West Ham Fan-Favorite ‘No Longer Deserves a Spot’, Lopetegui Must Drop Him – Journalist
Roshane Thomas suggests Michail Antonio should be the main attacking change Julen Lopetegui needs to make in his West Ham lineup in the coming weeks.
According to The Athletic, a journalist wrote on 16 September that the 34-year-old striker “no longer deserves” to be West Ham’s first-choice forward due to an ineffective start to the season.
Manager Julen Lopetegui has started the Jamaican international in all four Premier League matches so far, but he has yet to score for the new boss.
Meanwhile, Danny Ings came off the bench to secure a late equaliser against Fulham, salvaging a point.
Additionally, West Ham signed Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund this summer for £25 million [Florian Plettenberg, 2 August].
Ings’ rare goal to steal a point at Fulham highlights the need for a change in West Ham’s attack.
Although Antonio has been vital for the club in recent seasons, providing consistent goals as a converted wing-back, his form has declined in recent years.
After a summer transfer window that saw over £100 million spent on new signings, it seems time for West Ham to shift their attacking focus.
At 34, Antonio is the oldest of Lopetegui’s three forwards over 30, and his scoring rate has been steadily decreasing.
Despite being linked with moves away in recent transfer windows [The Athletic], Antonio remains at West Ham and continues to start this season, which has surprised many.
Similarly, Ings was also expected to depart over the summer, with the club reportedly trying to offload his substantial wages.
However, the striker claims he was never close to leaving [talkSPORT, 13 August].
Despite a slow start to the season, Ings may now have earned consideration for a starting role against Chelsea next week, given his clutch performance against Fulham.
Lopetegui’s hesitance to rely on some of his new signings has drawn comparisons to former manager David Moyes, dampening some of the optimism surrounding the summer transfer window.
Adding to the frustration is Jhon Duran’s impressive start to the season, after he failed to secure a move to West Ham, as he had publicly desired [James Nursey, 22 July].
Though Niclas Fullkrug has yet to score in three substitute appearances in the Premier League and one start in the Carabao Cup before sustaining an injury, he still seems like a stronger option to lead West Ham’s attack once he returns.
Ings, on the other hand, will need to maintain consistency to prove he can step up after a lackluster 18 months but may have staked his claim for a starting spot.
