London Fields Hammer wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:35 am
That was mainly because the service he got was appalling - our keeper and defenders kept punting it up to him and sending long passes - it was incredibly predictable and left him having to turn with his back to a very good defender backed up by midfielders who knew he had no support. Not saying he had a great game but we had no positive game plan. Possession starts from the back and we kept giving it away.
Partly, maybe. Mainly, definitely not - the guy had a stinker. When he's not on his game his technical deficiencies show through as they did yesterday.
The bloke is knackered, you could see it Wednesday and he carried it through to yesterday. It's not his fault there's no real alternative and if he can walk he plays until we get an alternative in
HammerAl wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:05 am
When the team is tired or seems to have run out of ideas, we play these lazy balls to Antonio, who is also tired, and expect him to do something.
We need to be a bit smarter with some of our passing and build-up play.
For me I look it the other way round, that when we are tired or simply under pressure it would be more beneficial to have a forward who can read and deal with these so called lazy balls a lot better.
I actually don't think all these balls are lazy, Antonio's limitations in the position often makes the balls look lazy as he is far too often not holding the position or dealing with the ball that you would expect a natural central striker to do be by making runs you expect a winger to make.
To me Antonio is still best as a winger, his best runs other than counter attacks are still down the wings, his movement and positioning in the box are not the best to attack the ball especially compared to his ability when running in the box from wide but the biggest weakness that makes balls look lazy to him is aerially as he rarely tries to win a ball to hold up but instead is more focused on spinning the defender to run than keeping possession for the benefit of the team.
Against some defences as a centre forward Antonio can be unplayable but against others not so and it is in those games where it would surely be beneficial to be able to call upon an alternative forward to do the job he can't and also to have that someone give him a rest and competition, I just find it baffling we have not signed another first team forward in any shape or form.
It's still frustrating me that Bowen looks more comfortable in the box, both with a ball at his feet, and attacking crosses than Antonio. That is bread and butter in terms of what your striker needs to give you.
There are only so many times per game I can watch a ball hit Antonio and it be 50/50 as to whether he's going to control it and try and spin the defender.
Think Southgate has been proved right hasn't he. Antonio is a purely purple patch player, not a player you wan't to build a team around unfortunately. It's time to finally get a striker that will perform at an average of 7/10 across the season, rather than 1/10 and 10/10's.
HammerMan2004 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:48 pm
It's still frustrating me that Bowen looks more comfortable in the box, both with a ball at his feet, and attacking crosses than Antonio. That is bread and butter in terms of what your striker needs to give you.
There are only so many times per game I can watch a ball hit Antonio and it be 50/50 as to whether he's going to control it and try and spin the defender.
That was a big problem at the weekend.
It seemed everytime the ball went up to him Maguire won it.
I'd be happy if occasionally Antonio just held it up and laid it off to another attacker. But lately he is trying to spin in behind everytime. It's an all or nothing - we loose the ball or he gets in behind one player about 50 yards from goal still with plenty to do.
If its not working go back to basics. Keep the ball and bring others into the game.
-DL- wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:52 am
Been called up for Jamaica again for their WCQ. 3 games in 7 days on the other side of the Atlantic.
Lovely. Just what West Ham needs.
This is the fella that Moyes consistently says needs to be managed - Just played 4 games in quick succession and now off with Jamaica. Something has to give.
A very real prospect that we go into the most exciting second half of a season in decades without a striker.
Time to realise that Antonio made this decision himself and shows where his priorities lie.
I dont begrudge him choosing Jamaica and wanting a shot at a world cup (which looks like it wont happen) but alot of players in his position with the way he has to be managed would have been retiring now and not just starting their international journey - especially half way across the world.
Then again this does come back to fall on us whereby he chose to play for Jamaica quite a while back now and we still have not signed a striker.
k-r-c wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 10:00 am
Time to realise that Antonio made this decision himself and shows where his priorities lie.
I dont begrudge him choosing Jamaica and wanting a shot at a world cup (which looks like it wont happen) but alot of players in his position with the way he has to be managed would have been retiring now and not just starting their international journey - especially half way across the world.
Then again this does come back to fall on us whereby he chose to play for Jamaica quite a while back now and we still have not signed a striker.
Surely you can say the same thing about any player at any age?
I'd be happy enough if Rice never played for england so he never gets injured or knackered like Dean Ashton and many other west ham players have when chosen for their national sides, but that's because i support west ham and i'm not someone wanting to play for their national side.
This is all down to us not buying a striker. Actually, tbh we could do with two more proper strikers. As it showed v man u, we don't just need the option to replace strikers when injured or not playing well, we also need the option to bring on another such striker.
How many attacking players did man u have to choose from from their bench compared to us?
4?
Ridiculous to blame our top PL goal scorer ever for wanting to play international football. What should he do - turn it down because his Club have not got anybody else on their books and he’s been used way too much?
Massive error by Moyes not to have got a suitable understudy in the last two years. Pretty basic stuff.