Dutch analyst, Jan van Halst, has labelled Michail Antonio as “clumsy and unpolished” and questioned why West Ham chose him over Sebastien Haller.
Antonio started this season in fine form but has tailed off drastically since, with injuries and a lack of form seeing the goals dry up.
He once again failed to get his name on the scoresheet in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, a game in which he struggled to make an impact.
The West Ham striker has now gone six league games without a goal, his last coming in the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace at the beginning of January.
Indeed, that is his only goal in all competitions this year and his second extended dry spell of the season after going eight league games without a goal in the Premier League earlier in the campaign.
That’s a far cry from the form he showed at the beginning of the campaign that saw him score four goals in his first three games, alongside an assist in each of them as well.
In contrast, former West Ham man Haller has continued to shine for Ajax, with 16 goals in 19 games in the Eredivisie this season, and Van Halst can’t understand why he was sold to the Dutch club.
“At the start of the season, he did reasonably well, but not at all in the last few weeks,” Voetbal Primeur report him saying to Ziggo Sport.
“He is so clumsy and unpolished. I think this team actually deserves a better striker. One that can hold onto the ball and get you playing.
“Surely Haller is three classes better than this? He’s not in form at all at the moment, either. He totally should be, with his limited technical ability.
“The offering is also mediocre. He not only has hard feet but a hard body. That ball bounces all over the place. I really think it’s one of the weakest positions at West Ham.”
