan2004 wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:49 pm Does Antonio currently have a claim to the role? Yarmolenko started against Rapid and scored. He and Bowen both contributed upfront. Is that not more productive than a tired Antonio?

It's a bit silly to try and use Ian Pearce or Diop to support your stance. Yarmolenko is a guy with nearly 50 goals for his country. He isn't going to be here long, why not just use him and give Antonio the final 25 minutes?

They don't need to make a claim to start 10 games upfront. They are there to stop Antonio from looking ****ing shattered.

Does Antonio currently have a claim to the role?
Well yes, he is all we have got, he is our top scorer and only recognised striker. He has had a good 18 months followed by a poor month. Hopefully the 18 month form, energy and application returns. If we had any kind of alternative to him up front you don't get a performance like yesterday or others recently.

Whilst I do not subscribe to the rhetoric of him being a great player and our latest "legend", he has been incredibly effective for us since the league restarted after that first lockdown.

Yarmalenko to fill in, no thanks, he has continuously shown he is simply not cut out for the premier league. 7 goals and 2 assists in 55 league games over 4 seasons kind of tells you that. Him not going to be here long is hardly a case for using him, nor is referencing one game and one goal against Rapid, when he clearly isn't up for it at league level. And you are suggesting I am being silly ... :lol: ... Did you not propose chucking in an untried 17 year old as cover ?

We have no feasible alternative up front, that if anything is what is "silly" - as was Redknapp having to chuck Pearce up front way back.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Bubbles Fortuna »

Arthur Cabral and Ben Brereton are the answer. Let's get some South Americans in the squad is dangerously short on them. Do we have any?!
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Ironing Board »

Billy Hunt wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 2:21 pm May as well give Diop a bit of game time leading the line
Image
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Billy Hunt »

Ironing Board wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:04 pm Image
Selective quoting for effect, IB, tut tut :rofl:
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by S-H »

Bubbles Fortuna wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 4:52 pm Arthur Cabral and Ben Brereton are the answer. Let's get some South Americans in the squad is dangerously short on them. Do we have any?!
Manu deserves more respect than that..
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Ironing Board »

Billy Hunt wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:32 pm Selective quoting for effect, IB, tut tut :rofl:
Too good an opportunity to miss :lol: :lol:
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Bubbles Fortuna »

S-H wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:35 pm Manu deserves more respect than that..
How did I forget our Little Jewel?! :oops:
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by lincolnhammer1963 »

On current form, it could be argued we are playing with a false number 9
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by goa127 »

Whilst acknowledging that antonio wasn't on top form last night I think many fans are taking some of his play for granted. 2 years ago when he played up front he was rightly accused of making rash decisions and not holding the ball for others. This aspect he has learnt really well and set up two of our best chances last night. Perhaps another thing to consider is how much the opposition study his game now. He is highly rated as a striker and teams no doubt pour over hours of video footage to try and combat him. He may not be superman right now but he's still doing a half-decent job
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by S-H »

He would bethe perfect option from the bench, wouldn't he?

We just need to find a new forward, who Moyes deems worthy, first..

:)
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by funky chicken »

Moyes needs to accept sooner rather than later as good as Antonio is on his day - and he is - that no matter how bad he plays, that doesn’t mean the game is over if we take him off. We can very much function without him. We’ve won plenty of games and have scored plenty of goals when he has been out of the team. We did last season, like Leicester at home. And even with bloody Haller up front we still managed to. We have played some good stuff at times this season in the Cup games when Antonio wasn’t playing.

When Antonio is playing his absolute best, for sure he walks straight into the starting 11. But if he’s having a run of games when he’s offering nothing, grow a pair Moyes. The world won’t end if he’s not on the pitch.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by hammerman11 »

Agree , stick him on the bench tomorrow and bring him on for last 25 mins to get the winner !

Rice soucek lanzini
Vlasic bowen fornals
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by WestHamLyallStyle »

I don’t think any of us thought he’d achieve as much as he has. If he never scores again we’re still heavily indebted to him.
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