✍️ Welcome Michail Antonio

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Cuenca 'ammer
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

Centre Half wrote: Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:31 pm

He was never passing that last night.
at the risk of repeating myself once again (and again probably :crylol: ) I think he was thinking "here's my chance to make up for that early miss..." that's his one and only thought imvho...

I mean I can't blame a really confident striker taking that chance if goals had been flowing in but we all know that's not the case at all......
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by stu1 »

I’ve defended Antonio a lot of this thread, especially against certain regular posters who were silent for 18 months when he was bang in form and now have suddenly reappeared because now they can put the boot boot in.

However, that being said, his ability to score when one on one is genuinely below that of a decent Saturday league striker. If Ings hadn’t been cup tied last night, then we win, probably quite comfortably.

I’m completely against starting Antonio on the wing, because he simply doesn’t have 60+ mins in him in that position, but it’s reached the point where he needs to be an impact winger for 30 mins and no more.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by funky chicken »

Up the Junction wrote: Thu Mar 02, 2023 6:08 pm
Image
Cheers, UTJ. :newthumb: This was what I was alluding to in my last sentence in my post on the previous page, but couldn’t get a screenshot sooner than the one I found.

He just held onto the ball a little bit too long. And this could well have effected his final decision once Maguire closed him down. Who knows, maybe Antonio always intended on shooting. Only he knows the answer to that. But had he played Benrahma through sooner, oh what could have been……
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

we will have to agree to disagree on this one as i don't think that is an easy ball to make in those circumstances, especially as he is running at pace and the pass would need to be with his weaker left foot

There is very little room for error there as the channel between defender and keeper is minimal and Benny has not created enough distance from the ball

If Antonio plays that ball at a slow enough pace for Benny to get it, then Maguire can cut it out or De Gea can come and collect. If Antonio plays it at hard enough pace that De Gea cannot claim it, then Benny won't get it either and it will flash across goal

If Benny had made a diagonal run so he was closer to the line of the back post, then Antonio could play the cross/pace with a lot more pace

FWIW i don't think Antonio would pass with Maguire in that proximity anyway, as it is on his weaker left foot - but i don't think many players would be confident executing that pass with their weaker foot and most would prefer to shoot on their stronger one
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Chicken Run Supreme »

It would have needed to be absolutely pin point square ball that’s for sure. Not as easy as it might have first seemed but we’ll never know .

Mike is an enigma, can’t fault his effort and he always puts in a shift but his confidence has taken a knock and I never fancied him to beat De Gea on either occasion.

I wouldn’t be starting him against Brighton
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by szola »

Up the Junction wrote: Thu Mar 02, 2023 6:08 pm
Image
At last!!!

This is the perfect Soucek scenario. Antonio needs to lift the ball gently above Maguire, so that the tall Czech can nod it home....
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by S-H »

I'd fancy Benrahma to put that in the top right corner (keepers left) from there.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

Chicken Run Supreme wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 8:31 am It would have needed to be absolutely pin point square ball that’s for sure. Not as easy as it might have first seemed but we’ll never know .

Mike is an enigma, can’t fault his effort and he always puts in a shift but his confidence has taken a knock and I never fancied him to beat De Gea on either occasion.

I wouldn’t be starting him against Brighton
I wouldn't start him against Brighton or Villa, and nor will Moyes (I don't think)

I would consider it against Man City though as he has always done will against them and we won't have much possession so we need an out ball against a high defensive line. He will get a lot of opportunities to turn and take on the last defender like he did against Martinez
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Row X »

There's also the option of the cut back between the two defenders for potato salad.

Of the three options, the shot, the square ball or the cut back, he chose the one with the least % of us scoring.

He also once again took too long, like his one on one, he narrowed his own angle. De Gea at least had to make a save from this one, but the place where Antonio shot was the only place he could realistically put it so it was a comfortable save for De Gea.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

Row X wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 9:05 am There's also the option of the cut back between the two defenders for potato salad.

Casimero cuts that out, no problem IMHO
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Puff Daddy »

funky chicken wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 5:29 am Cheers, UTJ. :newthumb: This was what I was alluding to in my last sentence in my post on the previous page, but couldn’t get a screenshot sooner than the one I found.

He just held onto the ball a little bit too long. And this could well have effected his final decision once Maguire closed him down. Who knows, maybe Antonio always intended on shooting. Only he knows the answer to that. But had he played Benrahma through sooner, oh what could have been……


Or, had he been Phil Foden, he could've curled it into the top right hand corner. Come to think if it, why didn't he do that ?
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by neathiron »

Crouchend_Hammer wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 8:46 am I wouldn't start him against Brighton or Villa, and nor will Moyes (I don't think)

I would consider it against Man City though as he has always done will against them and we won't have much possession so we need an out ball against a high defensive line. He will get a lot of opportunities to turn and take on the last defender like he did against Martinez
On the flip side his 1st touch isn't great so as soon as we may have played an out ball to him, Man City have wrestled possession back and our midfield and defence are back under pressure straight away. We need a striker who if a rare goalscoring opportunity comes, is capable of finding the net. That's why he should only be used as a late 2nd half sub from now on imo.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

Man City don't defend touch tight though and we won't be pinging balls into his feet. We need someone who can use strength to hold the CBs off whilst the rest of of team get up. He is the best we have for contesting 50 50s and operating as an isolated front man.

Also, against Man City a lot of our out balls will be down thr channels and again Antonio will be best served to chase them down and try and win throw ons etc to get us up the pitch

We are not going to try and play possession football against Man City so need strength up top. Esp as defenders like Laporte, Ake and Akanji are not big bruiser CB types

Antonio has a good scoring record against Man City tbf
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by BrownFatwa »

Finished at this level whether it be us or another club next season.
Has never had a football brain and is now loosing his brawn effect too.
Thanks for your memories though Micky.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by hammerman11 »

He is declining for sure. Starts on the bench with a last 20 min run out against tiring defenders
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Bubbles Fortuna »

I think it's important to remember that he wouldn't have started on Wednesday if Scamacca was fully fit or Ings wasn't cup tied.

Then Bowen had a bit of a knock and Cornet is obviously out long term so who knows where he truly sits in the pecking order.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

https://www.kumb.com/article.php?id=44526

Player by Player Analysis: Manchester Utd 3-1 West Ham Utd by Jack Elderton

Michail Antonio (4)

While Antonio should be credited for his runs in behind that led to two promising chances in front of goal, his failure to convert these opportunities - he may have been better placed squaring the ball to Benrahma in the second example - ultimately denied his side what should have been a comfortable lead. Perhaps more worrying, though, was the ease with which Manchester United’s centre-backs were able to dominate the aerial duels against the striker. Against Spurs, Antonio won just 17% of these duels and he followed that up with 25% success last night. This must improve.

whether or not he would or wouldn't have started it doesn't excuse his lack of finishing. it's not like he hasn't played in months.........

imvho that is..
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by MB »

Cuenca 'ammer wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 7:17 pm
whether or not he would or wouldn't have started it doesn't excuse his lack of finishing. it's not like he hasn't played in months.........

imvho that is..
Unless it is a first time finish or the keeper makes a hash of it, have you ever seen him score from those positions?

Even in his "purple patch" he'd miss those.

Scorpion and the frog. Can you really get angry about something which is just his nature? I can't.

The heading thing is different and explains why Tomas is still getting a game as all three of our strikers (for different reasons) don't offer enough in the air. In many ways that is as limiting as Tomas' passing yet gets glossed over a fair bit.

No one wants to talk about the dirty stuff and it is all give and go's and triangles like we are going to morph into 2000's Barcelona.
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

no you're correct he has always struggled with those type of situations. doesn't stop me being upset on the night though..

as for Tomas. I love what he and Vlad brought to a club with such a shitty work ethic as ours at the time.

I don't expect us to morph into Barca but I would like a midfield player to be able to complete more than 50 odd percent of his passes.

I would hazard a guess that he completes a much higher percentage of passes for his national team than he does for us and this then begs the question... WHY ?

rhetorical I know....
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Re: Michail Antonio

Post by Shabu »

Barely heard his name mentioned today.

Did he even touch the ball Headbanger
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